Borås

Borås lies in the historical province of Västergötland and has around 100,000 inhabitants. In the 16th century the farmers in this region were actively engaged in trade, and the town grew out of this. At that time, market trading was only permitted within towns. Since the area was being used as one big marketplace, so to speak, a town was simply founded so as not to break the law, and in 1621 it received its town charter from the Swedish king. Shortly afterwards, itinerant trading was permitted only in Borås and in no other town in the whole of Sweden. This laid the foundation for its development into a trading town. Alongside trade, the textile industry became established. Shortly before the crisis in the European textile industry, two thirds of the economy of Borås was carried by the textile industry. Today the textile industry no longer plays a very large role for the city itself. But it is particularly important for Sweden as a whole, because the Swedish School of Textiles based here trains the textile designers of the future. Trade still plays a central role in the economy. Numerous Swedish clothing companies have their headquarters in the city. Borås was also long the centre of the Swedish mail-order business, and several large mail-order and online retailers such as Ellos are still based here today. In addition, the national testing and research institute for materials has its headquarters here.

The Textile Museum in Borås is a magnet for visitors. The zoo is also special: it was one of the first zoos in which different animals could live together in large enclosures. Today, for example, there is a huge savannah landscape where giraffes, antelopes, elephants and zebras live together. Ramnaparken invites you to linger. Here you will also find the Borås Museum, which displays old buildings and the church. Just a few kilometres outside the city is the only surviving stave church in the whole of Sweden.

Many metal bands come from Borås. In the scene, Lake of Tears and Beseech are particularly well known. Every summer the Sommartorsdagarna concert series takes place here, which always draws many visitors to the city. Since the city is surrounded by many parks and leisure facilities, it is easy to head out to forests and lakes or to go fishing. At the Navet Science Center the whole family can experience technology and mathematics with all their senses, with plenty of both fun and learning for everyone. Anyone interested in culture will find something to enjoy in one of the ten museums. Particularly noteworthy is the Abecita art museum in the former Abecita corset factory. It is a modern, new museum where you can admire works by both local and foreign artists.