Södertälje
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Södertälje

Södertälje

Industrial Swedish canal city south of Stockholm, where a major lock connects Mälaren to the Baltic.

Södertälje is a small city just south of Stockholm, known for the Södertälje Canal and lock — the largest lock in the Nordic countries — which connects Lake Mälaren to the Baltic Sea. The city has a long industrial history as the home of Scania trucks and AstraZeneca.

For visitors, the main draws are the open-air museum Torekällberget, which recreates a 19th-century Swedish town with original buildings, and Tom Tits Experiment, a hands-on science centre popular with families. The waterfront area around the lock is pleasant for a walk.

Guide

Getting There

Södertälje is 35 kilometres south of Stockholm and extremely easy to reach. Pendeltåg (commuter trains) run frequently from Stockholm Central via Södertälje Centrum station — the journey takes about 35 minutes. The Sörmlandspilen regional trains also stop here. By car, take the E4 south from Stockholm.

There is no airport in Södertälje; Stockholm Arlanda is about an hour away by train and road.

Guide

Things to Do

Södertälje rewards a day trip from Stockholm with a surprising range of things to see. The canal lock is the centrepiece of the city, but the open-air museum, the science centre, and the unusual concentration of Syriac Christian landmarks all add character to a city that is easy to underestimate.