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municipality in Västra Götaland County, Sweden
Europe > Nordic countries > Sweden > Götaland > Västergötland > Mariestad

Mariestad is a town with about 15,000 inhabitants in the province Västergötland in Sweden. It is by the lake Vänern. It has a long history and has played an important part in Swedish history.

Understand

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Map
Map of Mariestad
The residence of the governor

Mariestad is located at the mouth of Tidan river. Marieholm, an island in the mouth of Tidan, was the site of a large manor during the middle ages. The manor was used both as a royal residence and as a residence of the governor of the historical Skaraborg County. In 1583 Mariestad was founded by Duke Karl, later crowned as Karl IX of Sweden. He named the city after his wife Maria of Pfaltz. The Protestant Karl was in a feud with his pro-Catholic brother and King Johan III and one of the reasons for founding Mariestad was to build a protestant cathedral in the area, and thereby prevent Skaraborg Diocese from turning catholic. The city thus became an important religious centre, and Mariestad Cathedral was built between 1559 and 1615 in gothic and renaissance style. The cathedral is however unique in Sweden as the only cathedral which has never had its own bishop. The city was also dominated by trade with Värmland and the mining centres in Bergslagen on the other side of lake Vänern.

In the 1660s, Mariestad became the county seat of Skaraborg County. However, the city remained rather small, with a population of some 900 people in 1760. The 'old city' of Mariestad was mainly constructed during the 18th and 19th centuries, and during this era Mariestad hospital was opened as one of the first in Sweden. During the 19th century Trollhätte and Göta kanal were constructed, contributing to increased trade and industrialization in Mariestad. Traditional Mariestad manufacturies include the whiteware company Electrolux and the paper industry Katrinefors. Mariestad was also the main place of production of the vulcanised lump paper material unica.

Tourist office

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Get in

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Mariestad's first hospital

By train

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Mariestad central station is located on Nygatan by the railway Kinnekullebanan. It is connected to Gothenburg and Hallsberg, and is operated by the regional company Västtrafik (+46 771-41 43 00). The national operator SJ carries traffic between Stockholm and Gothenburg, with stops on the nearby Töreboda and Skövde, from where you can get a bus to Mariestad.

By bus

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By car

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The E20 highway between Stockholm and Gothenburg passes through Mariestad. Route 202 carries traffic to Töreboda in the east while route 26 leads to Skövde in the south.

By plane

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The closest international airport is Gothenburg's Landvetter Airport GOT IATA 170 km (110 mi) south west. Örebro airport ORB IATA, 110 km (68 mi) north east of Mariestad serve domestic flights.

Get around

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Stora torget

Central Mariestad is very small and easy to cover by foot or bike.

  • Bicycles can be rented at Sjötorps upplevelsecenter, Tallåsvägen 6, (+46 501-511 33) in Sjötorp 20 km (12 mi) north of Mariestad, which can be accessed with the regional train Kunnekulletåget.
  • Västtrafik operate the regional bus traffic in Västergötland County, including bus traffic around Mariestad municipality.
  • The local taxi company is Taxi Mariestad (+46 501-180 80), whose main hub is by the train station.
  • Vänern - the biggest freshwater lake in Europe. Nice boats, and supposedly a lot of Swedish tourists in summer.
  • 1 Mariestad Cathedral (Mariestads Domkyrka), Nygatan 23, ☏ +46 501-39 05 00. Constructed between 1559 and 1615 in gothic and renaissance style. Mariestad Cathedral (Q1236679) on Wikidata Mariestad Cathedral on Wikipedia (updated Dec 2017)
  • Qvarnstensgruvan i Lugnås (Millstone Mine of Lugnås), Lugnås Älerud 1 (By Lugnåsberget 20 km (12 mi) from Mariestad by highway E20), ☏ +46 501-406 86. A millstone mine which date back to the middle ages up until the 1920s. Guided tours are available. (updated Dec 2017)
  • Landshövdingsresidenset (The Governors Residence), Marieholmsbron 3, ☏ +46 501-75 58 31. Jun-Aug: Tu-Sa. Contains two museums, the Vadsbo Museum of art and local history and culture, and Mariestads Industrimuseum of local industrial history, with extra focus on the Unico-material. (updated Dec 2017)
  • Djurö nationalpark (Djurö National Park), ☏ +46 501-60 50 00, . A 2400-hectare island and natural reserve in lake Vänern. It can only be reached by boat. Boat tours are arranged by the local tourist office. (updated Dec 2017)
  • Kanalmuseet i Sjötorp (The Canal Museum in Sjötorp), Slussvägen 110 (In Sjötorp some 20 km (12 mi) north of Mariestad), ☏ +46-141202050. A museum over Göta kanal, and the local seafaring and shipsbuilding industry. 40 kr. (updated Dec 2017)

Go swimming, rent a bike, or have some other fun. On Saturdays, there's a market at the main square.

  • Bathing. There are 15 bathing areas in Mariestad. The three closest to Mariestad are Ekuddens camping, Sandviken and the recreational area Snapen. Ekuddens camping include a temperate outdoor swimming pool. Mariestads Badhus (+46 501-75 62 00) is an indoor pool on Göteborgsvägen 4.
  • Miniature golf. There are several miniature golf courses in Mariestad. One course is located opposite of the police station and has preserved its look since the mid 20th century. Another is located by Ekuddens camping, Ekuddenvägen (+46 501-106 37).
  • Mariestads Teater (Mariestad Theatre), Österlånggatan 8, ☏ +46 501-755841, . Mariestad has one of Sweden's oldest provincial theaters, constructed in 1842. (updated Dec 2017)
  • Sandvikens Golfklubb, Årsundavägen 100, ☏ +46 501-471 47, . An 18-hole golf course. (updated Dec 2017)
  • 1 Lilla Björkö. An outdoor bar with concerts at summer. 

ATMs can be found by Nya Torget, Esplanaden, Nygatan and ICA Oxen at Stockholmsvägen. Since Mariestad is the birthplace of the unica-material, unica items, such as boxes, are popular souvenirs.

In 2003 the local women's organization Kvinna Skaraborg launched a type of salmon canapé as Mariestad's unofficial signature dish.

Drink

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Mariestad Theatre

Some times the city hotel organize club nights.

Sleep

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Budget

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Mid-range

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Splurge

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Connect

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Cope

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Go next

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The Cathedral
Routes through Mariestad
Göteborg ← Alingsås ←  W  E  → Örebro → Stockholm


This city travel guide to Mariestad is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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