Grimeton Radio Station
The last working Alexanderson alternator transmitter in the world, built in 1924 and still fired up twice a year.
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UNESCO World Heritage
Grimeton was built between 1922 and 1924 to carry telegraph traffic to the United States on longwave, and its transmitter is an Alexanderson alternator - a rotating machine that generates the radio wave mechanically rather than electronically, a technology superseded within a decade. This is the only one left anywhere in working order. Six 127-metre steel towers carry the antenna across the fields. The station operated commercially until 1996 and is now a World Heritage site, kept operational: it is switched on for a transmission on Alexanderson Day in summer and around Christmas, and radio amateurs listen for it worldwide.
What you actually see
- The Alexanderson alternator - the only working one left.
- Six towers of 127 metres - carrying the antenna across the fields.
- A 1924 machine hall - switchgear and instruments in place.
- Scheduled transmissions - in summer and at Christmas.
When to go
May to September; the transmission days draw crowds. Two hours.
Honest expectations
Entry is by guided tour and the season is short. The machine is not running on ordinary days. It is a technical site and dry without interest in the subject. A car is needed.
Nearby
Varberg and its fortress are west; the Halland coast is beyond.
What to pack for Grimeton Radio Station
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
