Mariefred is a Swedish town of 3,813 inhabitants that for historical reasons has the privilege of being a city despite its small population.
The city, beautifully situated by Lake Mälaren, offers, in addition to picturesque small-town development, also cultural experiences of rank.The place got its name from the Carthusian monastery Marienfred, founded in 1493, on the foundations of which today’s village church was built in the 17th century.
Most of Mariefred’s buildings are made of wood, notably the old town hall, in the Gustavian Empire style, and the Callander mansion, now a local museum. The place of the Carthusian church is occupied by the parish church of Mariefred, a stone church from the 17th century. The city’s main landmark, however, is Gripsholm Castle, a beautiful and well-preserved 16th-century Renaissance work that today houses the Swedish National Portrait Collection.Today ,tourism plays an important role in Mariefred’s economy.
Access : Coordinates: 59.266667, 17.216667 / Mariefred is about an hour’s drive south-west of Stockholm in the municipality of Strängnäs.
Highlights :
- Mariefred is the starting point of the Östra Södermanlands Järnväg, a 600mm narrow gauge railway. The railway is the oldest heritage railway in Sweden.
- In summer there are daily boat connections to and from Stockholm except Mondays by the steamer S/S Mariefred, which has been operating on the same route since 1903.
- Mariefred is also the home port of the steamship S/S Mariefred, which has led to the locality being called the city of steam.
- Top sights in Mariefred : Located on Mälaren’s Gripsholm Bay, Gripsholm Castle was built by Gustav Wasa in 1537 and houses the Swedish State Portrait Collection with around 2,000 exhibits / The grave of Kurt Tucholsky (♁⊙), who emigrated from Germany to Sweden in 1929, lies in the Mariefred cemetery. / Here there are e.g. Vasaborgen Gripsholm Castle, Sweden’s oldest museum railway (Östra Södermanland’s Railway) and the art center Grafikens hus.
Go next : Strängnäs , a town in Södermanland ,one of Sweden’s oldest towns. / Södertälje is a city in Södermanland and the center of Södertälje municipality.
