Homestead of Siggebohyttan.		Blast furnace & foundry at Löa.

History lives on Iron ore, forest and lakes. These three natural resources have been responsible for the growth of Lindesberg and the neighbouring towns into a part of Bergslagen, and that have been characteristic of the area for centuries, if not even a millennium. Records do not tell when iron was first produced in the area but there are references to the mining industry in documents dating back as far as the 14th Century.

A well-preserved foundry is located in the village of Löa some 27 km north of Lindesberg. This is where history goes hand in hand with the local people. Iron has been produced here for some 500 years but the foundry has not been in use since 1907. The foundry appears now as it was during the 1890's. Several of the miners banded together as a group to operate the foundry. This foundry in the centre of Löa, is unique in as much that the "group" exists today having never been disbanded.

The ownership of the foundry has been handed down from generation to generation and is still shared by the descendants of the "group" who still live in the village. The miner's homestead at Siggebohyttan, some 12 km west of Lindesberg, provides another impressive reminder of the heyday of the miners. The interior of this homestead has been made into a museum and truly depicts the lifestyle of the Kings of Bergslagen who mined and processed the ore during the mid-1800's. The house has two floors with a total of fourteen rooms and three kitchens. The front of the house has a loft walkway some 40 metres long, the longest of its kind in Sweden.

Lindesberg's museum is located in a building from the 1700's, Tellandska gården. The fascinating history of the whole area is well presented in a series of resourceful displays. The museum is probably the best starting point for making a tour of the area.