Hällestad is a locality in the province of Östergötland and it is just a short distance to the west of Finspång in eastern Sweden. It is part of Finspång Municipality in Östergötland County and has a population of around 320 inhabitants. This was once the center of the local parish, with a church dating back to 1895.
A Short History of Hällestad
Hällestad Parish was established already in the Middle Ages. The first church here is believed to have been built in the 13th century. The churches here do, however, have a history of burning down. The culprits are either raiding soldiers or other accidents. The current church dates to the 1890s after its predecessor burned down in 1893.
Hällestad Parish survived until the Swedish municipal reforms of 1862. The parish was at that time split between the local government of Hällestad Municipality and the church congregation. Hällestad Municipality was 1971 incorporated into Finspång Municipality and the church congregation became a part of Finspång Congregation in 2013.
Things to Do and See
There is plenty to explore in this small village. Well, at least if you consider its size. Walking around will take you from the impressive church to the bridge across the river Finspångsån and to what can be considered an open-air museum for the local heritage.
Hällestad Church
Construction of Hällestad Church began in 1893 and the church was completed in 1895. It is a red brick church with a high tower. The church is today a part of Finspång Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Hällestads Hembygdsgård
Hällestads Hembygdsgård is the home of the local heritage organization and acts like a small open-air museum. The organization Hällestads hembygdsförening was founded in 1923 and it manages several heritage locations in the area.
How to Get to Hällestad
- Flights: Two nearby airports are Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO) 95 kilometers away and Norrköping Airport (NRK) 49 kilometers away.
- Car: Hällestad is on Road 51 to the west of Finspång.
- Bus: Buses from Östgötatrafiken connect Hällestad with the rest of the region.
- Train: The closest train station is in Norrköping.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 195 kilometers (2 h 17 min)
- Gothenburg – 314 kilometers (3 h 49 min)
- Malmö – 458 kilometers (5 h 21 min)
- Linköping – 45 kilometers (56 min)
- Kiruna – 1426 kilometers (16 h 52 min)
Explore More of Östergötland and Sweden
