Mellösa: Church, archaeology and creative culture

Mellösa can be explored through different layers of time and cultural venues: a medieval church, a wooden wheel dating from around 400 AD, a converted factory and a rock formation outside the town offer different points of interest. Stage 23:1 of the Sörmlandsleden is also one of the area’s tangible nature experiences. When planning your trip, you can choose how to balance local history, creative culture and outdoor activities.

The church and the history of the village

Mellösa kyrka has a rectangular nave of medieval origin. Its baptismal font is made of sandstone and dates from the 12th century. The church thus brings together two distinct periods: the medieval origins of the nave and the more precise dating of the baptismal font. The country road provides another point of reference in the village. It runs close to the church through Mellösa and still follows the same winding route it did in the 17th century. Together, these details offer a glimpse of the church and of a route through the village that has been preserved over a long period.

The Mellösa Wheel marks a much earlier point in time. The wooden wheel dates from around 400 AD; in 1933, farmer Holger Landerby found it in the overgrown Lake Filaren. The date, year of discovery and finder make the wheel a tangible reference point for local archaeology. Compared with the medieval features of the church, the wheel offers another period through which to view Mellösa’s history.

Creative uses in a former factory

Mellösaverken is housed in a converted former folding-rule factory and is used for artistic work and residency programmes. The site includes studios, workshops and living spaces. As a creative meeting place, Mellösaverken also provides space for individual and collaborative projects in art, crafts, workshops and social activities. Here, cultural use takes centre stage, while the church’s architecture and furnishings offer a different way of exploring the area’s history. The programme may change.

Rock formation and hiking trail

Outside Mellösa lies Turebergsgrottan, a fissure whose branches form passages and chambers in the rock. The cave has a western and an eastern opening. The western entrance leads from a spacious rock passage down a staircase to the cave chamber, which is about two metres lower. Here, the geology and the shape of the entrance can be considered together: the fissure leads to visible branches in the rock and a difference in elevation between the passage and the chamber.

Stage 23:1 of the Sörmlandsleden is about 10 kilometres long and is considered easy to hike. It passes a lake, goes through forest and runs alongside a cold spring, offering historic views of Mellösa. Along the stage, a 100-metre-long boardwalk crosses a stream and a wetland; after that, the trail runs through the Orrhammaren recreational area. These details show two scales: the length of the entire stage and the specifically measured section crossing the stream and wetland.

Flenmo byggnadsvård offers organic farm meat and honey. Product availability may vary. If this visit is important to you, check in advance what is available.

Discover more destinations: Hälleforsnäs, Bettna, Malmköping, Flen, Sparreholm.

Return to the main travel overview: Flen.