Experience the best of Västerås

Västerås lies on the northern shore of Lake Mälaren, about a hundred kilometres west of Stockholm, and is one of Sweden's older cities, with an industrial history built on electrical engineering. The brick cathedral, with its tall spire, holds the tomb of King Erik XIV, and the old castle stands beside the river. The Kyrkbacken lanes preserve rows of old wooden houses.

Anundshög, a few kilometres from the city, is the largest burial mound in Sweden, set among Bronze Age and Viking Age monuments and standing stones in the open farmland. Boat trips cross the lake, and the island-dotted Mälaren is good for paddling. Strömsholm, a royal palace with a long equestrian tradition, is a short drive west.

Swedish coffee breaks with cinnamon buns, the fika, are a daily ritual in the cafés of the city, and in August crayfish parties mark the end of summer. The cathedral and the waterfront are at their best in the light of long summer evenings. Winters are cold and dark, with the lake frozen.