Welcome to Järfälla!

Your next stop north of Stockholm, just 15 or 20 minutes away by commuter train or motorway (E 18).

Järfälla is a modern municipality with deep roots in the past. It has a great deal to offer: good public services and transport, a flourishing business community and beautiful scenery, with Lake Mälaren on its doorstep.

Järfälla has grown rapidly. At the turn of the century it had a population of just 1,100; now 63 000 people live here. The majority of them have moved to Järfälla from other parts of Sweden or from abroad, a mix which makes this a dynamic and exciting community.

Järfälla offers children, young people and adults a wide range of high-quality education and training. All levels of education are to be found within the municipality; 20 primary and lower secondary schools and an upper secondary school, a folk high school and a second-chance adult education scheme in Jakobsberg.

Although industry, housing and services have expanded enormously in recent decades, there are still plenty of unspoilt green open spaces. Järvafältet, a nature reserve, stretches the entire length of Järfälla, and the bays and beaches of Lake Mälaren are within easy walking or cycling distance. There are plenty of leisure facilities too - a swimming pool, sports centre, indoor tennis courts and an ice rink, cinemas and a riding school.

Järfälla is divided into a number of districts, named after old farms or houses.

Jakobsberg
Jakobsberg, Järfälla's commercial and administrative centre, grew up around the railway. In the 1940s, blocks of flats were built and the municipal council moved its offices here. Jakobsberg gradually became the centre of the municipality and now has a population of 24 631.

The Jakobsberg Centre include shops, offices, car parks and apartments. The Jakobsberg Centre also houses a modern library, an art gallery, an exhibition hall and a cinema.

There are a number of ancient monuments and buildings of historic interest in the area. Jakobsbergs Gård - a 17th-century manor-house - is now an adult education college (or 'folk high school'). Säby Gård, from the 1650s, houses a Steiner Waldorf nursery school and a riding school. Görväln House on the shore of Lake Mälaren was built in the 1660s.

Barkarby
Barkarby dates back to the Middle Ages and combines old and new. The church was built in the 12th century - it was here that Lasse-Maja, Sweden's own Robin Hood, once stole the church silver. The church and the old Courthouse Square, with its inn, are only a stone's throw away from high-tech industry and a modern hotel. Facilities in the centre of Barkarby, close to the railway station, include a post office, shops, service flats for the elderly, a day nursery and a library.

Skälby
For many decades Skälby was best known for its numerous greenhouses and nurseries. Skälby Gård was a farm until 1921, when it was sold and divided into plots for houses and market gardens. By 1956 there were 56 market gardens here, selling much of their produce in Stockholm; today there are only a handful left. New housing and small-scale industrial areas are gradually taking over.

Viksjö
Viksjö is Järfälla's newest district, with 15,000 inhabitants. New housing, primarily detached and modern terraced houses, was built here in the 1970s. The earliest reference to the old farm, Viksjö Gård, goes back to 1734, while the name Viksjö itself is even older, occurring on an 11th-century rune-stone. The district offers attractive wooded areas near Lake Mälaren, a centre with a theatre and library, and a golf course.

Kallhäll
Kallhäll grew up in the early years of this century as a small industrial community centred on the Bolinders engineering works, which produced a variety of cast-iron goods, including stoves and mincing machines. Today the Kallhäll business park is home to a large number of small firms.

As well as shops, the Kallhäll Centre houses a library, post office, cinema, health centre and halls for public functions.

Stäket
Stäket, in the far north of Järfälla, dates back to the 11th century. From early days, it was of considerable strategic importance. Almare-Stäket Castle guarded a narrow stretch of Lake Mälaren, controlling both shipping and overland traffic. The remains of the stronghold can still be seen from the commuter train.

Stäket began to be developed around the turn of the century, with the emphasis on weekend and holiday cottages, although year-round dwellings were also built.

Järfälla's coat of arms
Järfälla adopted its coat of arms in 1955. The design is based on a seal from 1568, representing the Lamb of God bearing an archbishop's cross. Järfälla and the parishes of Bromma, Ed, Sollentuna and Spånga formed the ancient Sollentuna hundred. The archbishop had a castle in Stäket.

Facts about Järfälla (2006)

Population: 63 427
Jakobsberg 24 631
Barkarby-Skälby 10 801
Viksjö 15 014
Kallhäll-Stäket 12 821

Area: 6,317 ha (length from north to south approx. 15 km).

Walking, cycling and canoeing
Viking Fairway (canoeing)
Uppland Way (walking)
Several well-marked walks across Järvafältet and along the shores of Lake Mälaren
Several cycle ways

Major recreation areas
Järvafältet, Häradsallmänningen and the woods and meadows by Lake Mälaren.

Fishing
No permit needed to fish from shore of Lake Mälaren; licence required for Lake Översjön.
No fishing (apart from ice-fishing) in Säbysjön.

Outdoor bathing
Görväln, Kallhäll, Bonäs, Ängsjö and almost anywhere along the shore of Lake Mälaren.
Indoor pool: Jakobsberg.

Boat hire
Canoes and rowing boats at Ängsjö.

Golf
Viksjö, 18-hole course. Indoor golf training centre in Kallhäll. Miniature golf in Jakobsberg.

Sports centres/jogging tracks
Ängsjö, Sandvik, Kallhäll.

Historic buildings
Järfälla Church, Courthouse Square in Barkarby, Säby Gård, Jakobsberg Folk High School (with rune-stones), Görväln House.

Main industries
Several major companies have offices and plants in Järfälla, e.g. SaabTech, Pacesetter AB, IKEA and Arla Foods.

Schools: Primary and lower secondary schools, an upper secondary school and a folk high school in Jakobsberg.

Hotel
Welcome Hotel, Barkarby, tel. 08-760 25 20,

Youth Hostel
Majorskan, Barkarby, tel 08-445 72 70, e-mail:

Communications
Commuter train Stockholm-Kungsängen.
Motorway (E18). Buses from Vällingby via Barkarby-Jakobsberg to Stäket.

The Municipal Council
Järfälla Municipal Council has 61 members.

Council meetings are held in the Town Hall, Vasaplatsen 11, Jakobsberg, on Monday evenings - 8-10 times annually - and are open to the public.

To find out more about Järfälla as a place to live and a business centre, please get in touch with:

Visiting address: Kommunalhuset, Vasaplatsen 11, Jakobsberg Mailing address: SE-177 80 Järfälla, Sweden

Telephone switchboard: +46 (0)8-580 285 00

E-mail:

"Welcome to Järfälla" - folder in English (Pdf-file 4 997 kb)