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


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.

By train
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

 * Västtrafik operate the regional bus traffic in Västragötaland County, including Mariestad.
 * Säfflebussen (in Swedish and Norwegian only) stops at the Mariestad bus station with the lines 201 and 203 (Uddevalla-Vänersborg-Trollhättan-Lidköping-Mariestad-Örebro).
 * Swebus Express makes a stop in Mariestad with the buses 801 (Gothenburg-Mariestad-Örebro-Stockholm) and 839 (Karlstad-Mariestad-Jönköping).

By car
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
The closest international airport is Gothenburg's Landvetter Airport  south west. Örebro airport, north east of Mariestad serve domestic flights.

Get around
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 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.

See

 * Vänern - the biggest freshwater lake in Europe. Nice boats, and supposedly a lot of Swedish tourists in summer.

Do
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).

Buy
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.

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



Drink


Some times the city hotel organize club nights.



Go next

 * Götene
 * Lidköping
 * Skara
 * Skövde