City center
In the city center of Södertälje, you will find the small lake Maren, Södertälje canal with its sluices and some parks as well as modern department stores and restaurants from all over the world. The main square is Stortorget, where you find the S:ta Ragnhilda church. The pedestrian street mostly consist of modernist 60s block unfortunately (the old buildings were torn down like in many other Swedish ciites), but you will also find charming wooden houses and idyllic streets. The tranquil quarters of the city center stands as a great contrast to Södertälje's bad reputation in Sweden as a crime city. From the train station it takes about one hour to central Stockholm.

Maren is the small lake that is situated right in the city center. The wooden building in the middle houses a McDonald's and other restaurants. The brown highrise houses Kringlan shopping center.

  

Wooden house in central Södertälje

Wooden house in central Södertälje

Marenplan is the central square right next to Lake Maren. This used to be the city's most important harbour until 1963 and was then called Stadshamnen (Municipal harbour).

  

Marenplan square

Lake Maren

Lake Maren and Marenplan, the most central place in Södertälje.

  

Lake Maren, looking towards the idyllic wooden houses on the other side from the city center

Lake Maren

  

Dull 12-storey residential highrises opposite the city center

Marenplan

 

  
Marenplan   Olof Palmes Plats   Ekdalsgatan

Storgatan (Main Street). Its pedestrian part is very popular for shopping with its chain stores, shopping gallerias, restaurants and department stores. Telgehuset (left) and Kringlan (right) are both popular shopping centers.

 

Storgatan has mostly buildings in a dull modernist style, since most historic buildings have been torn down in the cities

Strange vehicle/artwork, Storgatan

Stortorget with S:ta Ragnhild's Church and market stand. Stortorget was built to facilitate trade between Balitc cities and the cities around Mälaren, but today the square has lost its importance.

  

Stortorget with S:ta Ragnhild's Church

Stortorget

Gamla Rådhuset (Old Town Hall), Stortorget. This wooden building from 1735 is today a café and art galleries. It was moved on the west side in 1982.

  

Stortorget. Södertälje has red SL buses, just like Stockholm.

Residential highrises seen from Stortorget

S:ta Ragnhild's kyrka at Stortorget is Södertälje's most prominent church. It is named after Queen Ragnhild, that became the city's patron saint. The original church is from the 13th century, but the chancel is from 1590-1615.

  

Sankta Ragnhild's Church is a Roman style church.

The tower of S:ta Ragnhild's Church, one of few buildings that survived the Great Northern War (1700-21) when Russian troops devastated much of Södertälje.

 
Kaplansgatan, a hilly street next to Stortorget   Mälaregatan, a well preserved street next to Stortorget    

 

  
Lake Maren   Ejdern, one of the ships in the lake   Maren

 
Boats at Maren   Södertälje canal   Wooden house at the canal

The sluice of Södertälje kanal, a canal that flows throught the city center, and connects the lake Mälaren (where Stockholm is situated) with the Baltic Sea (Östersjön). On the other side of the canal there is a forest.

  

Södertälje canal sluice

The ship "Christina" was arriving at the sluice

 

Stadsparken (Municipal park) is situated next to the central station. It is hilly, but very small and features sculptures and wood and coppar.

 

Stadsparken (Municipal park)

Saltsjögatan, next to Stadsparken

Telge Forum is a modern glass building with an atrium inside, that houses part of Södertälje Stadshus (City Hall). It is situated right next to the main train station and was inaugurated in 2008 by the king.

  

Södertälje Central Station, one of few Swedish stations with two station houses

Södertälje Main Railway Station: SL:s regional train to Stockholm, very expensive.