Västervik is a
city and the seat of
Västervik Municipality,
Kalmar County,
Sweden, with 36,747 inhabitants in 2021.
Västervik is one of three coastal towns with a notable population size in the province of
Småland.
Climate
Västervik has a semi-continental type of the
oceanic climate (
Cfb) using the -3°C isotherm, and a true
humid continental climate (Dfb) using the 0°C isotherm, with vast differences between seasons. The major weather station in the area is in Gladhammar west of Västervik. Differences are likely to be minor, with precipitation normals being available in greater detail for Västervik's station. Overnight lows may be the biggest difference, due Västervik's coastal position.
Economy
The city still bases much of its industry on its harbour, and on the industries that were established as a result of it in the late 19th century. Västervik has suffered the closure of certain factories, notably
Electrolux, with associated job losses. Just outside Västervik, there is the static inverter of
HVDC Gotland
The HVDC Gotland, on the Swedish east coast, was the first fully commercial static plant for high-voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) in the world.
Gotland 1
The first HVDC Gotland link (Gotland 1) went into service in 1954. It could t ...
and
Fårhultsmasten, a 335 m tall guyed mast used for FM/TV-transmission, which shares with three other masts the title of Sweden's tallest structure.
Culture
Every year since 1966 there is a
folk music festival in Västervik, at the ruins of the
Stegeholm castle. The area has artistic talent by artists, potters, craft people and painters.
Recreation
Being a summer town popular with yachtspeople, campers, daytrippers, and returning former residents, Västervik experiences an annual revival in July.
Västervik offers an outdoor life of climbing, canoeing and sailing or islands to visit and stay at.
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess (musical), Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamma Mia! (musical), M ...
, a member of the internationally successful pop group
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group' ...
who grew up in Västervik, is building a complex consisting of hotel, restaurant, and apartments in the bay near
Stegeholm castle, which will be a tourist attraction for Västervik.
Other uses
Västervik is also the name of a small village 8 km north of
Vaasa
Vaasa (; sv, Vasa, , Sweden ), in the years 1855–1917 as Nikolainkaupunki ( sv, Nikolajstad; literally meaning "city of Nicholas), ,
Finland. The name just means "western bay", so there could be more minor localities by that name.
People
*
Ellen Key
Ellen Karolina Sofia Key (; 11 December 1849 – 25 April 1926) was a Swedish difference feminist writer on many subjects in the fields of family life, ethics and education and was an important figure in the Modern Breakthrough movement. She was ...
, author and feminist
*
Gottfrid Emanuel Lundberg,
Swedish-American engraver
*
Björn Ulvaeus
Björn Kristian Ulvaeus (; born 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA, and co-composer of the musicals ''Chess (musical), Chess'', ''Kristina från Duvemåla'', and ''Mamma Mia! (musical), M ...
, one of the four members of the
pop group ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group' ...
*
Alice Babs
Hildur Alice Nilsson (26 January 1924 – 11 February 2014), known by her stage name Alice Babs, was a Swedish singer and actress. She worked in a wide number of genres – Swedish folklore, Elizabethan songs and opera. While she was best known i ...
, singer
*
John F. Carlson, Swedish-born American Impressionist artist
*
Stefan Edberg, tennis player
*
Ulf Grenander, statistician, probabilist, and computer scientist.
*
Gösta Bernhard, actor and film director
*
Magnus Härenstam
Johan Herbert Magnus Härenstam (19 June 1941 – 13 June 2015) was a Swedish television host, actor and comedian. Härenstam hosted the Swedish version of the game-show ''Jeopardy!'' for 14 years before being replaced by Adam Alsing. Häre ...
, comedian, actor and TV host
*
Hansi Schwarz, musician and band member of
Hootenanny Singers
The Hootenanny Singers were a popular folk group from Sweden, founded in 1961. The group included Björn Ulvaeus, who later became a member of ABBA. Other band members were Johan Karlberg (b. Karl Johan Hilding Karlberg, 14 April 1943, Vimm ...
. Manager of the annual music festival in Västervik
*
Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars in Stuttgart, Germany
See also
*
Västerviks gymnasium
*
Västervik Speedway
Västervik Speedway are a motorcycle speedway team from Västervik in Sweden. They were established as Skepparna in 1966 and have raced in the Elitserien, the top league division of Swedish speedway, since 1991, changing their name to Västervik ...
, motorcycle speedway club
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vastervik
Populated places in Kalmar County
Coastal cities and towns in Sweden
Populated places in Västervik Municipality
Municipal seats of Kalmar County
Swedish municipal seats
fi:Västervikin kunta