Tortuna is a locality in Västerås Municipality in Västmanland County. It was once the seat of the local parish but gained most of its development as a settlement in the vicinity of the former railway station. The locality is today home to around 410 inhabitants.
A Short History of Tortuna
Tortuna Parish has its origins in the Middle Ages and its current church dates to the 13th century. The parish was in operation up until the Swedish Municipal Reform of 1862. This was when its responsibilities were split between the new civic government of Tortuna Municipality and the church congregation. The municipality was in 1952 incorporated into Tullberga Municipality, which in turn became a part of the town of Västerås in 1967. The municipality is since 1971 known as Västerås Municipality.
The railway through the area opened in 1876 and there was a station in Tortuna. The new station meant the development of a new settlement along the railway, a settlement that has developed into the current locality. The railway was moved a bit away from the locality during the railway modernization of the 1990s. By this time the trains no longer stopped here in Tortuna.
Things to Do and See
Tortuna is in the middle of farmland and small forests. A bit to the north is an old water-filled mine that is today known as Tortunagropen and is a popular swimming spot. There are also football fields and other outdoor activities available in the area.
Tortuna Church
The parish church was built in the 13th century and its current external appearance took shape in the 19th century. It was with these later alterations that the clock tower was built in the 1820s. This white stone church is today a part of Tillberga Congregation within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden.
How to Get to Tortuna
- Flights: Stockholm Västerås Airport (VST) is 12 kilometers to the southwest.
- Car: Tortuna is on countryside roads to the northeast of Västerås.
- Bus: Buses from VL connect Tortuna with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 102 kilometers (1 h 5 min)
- Gothenburg – 393 kilometers (4 h 30 min)
- Malmö – 612 kilometers (6 h 30 min)
- Linköping – 203 kilometers (2 h 40 min)
- Kiruna – 1199 kilometers (13 h 30 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
