Located in Södermanland County, this Swedish railway town has grown from its 1883 founding into a regional center with a train museum and the historic Stora Djulö Manor nearby.
Katrineholm, a town of 24,000 residents in Södermanland County, sits at Sweden's major railway crossroads. You can ice skate on Lake Näsnaren in winter, catch a bandy match at the local arena, or walk past the music venues where Europe recorded their early demos. The town's location puts you within an hour of Stockholm by train, making it convenient for day trips throughout central Sweden.
Lake Näsnaren Activities
A 5-kilometer path winds along Lake Näsnaren's shoreline, where you can fish from multiple designated spots or swim at marked areas during summer. In winter, the frozen lake surface becomes a natural ice skating rink. You'll find parking and benches at several points along the trail, and the lake's western shore has a small cafe open during summer months.
Rail Connections and Transport
Two major Swedish rail routes intersect at Katrineholm: Stockholm-Gothenburg and Stockholm-Malmö. Trains to Stockholm run every hour from 5 AM to midnight, with the journey taking about an hour. The 19th-century station building has ticket machines, a heated waiting area, and four platforms. Information boards display real-time departure times and platform numbers in Swedish and English.
Winter Sports and Athletics
You can watch bandy matches at the local arena from November to March. Katrineholms SK won three national championships here (1969, 1970, and 1972), drawing crowds of up to 5,000 spectators. The town has two indoor sports halls and an outdoor track open to the public. Värmbols FC plays football matches at their home ground from April to October.
Rock Music History
Europe band members Joey Tempest and John Norum practiced in basement rooms around town before their international breakthrough. The 1985 film "On the Loose" shows several still-existing locations, including the old music store on Drottninggatan and the youth center where the band played early concerts. You can pick up a map of these music landmarks at the tourist office.
Local Life
The streets around the train station fill with commuters during morning and afternoon rush hours. Former Ericsson and Scania factory buildings now house smaller businesses and workshops. Each neighborhood has its own character: Bie with its 19th-century wooden houses, Björkvik centered around a stone church from 1750, and Valla where local shops line the main street.
