Kvicksund is a cross-border locality when you look at the municipality, county, and historical province. It lies on both sides of the strait that almost splits Lake Mälaren into two. On the northern shore, there is a part that belongs to Västerås Municipality in Västmanland County, and on the other the part that belongs to Eskilstuna Municipality in Södermanland County. The local bridge not only connects the two halves of the locality, but it is also an important connection across Lake Mälaren, the third largest lake in Sweden. In addition to the bridge and a train station, around 2,200 inhabitants have Kvicksund as their home.
A Short History of Kvicksund
Kvicksund has for centuries been home to a ferry connection between the northern and southern shores of Lake Mälaren. The narrow strait was crossed by a railway bridge in the 1870s when the railway arrived in the area. It was joined by a new swing bridge in the 1920s that was replaced by the current bascule bridge in 1976.
Things to Do and See
One of the main attractions here is Lake Mälaren, the third-largest lake in Sweden. There are plenty of good swimming spots, both along the cliffs and also the occasional beach. In addition to a lot of small private jetties, there are also a few larger marinas here. The bridge is in many ways the most prominent construction to be found here, with the possibility of getting a good view of the lake. For visitors, there is also at least one restaurant on either side of the strait as well as a smaller grocery store in the southern part of the locality.
How to Get to Kvicksund
- Flights: Stockholm Västerås Airport (VST) is 34 kilometers to the northeast.
- Car: Kvicksund lies along Road 56. between the roads E18 and E20.
- Bus: Buses from Sörmlandstrafiken and VL connect Kvicksund with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 125 kilometers (1 h 20 min)
- Gothenburg – 363 kilometers (4 h 20 min)
- Malmö – 572 kilometers (6 h 10 min)
- Linköping – 159 kilometers (2 h 10 min)
- Kiruna – 1233 kilometers (13 h 50 min)
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