Örebro


Örebro is a city with 124,027 inhabitants, the seat of Örebro Municipality and the capital of Örebro County in Sweden. It is the sixth largest city in Sweden and one of the largest inland hubs of the country. It is located near the lake of Hjälmaren, although a few kilometres inland along the small river Svartån.
Örebro is home to Örebro University, a major university hospital, a medieval castle, the water park Gustavsvik as well as several large shopping malls and the Oset-Rynningeviken nature reserve at the lakefront.

History

Örebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404.
The name Örebro refers to a bridge crossing the river Svartån where the city is located. The prefix Öre- is derived from ör 'gravel '. The location became a natural seat of commerce in the Scandinavian Middle Ages and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwise the magnificent Örebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town into a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the stewardship of Birger Jarl during the early 13th century and then modified and enlarged during the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the 1560s. The Örebro Synod was held here in 1529.
Notable events in Örebro's history include the national diet meeting at Örebro in 1810, where Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected crown prince of Sweden.
Although a trade town, Örebro remained small until the second half of the 19th century, when it grew rapidly as a center of the national shoe-manufacturing industry.

Climate

Örebro, like the rest of the area close to Mälardalen, has a humid continental climate that is made milder by the proximity to water and the Gulf Stream which makes it interchangeable with oceanic climates. Summer temperatures occasionally exceed albeit not yearly, and temperatures above are rare in winter, although frost-free nights sometimes occur. July high temperatures range from to depending on weather patterns, with a 2002–2014 mean high of around. During cold winters, Örebro receives plenty of snowfall. Örebro is far more prone than coastal areas to really harsh frosts with temperatures approaching or below happening almost every winter according to SMHI statistics. The station's setting in a rural location might skew temperatures somewhat compared to the urban area which is also at a slightly lower elevation and nearer Hjälmaren. Especially when considering overnight lows this could render a small urban heat island effect in the city centre.
However, the climate is very variable from year to year. For example, December 2010 was record cold with a daily mean of, whilst December 2006 only a few years before had a mean of. The warmest month on record is in July 2018 and the coldest on record is in January 1987. Örebro is often without snow cover for large parts of the winter months when daytime temperatures hover just above freezing – an exceptional feature for an inland area north of the 59th parallel.
The highest ever recorded temperature was set on 7 August 1975 during an intense heatwave with, which is a very high temperature for such northerly parallels. During the 21st century, the record heat is set on 8 August 2018. The lowest recorded temperature in recorded history was set in February 1966 with. Several monthly records have been set in the 2010s according to official SMHI statistics, namely the record highs of March, May, July, October, November, December as well as the coldest December temperature and month on record, that was set in 2010. The November record high of 2014 was associated with extremely unseasonal thunderstorms. Humidity is high for most parts of the year, but adequately lower during summer months. In spite of this summer is generally the time that gets the most precipitation due to clashes between hot and cool continental air systems causing heavy thunderstorm rainfall. In 2015, a reading was recorded around the winter solstice, another record and a very warm reading for an inland area.

Demography

Sites of interest

Örebro's old town, Wadköping, is located on the banks of the Svartån. It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.
The water tower of Örebro, named Svampen, is a popular destination as an outlook tower. In 1971, a replica of the tower was built in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Culture

Örebro has hosted a contemporary art exhibition called Open Art on four occasions: in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In 2013, the exhibition featured works by 90 artists from Sweden and many other countries throughout the world. The fifth edition of the exhibition is planned for the summer of 2015.
Örebro University is one of Sweden's most recent, being upgraded from högskola in 1999. It currently has around 16,000 students and a staff of 1,100. The institution is regarded as one of the top 351–400 universities in the world. The university is also named among the world's top 100 young universities in the 2018 THE Young University Rankings.
Gustavsvik, the largest water park in the Nordic countries, is located just a kilometer south of central Örebro. With more than 700,000 visitors per year, it is one of the most popular tourist and leisure establishments in Sweden. Only Liseberg, Gröna Lund and Skansen are more popular. In the summer the manor of Karlslund is a very popular place to visit.

Gallery

Sports

Football

Karlslunds IF is a multi-sports club specialising in American Football, Bandy, Baseball/Softball, Bowling, Football, Gymnastics, Skiing and Swimming.

Notable people

;Artists
; Politicians and public officials
;Religion
;Scientists and engineers
;Sportspeople
;Writers
Örebro is twinned with