Rytterne is a small settlement and former parish in the historical province of Västmanland. The settlement is in the vicinity of the former parish church in an area that is today a part of Västerås Municipality in Västmanland County. The former parish covered an area that today includes the localities of Tidö-Lindö and Kvicksund, as well as the manors of Fiholm, Tidö, and Vikhus.
A Short History of Rytterne
Rytterne Parish was established in 1818 when the two parishes of Stora Rytterne and Lilla Rytterne merged. The decision had been taken already in 1776 when the two parishes had big problems with the structural status of their respective church. The new church was inaugurated at its current location a year later in 1819.
The new parish remained in operation only until 1862 when the Swedish Municipal Reform changed the structures of the local governments. This meant that the parish’s responsibilities were split between the new civic government of Rytterne Municipality and the church congregation. The municipality was 1952 incorporated into Kolbäck Municipality. The new municipality was in 1971 split and the former Rytterne Parish became a part of Västerås Municipality.
Things to Do and See
Rytterne has its church in its center and it is the most prominent building here. In addition, the small settlement in itself offers an insight into the historical management of a Swedish Parish with many of the buildings having served a purpose within the parish.
Rytterne Church
The local church dates to 1819 and was for some decades the center of the local parish. This white stone church is today still the main church of the Rytterne Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
Rytternegården
The local heritage society is housed in a building that is known as Rytternegården. This is the local cultural center and it acts like a smaller open-air museum with a few traditional buildings in its vicinity.
How to Get to Rytterne
- Flights: Stockholm Västerås Airport (VST) is 30 kilometers to the northeast.
- Car: The settlement and its church are on countryside roads to the south of Västerås.
- Bus: Buses from VL connect Rytterne with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 131 kilometers (1 h 25 min)
- Gothenburg – 371 kilometers (4 h 20 min)
- Malmö – 590 kilometers (6 h 10 min)
- Linköping – 167 kilometers (2 h 10 min)
- Kiruna – 1228 kilometers (13 h 50 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
