Facts about Örebro

Örebro is Sweden´s seventh largest municipality and lies in the central part of the country. It is only a distance of 200 km from Stockholm and 300 km from Gothenburg and 70% of the Swedish population lives within a radius of 300 km. Örebro can be reached by car, bus, train or air.

The town is about 700 years old. Örebro Castle´s beginnings date back to 1200. These days the castle is the official residence of the County Governor and houses the Tourist Office, a café and restaurant.

The population of Örebro is 130 000. 16% of the population has immigrant background, representing 150 different nationalities.

How is the municipality governed?

The municipality is governed by the municipal council. Various political parties are represented on the council. The number of representatives for each party is decided on every fourth year at the general election. Meetings of the council are held at the town hall on Stortorget (Main Square).

Reception and Introduction

The department of Reception and Introduction gives advice, support and information to local citizens. It is also a link between national and foreign authorities. A great deal of information in different languages can be obtained here.

Address: Wadköpingsvägen 15 — 19
Telephone: 019-21 41 62

Opening hours: Monday — Wednesday 08.30-11.45 and 13.00-16.00
Thursday 13.00-16.00. Friday 08.30-11.45 and 13.00-15.00.

Work, trade and industry

Approximately 11,000 people work for the municipality. Other employers with a large amount of employees are Örebro County Council who employ approx. 8,500, Örebro University, & Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB. Together there are about 5,000 companies active in Örebro.

Schools and education

Örebro is a centre for education. Örebro University has 14,500 students and employs 1,300 persons. The university offers a diversity of programmes, e.g. economy and technical studies, social sciences, nursing sciences and teacher training. There is also a restaurant academy, music academy and physical education academy.

There are about 79 elementary schools (nine years education) and ten upper secondary schools. These include schools for sight and hearing impaired young people.

Housing

There are many property owners in Örebro that rent out flats and other forms of housing, the largest being ÖBO, which is a municipal housing company. ÖBO has approximately 23,000 homes which can be rented in various areas of the town. Every third citizen of Örebro lives in an ÖBO home.

Culture, nature and leisure activities

Örebro is a town with many associations/clubs, more than 500. These are involved with everything from culture to sports. There are 14 libraries in the town, the largest of which is the Town Library, situated in the town centre. At this library one can borrow books and read newspapers from various countries. There are also computers available that are connected to the internet.

Örebro has many attractions that are worth visiting. Adjacent to the beautiful Town Park is Wadköping, a delightful area with timber houses that have been preserved from different époques. The buildings house art galleries, handicraft shops, a café and an old fashioned store. From the water tower, Svampen (the Mushroom), which is found in the north part of town, there is a wonderful view over the town and its surroundings.

The River Svartån runs through the town where salmon fishing is free all year round. In the summer rowing boats can be hired. There are several swimming bathes and sports halls in Örebro, the largest of which is the water adventure bathes, Gustavsvik where there is the possibility of swimming and carrying out sports and other forms of exercise both indoors and outdoors.

Lake Hjälmaren lies a couple of kilometres from Örebro. Along its banks are some fine walks and cycle paths. Kilsbergen, the Blue Mountains, lie to the west and offer a diversity of activities for those interested in the outdoors. Public transport buses are available to all parts of the municipality.