The village centre of Lasjö consists of two neighbouring farms on a rise northeast of the shore of Lake Lasjön. The Lasjö-Bjurfors settlement lies mainly along the crest of an open slope above the lake. For the rest, Lasjön is surrounded by hilly woodland. The village layout, hillside location and wooded surroundings give the place different spatial connections; the lake is part of the surroundings and also helps orient the settlement.

Early settlement traces by Lake Lasjön

Numerous finds and settlement sites have been discovered in high concentrations along the shore of Lake Lasjön, including various stone tools. Some of these tools can be dated to between 7000 and 3000 BC. The finds give the lakeshore a settlement history reaching far back in time. This timescale differs from the later industries in Lasjö: here the focus is on early settlement, while there it is on economic uses and their locations. So if you are weighing cultural and historical themes when choosing a destination, it is worth considering both periods rather than just one.

Hammer mill, sawmill and mill

An iron bar hammer mill is mentioned in 1754 under the name Bjurfors or Lasjö. There was also a sawmill and a mill near the hammer mill. The names Bjurfors and Lasjö refer to the same works, not to two different facilities. The sawmill and mill add other industries to the area around the hammer mill. Thus, the history of the place includes other local production sites as well as ironworking.

Kalkugnsbacken: a possible kiln trace

The area known colloquially as Kalkugnsbacken lies northwest of the Stora Bjurfors farm. It contains remains of what was probably the foundation of a lime kiln. Two different historical clues therefore sit side by side: the hammer mill mentioned in 1754 and structural remains that were probably the foundation of a lime kiln.

River course and lakeside pasture

The Bjurforsån winds along the edges of the forest and flows into Lake Lasjön southeast of the Stora Bjurfors farm. A small lakeside pasture in Lasjö also extends towards the lake. The two connections are different: the river flows into the lake at a specific point, while the pasture stretches towards the water as part of the landscape. Together with the hilly woodland surroundings, this gives a more precise picture of Lasjö’s lakeshore than simply mentioning a lake.

Peat history and historic routes

Peat has been extracted from Lasjömossen for a long time. Lasjö’s cultural and historical features also include an old country road and a cattle track. They add routes and livestock keeping to the history of farms and industries: the country road points to a transport route, while the cattle track was used to drive livestock. These themes thus extend beyond settlement and production.

For the broader travel overview: Västmanland.