Flysta is a part of the congregation Spånga in the westernmost parts of the

Stockholm municipality Stockholm Municipality () or the City of Stockholm () is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It has the largest population of the 290 municipalities of the country, but one of the smallest areas, making it the second most ...

, located just over 10 km from the centre of

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. It is a part of the Spånga-Tensta borough. Despite its location in a predominantly residential suburban area, this community has much of what smaller villages used to have, e.g. a bakery, grocery shops, carpenters, hairdressers located along the main road - Spångavägen. This is a testimony to the fact that it used to be its own village, and a summer residence area at the beginning of the 1900s.

Etymology

"Fly" in the word "Flysta" could have originated from the Swedish "gungfly", which refers to the swampy conditions that existed in the marshes in the area during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

History

The history of Flysta goes far back, with several archaeological remains from the early

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. A local hill, named "Flystaberget" contains a burial mound from this time. As the sea levels were almost 25 metres higher than those of today, Flysta was a coastal community. Much of what is known as Flysta today was once submerged. The inland lake Mälaren, a few kilometres from Flysta, is a remnant of this age. The habitable area increased significantly during the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

, and what had once been the sea floor turned into fertile soil. The area was settled by farmers around 1000 AD. As

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

was not that prominent in Scandinavia at this time, many of these farmers would bury their dead close to their farms. Several burial mounds can be still be seen in the area. The earliest documented evidence of a settlement in Flysta dates from 1375, when a farmer named Gunnar of "Flyastum" is mentioned. The oldest map of the area, from 1636, mentions "Flysta farm". This farm later expanded into four different farms, which by the end of the 18th century had grown into a small village.

Living in Flysta

Flysta is a residential area with an increasing number of young families moving in from the inner city of

. The area has become popular in recent years due to its proximity to the centre of Stockholm, the opportunity to buy old property for renovation, good child-care services, and the ongoing village spirit. The latter can be explained by the fact that there are still a few dwellers in this area whose houses have been passed down through the generations, and hence with historical significance. There is, despite the effects of

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...

, a traditional village centre with a bakery, grocery store, a furniture store, a shoe-maker/laundry service, a hairdresser, two pizza houses, and a movie rental place all within the Flysta area. Flysta is located below the landing flight path of Stockholm Bromma Airport. Aircraft are scheduled to fly over Flysta on a frequent basis, but it isn't considered to be a major disturbance by the local residents. Similar opinions were recorded about the nearby Spångavägen road. {{coord, 59, 22, 15.35, N, 17, 54, 9.04, E, region:SE, display=title City districts in Järva (borough)