Kumla: From oil to oasis

By Linnéa Mitchell

With a dark industrial history and a stubborn prison stigma around its neck, the small town Kumla has risen – quite literally – from the ashes and replaced itself on the map as one of Sweden’s top travel destinations in 2026.

If you say “Kumla” to the general Swede, nine out of ten will reply “prison.” For many years, Kumla high security prison for Sweden’s heaviest offenders is what this tiny Swedish town was associated with – and still is. Not that it bothers the locals though – quite the opposite. “The prison is a vital employer and the work they do with the inmates is a great example of taking societal responsibility,” says Johanna Uddling, site developer at Kumla local council, who describes the town as “community strong,” “offering the unexpected” and “accessible.”

Absit Omen by Kent Karlsson, part of the permanent art exhibition Art on pile. Photo: Andreas Andersson

Located pretty much right in between Stockholm and Gothenburg, Kumla is easy to reach and offers much to explore – from forest hikes, golf and an adventure swimming pool to a rich industrial heritage shaped by cobblers and stonemasons, not to mention a welcoming town centre with shops, restaurants and cafés. And of course, hotels and camp sites for overnight visitors. No wonder Kumla is a popular stop for holiday makers – young families as well as seniors – many even end up settling here.

Kumla’s sense of strong community attracts young families. Photo: Kumla kommun (Kumla council)

Towering above it all is the impressive Kvarntorpshögen just outside Kumla, a 100-metre-high hill rising above the town offering fantastic views over the plains of Närke county. The mound consists of the waste left behind from the shale-oil production that took place here during the Second World War, when the area was a smelly, sooty and generally unpleasant place to live – grimly nicknamed ‘furnace hell’. In true Kumla spirit, two artists decided to make gold out of misery and began transforming the top of the huge pile into an art garden called Konst på hög (Art on pile), now attracting 30,000 visitors annually and exhibiting some of the country’s biggest artists, such as the late Lars Wilks. “Not what you expect from a town of 23,000 inhabitants, but that’s us – we view challenges as possibilities,” says Uddling.

The quarrying era 1942-1966.

To descend, you can either wander down Europe’s largest wooden staircase of 427 steps – or ski down in the winter, when the hill turns into a ski slope. And, when hunger kicks in, simply turn to the large number of restaurants that the area has to offer, including a very popular and award-winning one. Undoubtably, you will run into a friendly local.