About Vindeln

The village of Vindeln, formerly known as Degerfors, dates back to the 16th century and is mentioned in King Gustav Vasa's land register, its inhabitants then comprising just a few farmers.

In 1969, the Municipality of Degerfors became the Municipality of Vindeln, to distinguish it from another Degerfors in the province of Värmland.

In 1962, proposals were put forward to build hydro-electric power plants on the Vindel River. Residents along the entire course of the river saw that their local environments were under threat and there was a heated dispute over the development proposals. There was a political struggle and, led by an action group, the residents finally managed to stop the expansion. In 1970, the government, under Prime Minister Olof Palme, decided to award the Vindel River special status to protect it from future development. In 1993, the Swedish Parliament unanimously agreed to give the river the strongest form of protection by designating it, and three more northern rivers, National Rivers. In our opinion, the previous disputes waged along the Vindel River greatly influenced this decision.

An important tradition in Vindeln is the annual commemoration of National River Day in August.

Come along and celebrate with us!