The Rademacher Forges are Eskilstuna's best historic sight: a preserved 17th-century smithing quarter of red wooden workshops built when the city was becoming a centre for Swedish metalwork. Some buildings function as museum spaces, while others are used by craftspeople.
It is most rewarding when something is open and working, but the open-air setting is worth a walk even outside museum hours. The low buildings, cobbles, and river nearby make the city's industrial past feel local and human rather than abstract.