Vaesteras

Västerås is one of the oldest cities in Sweden and Northern Europe. The area has been populated since the Nordic Viking Age, before 1000 CE. Anundshög, Sweden's largest burial mound, is located just outside the City of Västerås. It was built about 500 CE and is over 68 m (74 yards) wide and is almost 9 m (10 yd) high. In the beginning of the 11th century, Västerås was the second largest city in Sweden; by the 12th century, it had become the seat of the bishop. The name Västerås originates from Västra Aros ('West Aros'), first recorded as Westraarus in the mid-13th century. In older sources, the city was often called simply Aros 'river mouth', but Västra was added to distinguish it from Östra Aros—the former name of Uppsala. The name reflects its location at the mouth of the Svartån River in Lake Mälaren. …

According to the Köppen climate classification, Västerås experiences a humid continental climate bordering, according to the original −3 °C (27 °F) isotherm, an oceanic climate (Dfb/Cfb) with cold winters and warm summers. Summers tend to be quite unpredictable with sunny spells but with a risk of sudden showers. The sunniest weather usually occurs when high-pressure systems are blocking the low-pressure systems that usually move in from the Atlantic Ocean. Daytime temperatures in July mostly hover around 22 °C (72 °F), but may sometimes exceed 25 °C (77 °F) and occasionally even 30 °C (86 °F). Winters are usually cold with a snow cover that lasts for several months. Some winters can be mild with longer spells without snow on the ground. The weather differs a lot whether the air masses are coming from the Atlantic Ocean or from the Eurasian continent. …

In 1891, Turbine House, a small hydroelectric dam was built on Svartån, in central Västerås. This early electrification encouraged ASEA, a large electricity equipment manufacturer, to concentrate its operations in Västerås, shifting focus away from Arboga. After the 1988 merger with the power systems company Brown, Boveri & Cie, ASEA became ABB. As a result, Västerås is home to its ABB Swedish subsidiary headquarters. ABB in Västerås maintains production, e.g. robots and drive systems for industry, high-voltage direct current transmission and power grids. A number of business units have been spun out of ABB. Principal among them is Hitachi Energy (Hitachi). Since the Westinghouse takeover of ABB's nuclear business it is owned by Westinghouse Electric Company. It is situated mainly in Finnslätten, an industrial area in the northern part of Västerås. …

Air travel for the city is served by Stockholm-Västerås Airport, which is located 7.4 km (5 mi) from the city centre. However, the airport only provides limited destinations such as Spain and the United Kingdom. The nearest Stockholm Arlanda Airport provides more domestic and international destinations, it is located 111 km (69 mi) to the south east of Västerås. Västerås Central Station is located in the city centre which provides direct train links to Stockholm and other parts of South Sweden.