Tidan is a small locality in Västergötland that was once centered around the railroad and the wool factory. Neither one is in use today. Today the employment of the locality’s around 980 inhabitants mainly focuses on farming, commerce, automation, and industrial production on a smaller scale.
A Short History of Tidan
Tidan has its origins as a church village within the Vad Parish. Its development did, however, start with the railroad in the second half of the 19th century and the construction of the Western Main Line (Västra stambanan) in Sweden. The locality got its own station along the line in 1875. The trains kept stopping at the station in Tidan until 1978, the trains have since been passing by without making any stops and the station building has been demolished.
During the age of the railway, the small locality developed. It grew from approximately 500 inhabitants in the 1930s to around 1000 during the second half of the century. The main employer was for a long time a local wool factory owned by Svenska Yllekoncernen. The factory, which was established in 1911, had 215 employees in 1964. It eventually closed down in 1966.
Things to Do and See
Visiting Tidan will most likely take you on adventures to the surrounding countryside. However, there is more to this locality, with its rich industrial past. A walk along the river, with the same name as the locality, will give you some nice views and tell you parts of the history of the area.
Vad Church
As with many small localities, one of the most prominent buildings is the local church. The church in Tidan is the center for Vad Parish and is believed to have been constructed in the 12th or 13th century. It is since 2002 a part of Götlunda Parish.
Vaholms Brohus
Madison County in Iowa is famous for its covered bridges. This kind of bridge is very uncommon in Sweden and Vaholms Brohus might be the one and only of this kind in the country. It is located a short distance north of Tidan, crossing the river with the same name. The bridge is believed by some sources to have been constructed in the 18th century, according to others during the 19th.
Askeberga Stone Ship
A short distance to the west from Tidan is the small village of Askeberga. This is where you can find the second-largest stone ship in Sweden, a formation measuring over 50 meters in length. This is also one of the great archaeological mysteries of Sweden.
We have written more about Askeberga here >>
Vallby Sörgården
A short distance south of Tidan is the small village of Vallby and the farm Vallby Sörgården. This has been a cultural reserve since 2008 and acts partly as the local heritage museum for the parish. The area is rich in ancient remains and if you follow the walking trail you will also find Grim’s Rune Stone.
How to Get to Tidan
- Flights: The closest airport is Örebro Airport (ORB) located 121 kilometers away, with mostly chartered flights. There is also the larger Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) 173 kilometres away, with both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Tidan is located along road 200, with Skövde to the south and Töreboda to the north.
- Train: There are no train service in the area.
- Bus: There are local buses connecting Tidan to the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 320 kilometers (3h 28min)
- Gothenburg – 179 kilometers (2h 16min)
- Malmö – 401 kilometers (4h 30min)
- Linköping – 163 kilometers (2h 11min)
- Kiruna – 1418 kilometers (16h 26min)
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