Örebro received itsRoyal Charter and city privileges not later than 1404.
The location became a natural seat of commerce in the Scandinavian Middle Ages and is mentioned in print in the 13th century. Old buildings from the early days include the foundations of the city church, a building which has undergone several modifications. The natural center of the city is otherwiseÖrebro Castle, situated on an islet in the Svartån, and dividing the town into a northern and a southern part. This castle was constructed during the stewardship ofBirger Jarl during the late 13th century and then modified and enlarged during the reign of KingGustav Vasa in the 1560s. TheÖrebro Synod was held here in 1529.
Although a trade town, Örebro remained small until the second half of the 19th century, when it grew rapidly as a center of the nationalshoe-manufacturing industry.
On 4 February 2025, aschool shooting occurred atCampus Risbergska, anadult education centre in Örebro. Eleven people were killed, including the perpetrator,[12][13] and six others injured. 35-year-old Rickard Andersson was identified as the shooter, but his motives for the attack are still under investigation by theSwedish Police Authority and theSwedish Security Service.[14][15][16] Six people were hospitalised, with authorities warning there may be more casualties.[17] According to Swedish prime ministerUlf Kristersson, it is the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history.[18]
Örebro's old town,Wadköping, is located on the banks of theSvartån. It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions.
The watertower Svampen (The Mushroom). A restaurant is located at the top of the building.
Rebel leaderEngelbrekt in front of Örebro City Hall
Lindhska Bookstore in central Örebro
Centralpalatset, at the corner of Storgatan, one of Örebro's main streets
Örebro is the hometown of the punk-rock bandMillencolin. They named one of their albumsPennybridge Pioneers, wherePennybridge stands for Örebro as a colloquial translation into English.
The influential and highly popular grind bandNasum were formed in Örebro.
Örebro is one of the public broadcasterSVT's 12 local news districts and has television premises located in the city.
Örebro has hosted a contemporary art exhibition called Open Art on four occasions: in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In 2013, the exhibition featured works by 90 artists from Sweden and many other countries throughout the world.[22] The fifth edition of the exhibition is planned for the summer of 2015.[23]
Gustavsvik, the largestwater park in theNordic countries, is located just a kilometer south of central Örebro. With more than 700,000 visitors per year, it is one of the most popular tourist and leisure establishments in Sweden. OnlyLiseberg,Gröna Lund andSkansen are more popular. In the summer the manor of Karlslund is a very popular place to visit.[citation needed]
Örebro SK Bandy has becomenational bandy champion five times. The home matches are played in Behrn Arena, one of sixteen (as of 2018)[28] indoor bandy arenas in Sweden.
Karlslunds IF is a multi-sports club specialising in American Football, Bandy, Baseball/Softball, Bowling, Football, Gymnastics, Skiing and Swimming.
Örebro, like the rest of the area close to Mälardalen, has ahumid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) that is made milder by the proximity to water and theGulf Stream which makes it interchangeable withoceanic climates. Summer temperatures occasionally exceed 30 °C (86 °F) albeit not yearly, and temperatures above 5 °C (41 °F) are rare in winter, although frost-free nights sometimes occur. July average high temperatures generally range from 20 °C (68 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F) depending on weather patterns, with a 2002–2021 mean high of around 23.5 °C (74.3 °F). July lows averaged 12.3 °C (54.1 °F), sizeably cooler than seaside areas. January averaged 0.7 °C (33.3 °F) average highs in the same timeframe, with average lows of −5 °C (23 °F).
During cold winters, Örebro receives plenty of snowfall. Örebro is far more prone than coastal areas to really harsh frosts with temperatures approaching or below −20 °C (−4 °F) happening almost every winter according to SMHI statistics. The station's setting in a rural location might skew temperatures somewhat compared to the urban area which is also at a slightly lower elevation and nearerHjälmaren. Especially when considering overnight lows this could result in a smallurban heat island effect in downtown.
However, the climate is very variable from year to year. For example, December 2010 was record cold with a daily mean of −9 °C (16 °F), whilst December 2006 only a few years before had a mean of 4.3 °C (39.7 °F).[29][30] The warmest month on record is 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) in July 2018 and the coldest on record is −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) in January 1987.[31][32] Örebro is often without snow cover for large parts of the winter months when daytime temperatures hover just above freezing – an exceptional feature for an inland area north of the 59th latitude. The westerly Atlantic moderating influence is strong enough that far inland Örebro has milder winters than the near-coastal townNorrtälje, located slightly farther north on theBaltic Sea with a similar rural weather station.
The highest ever recorded temperature was set on 7 August 1975 during an intense heatwave with 36 °C (97 °F),[33] which is a very high temperature for such northerly latitudes. During the 21st century, the record heat is the all-time July record of 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) set in 2022.[34] The lowest recorded temperature in recorded history was set in February 1966 with −30 °C (−22 °F).[35] Several monthly records were set after 2010 according to official SMHI statistics, namely the record highs of February, March, May, July, October, November and December as well as the coldest December temperature and month on record, that was set in 2010.[36] Humidity is high for most parts of the year, but adequately lower during summer months. In spite of this summer is generally the time that gets the most precipitation[37] due to clashes between hot and cool continental air systems causing heavy thunderstorm rainfall. In 2015, a 13.1 °C (55.6 °F) reading was recorded around the winter solstice which was a very warm reading for an inland area in the low-sun season.[38]
Being unshielded by theSouth Swedish highlandsrain shadow, moist westerly air results in higher precipitation than on Baltic Sea locations. Summerconvection and the flat topography of downtown can result inflash floods of low areas. Resulting from that, Örebro has been deemed one of the most vulnerable areas in Sweden to flooding and saw several incidents in a record wet summer in 2023.[39][40]
Climate data forÖrebro Airport (2002–2021 averages; precipitation in the ward of Almby; extremes since 1901)
