Silverdalen is a small locality in Hultsfred Municipality in Kalmar County. This area was once part of Lönneberga Parish in the historical province of Småland. This is an old company town that has developed along the railway and the river Silverån. Today, the population is around 660 inhabitants. In English the name means “The Silver Valley”. The locality is only around 600 meters from the neighboring settlement of Lönneberga.
A Short History of Silverdalen
The history of Silverdalen is closely connected with the farm of Hällefors and the river Silverån. The river was early used to power a mill and its usage would increase when the railway between Nässjö and Oskarshamn was completed in 1874. Hällefors did the same year begin the construction of a paper mill that initially was known as Hällefors Pappersbruk. The initial name for the railway stop was Råsa. The name for both the train station and the paper mill changed to Silverdalen in 1931 after a naming dispute with the Swedish Postal Service that considered the name to be to close to the name Råda. The paper mill became a part of Modo Papper in 1970 and Metsä in 2000. Metsä closed down the paper mill already in 2002. Silverdalen did eventually also see the closure of its train station in 2014. The population has declined with over 30% since 1995.
Things to Do and See
Silverdalen is a small locality with a large industrial heritage. The old paper mill is in itself a quite impressive sight and the river Silverån offers a more beautiful scenery. In the center of the locality you will find a few smaller services such as a bank office and a small grocery store.
River Silverån
The river Silverån is most likely the most scenic view in the area. The body of water above the paper mill creates a nice scenery together with the industrial buildings in its vicinity. Wherever you are in Silverdalen, the river will never be far away.
Ängahultsbadet
Ängahultsbadet is the local beach in a protected bay of the river. This small beach also has facilities such as a changing room and a toilet.
Silverdalen Sign
On a cliff overlooking Silverdalen is this small locality’s reply to the Hollywood Sign. The name Silverdalen is visible from far away and according to online sources it should be possible to climb the hill and enjoy the view. The path should be somewhere behind the sign towards Faggemåla.
How to Get to Silverdalen
- Flights: The nearest airports are Linköping City Airport (LPI) and Småland Airport (VXO) in Växjö, which are 119 kilometers to the north and 123 kilometers to the southwest respectively.
- Car: Silverdalen is on Road 129 between Hultsfred and Mariannelund.
- Bus: Buses from Kalmar Länstrafik connect Silverdalen with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 317 kilometers (3 h 30 min)
- Gothenburg – 257 kilometers (3 h)
- Malmö – 314 kilometers (3 h 40 min)
- Linköping – 115 kilometers (1 h 40 min)
- Kiruna – 1548 kilometers (17 h)
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