Vara is a small locality in western Sweden and it has around 4.400 inhabitants. Its history has centered around farming and its grain is the local gold. Fields still surround Vara is and you can see its silhouette from far away.
A Short History of Vara
Little is known about life here prior to the 16th century. The parish was first mentioned in the end of the 14th century and at that time the buildings were grouped in four small clusters.
It was first with the arrival of the railroad in the second half of the 19th century that Vara started to develop. The railroad resulted in the export of grain from the area and the number of traders increased drastically. The trade also led to the further development of Vara itself, with the establishment of local services. With the decline in profits in the grain trade, the production changed direction to animal breeding and the production of other animal products.
Things to Do and See
Vara is a quite small locality with a cozy center. There is a limited number of sights for visitors, but there are also other activities available. It doesn’t matter if you look for culture or play, there will probably be something for you. Otherwise, nature is always nearby and excursions to see the runestones of Sparlösa and Stora Levene are a possibility. Just a bit further away there are towns such as Skara and Skövde.
The Blue Orange
The Blue Orange is the station building in Vara and a building that causes a lot of debate. Is it a horrible sight? Or is it a piece of art? We will let you decide, please let us know below what you think about this blue building.
The building was inaugurated in 2012 and was created by the German artist Katharina Grosse.
Vara Konserthus
Vara konserthus is the local concert hall in the outskirts of the locality. It was opened in 2003 and is the scene for around 200 concerts and shows annually.
Vara Badhus
The local indoor swimming pools are at Vara Badhus. It is located next to the concert hall and offers relaxation, exercise opportunities, and playtime.
There is also an outdoor swimming pool in the locality, for anyone wanting a swimming pool instead of finding a lake during a hot summer day.
How to Get to Vara
- Flights: The closest larger airport is Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) 89 kilometres away, with both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Vara is located along the E20 between Skara and Vårgårda. Road 47 also connects the town with Grästorp and Falköping.
- Train: Västtågen has train connections to Borås, Göteborg, Herrljunga, Lidköping, Mariestad, Uddevalla and Örebro.
- Bus: Regional and local buses connect Vara with the surrounding region.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 389 kilometers (4h 24min)
- Gothenburg – 96 kilometers (1h 21min)
- Malmö – 365 kilometers (3h 56min)
- Linköping – 238 kilometers (2h 45min)
- Kiruna – 1487 kilometers (17h 27min)
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