Ankarsrum: Trails, Lakes and Industrial History

Ankarsrum brings together traces of the iron industry, museums, a bathing area at Långsjön, and trails of varying lengths and destinations. This gives you a practical starting point for planning your stay: you can explore the history of Ankarsrums bruk, choose a hiking route, or make the bathing area your main focus. Each place and trail has its own distinct character.

Industrial History and Buildings

Ankarsrums bruk was founded in 1655, after formal royal permission was granted to build a blast furnace. The works’ location between the lakes Långsjön and Hällsjön made it possible to harness water power. The history of the place thus connects industrial development with its lakeside landscape.

Ankarsrums kyrka was completed in 1896 and is built entirely of slag stone. The material is a by-product of iron production in Ankarsrum. The church therefore reflects not only the period in which it was built, but also the local industrial history. If you are interested in historic building methods, it offers a specific example of an industrial by-product put to use.

In Bruksparken stands a monument erected by artist Erik Reimhult in 1955 to mark the 300th anniversary of Ankarsrums bruk. The park is also home to Aktiveum, an industrial museum that reflects different periods in the history of the works. A bust in the park depicts the artist Harald Wiberg, who was born in Ankarsrum. According to tradition, the cast-iron statue Bedjande gosse was cast in Ankarsrum in the 1850s.

Museums and Local Collections

Ankarsrums Hembygdsmuseum is located on the shore of Långsjön, on Kungsvägen. Its collection includes folk objects and some iron objects. Together with the industrial museum Aktiveum, it offers a view of different aspects of local history: everyday objects and iron items here, and the development of the works over different periods there. The two collections have different focuses, without requiring you to reduce the industrial history to a single place or object.

The Hultsfred–Västervik narrow-gauge railway is also part of the area’s historical heritage. The 70-kilometre railway serves Ankarsrum station. It is a listed building and is considered an important Swedish industrial heritage site.

Hiking on Two Routes of Different Lengths

The Ankarsrumsslingan is 11.9 kilometres long and is intended both for circular walks and as a link to longer hikes on the Tjustleden. In the Ankarsrum area, the Tjustleden passes through Bruksparken. The Ankarsrumsslingan runs past the foundations of the Isgöhleström Manufakturverk, popularly known as Spiksmedjan. The walls are made of slag stone. The route therefore combines a hike with tangible traces of local industrial history. Trail conditions and access may change; check the conditions before setting out.

North of the watercourse at Isgölen, the Ankarsrumsslingan connects to the Tjustleden. The Ankarsrum-Xrundan starts at the station building and is about 3.4 kilometres long. This gives you two clearly different distances to choose from: around 3.4 kilometres on the Xrundan and 11.9 kilometres on the Ankarsrumsslingan. If you would like to include a walk or a longer hike in your stay, you can use the route distances as a guide when planning.

Bathing Area at Långsjön

Ankarsrum’s municipal bathing area at Långsjön has grassy areas, a sandy beach, and a ramp for people with disabilities. The different features make the area suitable for a range of uses: you can plan a visit as a swimming destination or see it as a counterpoint to the trails and historical sites around the town. When choosing a hotel in Ankarsrum, you can decide whether to focus your stay more on industrial history, hiking, or Långsjön.

Discover more destinations: Gamleby, Blankaholm, Gunnebo, Totebo, Hjorted, Västervik, Edsbruk, Blackstad.

Return to the main travel overview: Västervik.