Mariedamm is a small settlement and former railway community in Askersund Municipality in Örebro County. The small community of around 100 inhabitants is best known for being the location of the Trehörning Blas Furnace, a well-preserved traditional Swedish timber-clad blast furnace. This is an area that was earlier part of Lerbäck Parish in the historical province of Närke.
A Short History of Mariedamm
The blast furnace of Trehörning was built in 1636 by the local mining community. It was, however, purchased by the entrepreneur and industrialist Louis De Geer in 1648 and became a part of the ironworks at Godegårds Bruk. Thet owned the Trehörning Blast Furnace until 1888 when it was sold to the ironworks at Skyllbergs Bruk. Its operations did, however, cease already a year later in 1889.
The dam that was used by the furnace created a body of water that was known as “dammen”. The local legend tells that a farmstead at the water got its name after the dam and the owner’s wife, so it became Mariedamm. The name was later used in the 1870s when the railway through the area was built and Mariedamm got its own station. It is around this station that the current settlement has mostly developed. The trains stopped here until 1968 and the station building was demolished a few years later in 1974.
Things to Do and See
In the middle of forests and small lakes, this small community is hiding a few gems. The diamond of the area is the old blast furnace of Trehörnings Masugn. However, there is a lot more to explore in these forests, and maybe even enjoy some time at lakes such as Lake Skiren.
Trehörnings Masugn
Trehörnings Masugn is the blast furnace. This is one of the few preserved blast furnaces of its kind in Sweden. It is known as a traditional Swedish timber-clad blast furnace, a name that well describes the appearance of the building. It was originally built in 1636 and was in operation up until 1889.
Mariedamms Kapell
The local chapel dates to 1930 and it has an external clock tower from 1932. It is a white wooden building surrounded by trees. It is a part of the Lerbäck Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Skirenbadet
Skirenbadet is the local beach at Lake Skiren. It includes a small jetty as well as the necessary facilities such as changing rooms and a toilet.
How to Get to Mariedamm
- Flights: Örebro Airport (ORB) is 58 kilometers to the north.
- Car: Mariedamm is along countryside roads to the east of Askersund.
- Bus: Local buses from Länstrafiken Örebro connect Mariedamm with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 230 kilometers (2 h 53 min)
- Gothenburg – 285 kilometers (3 h 42 min)
- Malmö – 449 kilometers (5 h 12 min)
- Linköping – 73 kilometers (1 h 7 min)
- Kiruna – 1355 kilometers (16 h 9 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
