Örebro

The name Örebro refers to a bridge (bro) crossing the river Svartån where the city is located. The prefix Öre- is derived from ör 'gravel (bank)'.[8]

Örebro c. 1700, in Suecia antiqua et hodierna, with the castle in the middle

Örebro received its Royal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404.

The location became a natural seat of commerce in the Scandinavian Middle Ages and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwise Örebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town into a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the stewardship of Birger Jarl during the late 13th century and then modified and enlarged during the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the 1560s. The Örebro Synod was held here in 1529.

Notable events in Örebro's history include the national diet meeting at Örebro in 1810, where Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected crown prince of Sweden.[9][10]

Although a trade town, Örebro remained small until the second half of the 19th century, when it grew rapidly as a center of the national shoe-manufacturing industry.

Recreation area at Örebro University Hospital

Örebro, like the rest of the area close to Mälardalen, has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) that is made milder by the proximity to water and the Gulf Stream which makes it interchangeable with oceanic climates. Summer temperatures occasionally exceed 30 °C (86 °F) albeit not yearly, and temperatures above 5 °C (41 °F) are rare in winter, although frost-free nights sometimes occur. July high temperatures range from 20 °C (68 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F) depending on weather patterns, with a 2002–2014 mean high of around 23.4 °C (74.1 °F). During cold winters, Örebro receives plenty of snowfall. Örebro is far more prone than coastal areas to really harsh frosts with temperatures approaching or below −20 °C (−4 °F) happening almost every winter according to SMHI statistics. The station's setting in a rural location might skew temperatures somewhat compared to the urban area which is also at a slightly lower elevation and nearer Hjälmaren. Especially when considering overnight lows this could render a small urban heat island effect in the city centre.

However, the climate is very variable from year to year. For example, December 2010 was record cold with a daily mean of −9 °C (16 °F), whilst December 2006 only a few years before had a mean of 4.3 °C (39.7 °F).[11][12] The warmest month on record is 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) in July 2018 and the coldest on record is −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) in January 1987.[13][14] Örebro is often without snow cover for large parts of the winter months when daytime temperatures hover just above freezing – an exceptional feature for an inland area north of the 59th latitude.

The highest ever recorded temperature was set on 7 August 1975 during an intense heatwave with 36 °C (97 °F),[15] which is a very high temperature for such northerly latitudes. During the 21st century, the record heat is 33.9 °C (93.0 °F) set on 8 August 2018.[16] The lowest recorded temperature in recorded history was set in February 1966 with −30 °C (−22 °F).[17] Several monthly records were set in the 2010s according to official SMHI statistics, namely the record highs of March, May, July, October and December as well as the coldest December temperature and month on record, that was set in 2010.[18] Humidity is high for most parts of the year, but adequately lower during summer months. In spite of this summer is generally the time that gets the most precipitation[19] due to clashes between hot and cool continental air systems causing heavy thunderstorm rainfall. In 2015, a 13.1 °C (55.6 °F) reading was recorded around the winter solstice which was a very warm reading for an inland area in the low-sun season.[20]

The watertower Svampen (The Mushroom). A restaurant is located at the top of the building.

Örebro's old town, Wadköping, is located on the banks of the Svartån (black stream). It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.

• 
  Rebel leader Engelbrekt in front of Örebro City Hall
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  Lindhska Bookstore in central Örebro
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  Centralpalatset, at the corner of Storgatan, one of Örebro's main streets

• Swedish Chamber Orchestra
• Örebro is the hometown of the punk-rock band Millencolin. They named one of their albums Pennybridge Pioneers, where Pennybridge stands for Örebro as a colloquial translation into English.
• Örebro is the hometown of various Swedish rock bands, such as Smash Into Pieces, Truckfighters, Blues Pills, Witchcraft, Troubled Horse and others, Graveyard's Lead Singer, Joakim Nilsson also was born in Örebro
• The influential and highly popular grind band Nasum were formed in Örebro.
• Örebro is one of the public broadcaster SVT's 12 local news districts and has television premises located in the city.

Örebro has hosted a contemporary art exhibition called Open Art on four occasions: in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In 2013, the exhibition featured works by 90 artists from Sweden and many other countries throughout the world.[23] The fifth edition of the exhibition is planned for the summer of 2015.[24]

Örebro University is one of Sweden's most recent, being upgraded from högskola (university college) in 1999. It currently has around 16,000 students and a staff of 1,100. The institution is regarded as one of the top 351–400 universities in the world.[25] The university is also named among the world's top 100 young universities (number 62) in the 2018 THE Young University Rankings.[26]

Gustavsvik, the largest water park in the Nordic countries, is located just a kilometer south of central Örebro. With more than 700,000 visitors per year, it is one of the most popular tourist and leisure establishments in Sweden. Only Liseberg, Gröna Lund and Skansen are more popular. In the summer the manor of Karlslund is a very popular place to visit.

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  Örebro University
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  Rudbeck Upper Secondary School's Main Building
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  Karlslund Manor
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  Örebro Castle
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  Olaus Petri Church
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  Nerikes Allehanda, the local newspaper's former offices in Örebro
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  View over Örebro Watertower Svampen with the mountain ridge Kilsbergen in the background
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  Allehandaborgen from Svartån river
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  The statue of Formula 1 driver Ronnie Peterson in Almby, Örebro

Örebro is twinned with:[28]

• Brickebacken
• Olaus Petriskolan, a school in Örebro

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Örebro.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Örebro.

• Official website
• "Örebro" . The American Cyclopædia. 1879.
• "Örebro" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. XVII (9th ed.). 1884.
• "Örebro" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 20 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 238.