Västanfors Area

Västanfors Heritage Museum is beautifully located by the Strömsholm Canal and Crown Princess Victoria’s lock.
The last private owner of Västanfors Bruk, which was located on the eastern side of the river, was born in the northern wing in 1862. As a girl, her name was Malla Enhörning, but she took the surname Löwenhielm when she married the member of parliament Severin Löwenhielm. She then moved with him to Djursholm in Stockholm.
However, she did not want to leave Västanfors completely, so it became their summer residence until she passed away in 1954.
 
Since the 1600s, ironworks owners associated with Västanfors blast furnace have lived and worked here. But from time to time, changes have occurred.
When the Strömsholm Canal was built at the end of the 18th century, the forge was moved from the western side of the Kolbäck River to the eastern side.
In the mid-19th century, the Strömsholm Canal was renovated, and the canal was rerouted straight through the manor’s property. The old manor had to be demolished, but the two wings were built in its place. A beautiful pavilion remains in the park.
The blast furnace also had to be relocated from the western side of the canal to the eastern side, just as the forge had been half a century earlier.
However, at the end of the 1920s, the blast furnace was demolished when the entire operation was moved to Fagersta Bruk.
 
In the area around Västanfors Heritage Museum, visitors can walk among the old cottages and perhaps step inside the general store, which was once a granary storing the manor’s grain but is now filled with beautiful and nostalgic items reflecting older times. Or visit the Rune Lindström Museum.
Malla Löwenhielm’s home has also been preserved as a museum, providing a great insight into an upper-class home at the turn of the 20th century.
The lock keeper’s cottage near the manor wing has been renovated and converted into a ceramics workshop. North of the church, a School Museum is housed in Fagersta’s first school building, constructed in 1854.
There is plenty to see here for both adults and children.
 
Rune Lindström Museum
Rune Lindström was a local son who initially intended to become a priest but was also involved in folklore research. He was the author of the rural play “Himlaspelet – A Play About a Road That Leads to Heaven.” It was an enormous success, leading him to abandon his priesthood studies and focus on his writing career.
 
Rune Lindström got the idea for the play after hearing about an old man in a nursing home in Leksand who, when contemplating his impending death, had said in the Dalarna dialect: “A blir föll te gå te nå långväga budar!” (It will probably be like going to some distant summer pastures).
Himlaspelet has been described as a blend of folklore and humanity, told with humor. It was performed at Dramaten (The Royal Dramatic Theatre) and was also adapted into a film, directed by the renowned Alf Sjöberg.
In the Rune Lindström Museum, which consists of a single room, the walls are decorated with his poems and feature pictures and texts telling the story of his various creative phases.
During his lifetime, he managed to write around 60 film scripts and even perform on stage himself.

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