Hammarbacken

Part of the first Crown ironworks founded by the King Gustav Vasa in 1550.

Opening times:
Workers house and museum.
Café. During summer:
Wed at 1pm Children’s activities
Thu 12-1pm music
Sat 9am-3pm Flee-market
The “Knife-week” middle July
Phone +46 (0)240-171 75.
Info Tourist office +46 (0)771-626262.
Info www.visitdalarna.se

The Ludvika works was founded in the 16th century, during the reign of Gustav Vasa, as a government facility for the production of bar iron. In 1726, the ownership of the ironworks was transferred into the Cedercreutz family, where it remained until the beginning of the 19th century. The last private owner of the works was the Roth family, which ran the ironworks until its closure in 1920. At the turn of the century, the family had diversified the business, adding a steam-powered saw for cutting sawlogs, in addition to the new blast furnace and bar-iron forge hammers. A power station was built at Ludvika Ström. In the ravine on the other side of the river can be seen the ruins of the Marnäs smelting house, a homesteader’s smelting house dating back to the 16th century.

The ironworks itself is at the centre of the site. In the 1750s, a wooden church was built on the southern side of the river. If you look along the axis of the church, you will find it runs straight across the river and through the manor house and its annexes. The Hammarbacken road to the ironworks ran from the front of the house and up to the top of the hill, where it can still be seen today, although it has been cut off by both the railway and a main road. On either side of the road stood the homes of the forge workers, which were built of slagbrick in c.1800. One of the original buildings still stands there. The interior is now in the form of a museum that shows how a family lived c.1900. It also has a café, which is open to visitors during the summer.

Also in Hammarbacken is an impressive three-storey granary, with a weather vane dating from 1805. In those days, it was customary for the women to carry the heavy mortar for the building work. Today the granary functions as an exhibition room during the summer.