Svärta, also known as Svärtuna, is a small settlement just to the northeast of the town of Nyköping. It lies in the historical province of Södermanland in eastern Sweden and was with its church once the center of the local parish. Its white stone church still dominates the landscape consisting otherwise mostly of forests and farmland.
A Short History of Svärta
Svärta Parish had its origins in the Middle Ages and its church dates to the 13th century. The church was the center of the social and religious life in the parish for centuries. That began to change with the Swedish Municipal Reform of 1862. This was when the responsibilities of the parish was split between the church congregation and the new civic government of Svärta Municipality. The municipality became a part of Nyköping Municipality in 1967. The church congregation is today a part of the Nyköping Alla Helgona Congregation.
Things to Do and See
This is a rural part of eastern Sweden with forests and farmland making up most of the surrounding landscape. Towering over the surrounding nature is the white medieval church.
Svärta Church
The white stone church stands at the center of the small settlement and was once the center of the local parish. It is one of several parish churches along the old route for what is now the highway E4 between Nyköping and Vagnhärad. The church has its origins in the 13th century, but it has seen many alterations over the centuries since. The church is today one of the churches making up the Nyköping Alla Helgona Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
How to Get to Svärta
- Flights: The nearest airport is Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO) 16 kilometers to the west. Sweden’s largest airport, Stockholm Arlanda (ARN), is 132 kilometers to the northeast.
- Car: Svärta is along Road 223 north of Nyköping.
- Bus: Buses from Sörmlandstrafiken connect Svärta with the surrounding area.
- Train: There is a train station in nearby Nyköping.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 95 kilometers (1 h 5 min)
- Gothenburg – 379 kilometers (3 h 50 min)
- Malmö – 523 kilometers (5 h 20 min)
- Linköping – 110 kilometers (1 h 10 min)
- Kiruna – 1325 kilometers (14 h)
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