Gävleborg County

Gävleborg County, Gävleborgs län, consists of two provinces, Gästrikland and Hälsingland, which make up the southernmost part of Norrland in Sweden.

Most of the country consists of forests.

Municipalities

Municipalities of Gävleborg County

Gästrikland

• 1 Gävle is the county seat and largest city.
• 2 Hofors
• 3 Ockelbo
• 4 Sandviken is an industrial town, known for steel and bandy.

Hälsingland

• 5 Hudiksvall is Hälsingland's largest city.
• 6 Ljusdal
• 7 Söderhamn
• 8 Bollnäs
• 9 Ovanåker
• 10 Nordanstig

Other destinations

• Järvsö, a ski resort

Understand

Gästrikland and Hälsingland are the gateway to Norrland, mostly covered by hilly forests.

Get in

By plane

Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is the nearest international airport. Gävleborg County itself has hardly any commercial air service at all.

By train

• SJ trains go from Stockholm, and many lines call at the Arlanda airport. Service is fast, but might be delayed at winter.

By bus

• Tapanis Buss has a route between Stockholm and Tornio, Finland serving coastal region along road E4
• Ybuss operates a coach service between Stockholm and Umeå, which stops at Gävle, Söderhamn and Hudiksvall.
• FlixBus

Get around

The county is sparsely populated, and preferably travelled by car. The E4 is the dominant highway, though smaller roads are more scenic.

• X-trafik local trains and buses.

See

Bommars, one of the traditional world heritage listed farms

Hälsingland is together with Dalarna regarded as a prominent example of Nordic folk culture.

• The Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland — a UNESCO World Heritage Listing consisting of seven traditional farms:
• 1 Kristoffers, Stene. (updated Dec 2017)
• 2 Gästgivars, Vallsta. (updated Dec 2017)
• 3 Pallars, Långhed. (updated Dec 2017)
• 4 Jon-Lars, Långhed. (updated Dec 2017)
• 5 Bortom Åa, Fågelsjö. (updated Dec 2017)
• 6 Bommars, Letsbo. (updated Dec 2017)
• 7 Erik Anders, Askesta. (updated Dec 2017)

Itineraries

• E4 through Sweden

Do

With milder climate and higher population density than northern Norrland, but still with large tracts of nature, Gävleborg is great for outdoor life, with beaches, and deep forests. As the county gets plenty of snow every winter, downhill snowsport is possible at Järvsö and some other ski resorts. Watching sport is a pastime; ice hockey in Gävle, and bandy in Sandviken and Bollnäs.

As the only major city, Gävle has opportunities for shopping and nightlife.

Gävleborg is also famous for its folk culture, with similarities to neighbouring province Dalarna. Delsbostämman and Hälsingehambon are annual events.