Ulricehamn
Encyclopedia
Ulricehamn is a locality
and the seat of Ulricehamn Municipality
, Västra Götaland County
, Sweden
, with 9,250 inhabitants in 2005.
since at least the 15th century. There are still several old buildings from the 17th and 18th century and the picturesque main street Storgatan has existed in its present form for centuries. Among other historical structures, there is the city hall
, located at the market square, a yellowish rococo
building from 1789.
The town is situated on Ätranstigen ("The Ätran path"), a trail following the river Ätran, stretching from the Kattegat
strait in the west an inwards the country, connecting with other roads leading eventually to the eastern cities Sigtuna
and Uppsala
. In 1520, the Battle of Bogesund
took place on the ice of the lake Åsunden
.
In 1741, it was renamed Ulricehamn in honour of Queen Ulrica Eleonora. Following a fire in 1788 it encountered a recession, but several textile industries were established in the 19th century. Together with its first railroad in 1874 the town's importance as a center of trade increased.
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. The geography is signified by the scenic nature of trees and water, which offers popular activities such as bicycling, inlining and boat trips.
In the winter, Ulricehamn has become something of the Ski centre of Western Sweden. For alpine skiing
, there are 7 lifts and 6 slopes; while for cross-country skiing
there are some 210 kilometers of prepared courses.
Urban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
and the seat of Ulricehamn Municipality
Ulricehamn Municipality
Ulricehamn Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Ulricehamn....
, Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, with 9,250 inhabitants in 2005.
History
Ulricehamn, originally known as Bogesund has been populated at least since the Middle Ages. The town has had city privilegesCity status in Sweden
Stad is a Swedish term which nominally means town but can also encompass the English word "city". Since 1971 stad has had no administrative or legal significance in Sweden and there exists no commonly accepted definition of the term.-History :...
since at least the 15th century. There are still several old buildings from the 17th and 18th century and the picturesque main street Storgatan has existed in its present form for centuries. Among other historical structures, there is the city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
, located at the market square, a yellowish rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
building from 1789.
The town is situated on Ätranstigen ("The Ätran path"), a trail following the river Ätran, stretching from the Kattegat
Kattegat
The Kattegat , or Kattegatt is a sea area bounded by the Jutland peninsula and the Straits islands of Denmark on the west and south, and the provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland and Bohuslän in Sweden on the east. The Baltic Sea drains into the Kattegat through the Øresund and the Danish...
strait in the west an inwards the country, connecting with other roads leading eventually to the eastern cities Sigtuna
Sigtuna
Sigtuna is a locality situated in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 18 inhabitants in 2005. It is the namesake of the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta....
and Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
. In 1520, the Battle of Bogesund
Battle of Bogesund
The Battle of Bogesund was an important conflict in the campaign of Christian II to gain power over Sweden. In 1520, Christian's army of mercenaries had landed in Sweden, seeking to consolidate Christian's powers over Sweden within the Kalmar Union and to unseat the rebellious Swedish viceroy Sten...
took place on the ice of the lake Åsunden
Åsunden (Västergötland)
Åsunden is a lake in Västergötland, Sweden....
.
In 1741, it was renamed Ulricehamn in honour of Queen Ulrica Eleonora. Following a fire in 1788 it encountered a recession, but several textile industries were established in the 19th century. Together with its first railroad in 1874 the town's importance as a center of trade increased.
Geography
The town is located on the slopes of a lakeside, where the river Ätran flows into lake ÅsundenÅsunden (Västergötland)
Åsunden is a lake in Västergötland, Sweden....
. The geography is signified by the scenic nature of trees and water, which offers popular activities such as bicycling, inlining and boat trips.
In the winter, Ulricehamn has become something of the Ski centre of Western Sweden. For alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, there are 7 lifts and 6 slopes; while for cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
there are some 210 kilometers of prepared courses.