Gävle

Gävle is a port on the Baltic Sea in Gävleborg County, the southernmost part of Norrland. In 2020 the city had a population of 79,004.

Another 20,000 live in associated small towns. Those you might visit include Valbo for the Mackmyra whisky distillery and large shopping mall, Forsbacka for its 16th century ironworks, Bergby for its old church at Hamrånge, and Furuvik for the amusement park and zoo.

Understand
Gävle town is first documented in 1413 and received its charter in 1446, as Norrland's first and only city during the Middle Ages. Its harbour was first a fishing port, then an industrial dock and so remains; it's not a ferry port. The fortress resisted a Russian invasion in 1719, and Gävle has been spared combat since, with an army base just in case. But its wooden houses burned merrily enough without foreign assault, and after the last great fire in 1869 the area north of the river was re-built in stone on a grid pattern. South side was relatively spared so this is where you find the oldest part of town.

The countryside around Gävle, like much of Sweden, lies upon the Baltic Shield of gneiss and granite one or two billion years old. This is rich in metals, mined and crafted since antiquity, and hereabouts the main ore is of iron, while Falun further west has copper. A series of small foundry villages grew up using water power to work the furnace bellows and forges. Rivers descended from the Shield uplands (which are still rising, in post-glacial rebound) in fors - rapids and waterfalls, literally the force behind the ironworks. Early foundries had timber for fuel, but to make steel in any quantity you need coal for coking, which Sweden lacks. 19th century shipping and railways enabled bulk import of coal so the local steel industry then grew. But at the same time agriculture was shedding labour, and a series of bad harvests and political oppression drove many to emigrate. And the dozens of little foundries were inefficient, closing down in the 20th century as steel production was centralised elsewhere, and birch woods grew over their sites.

Gävle has a boreal climate with sharp seasonal extremes. Summer is pleasant, with sunset well past 10 pm, and "white nights". Winters are harsh, with sunset before 3 pm, and snow from mid December through February. See also Winter in the Nordic countries

By plane
Stockholm-Arlanda Airport is the nearest international airport, with extensive global connections. It's 130 km south of Gävle and there's no need to travel via central Stockholm. Instead, take a bus or train towards Uppsala:
 * by bus, take UL bus 801 from the bus station beneath Terminal 5. This takes 25 mins to Uppsala and runs twice an hour, 03:00 to 00:00. Change there for bus or train to Gävle.
 * by train, take the SL commuter train (pendeltåg) from Arlanda Central station within the Sky City complex (not from Arlanda South or North - these only have expresses to Stockholm city). Trains take 18 minutes to Uppsala Central and run every 30-60 min between 05:00 and 01:00; some of them continue north to Gävle.

By train
Direct trains run hourly from Stockholm Central to Gävle, taking 80 min via Arlanda Central (the airport), Uppsala and Tierp. (Beware, if you buy a cheap ticket to or from Stockholm but get off at the airport, you'll be surcharged.) Trains continue north every couple of hours to Sundsvall (2 hr 15 min), Umeå and Luleå, including the Norrland sleeper trains. Direct trains also run from Linköping, Norrköping and Östersund. Regional trains run hourly from Borlänge in Dalarna region via Falun, Hofors, Storvik and Sandviken; some of them start from Örebro.

Furuvik is a platform halt for the hourly regional train (Upptåget) between Gävle and Uppsala. Use this for Furuvik Park, the zoo and theme park, see "Do". The ride from town centre takes 8 min.

By bus
Buses from Stockholm City Terminal take just over two hours and a single ticket in 2022 is 220 kr. Ybuss run 2 or 3 times a day from Stockholm via the airport and Uppsala, and call at Gävle Bro the service area on E4 at the west edge of town. They're heading for northern cities such as Sundsvall. You can also buy tickets via the Flixbus website.

Merresor (formerly SGS Bussen) run Th-Su in the morning from Sandviken via Valbo and Gävle to Stockholm and starts back around 17:00.

Tapanis Buss runs from Stockholm via Gävle Bro to Sundsvall, Luleå and Haparanda / Tornio on the border with Finland.

By road
Major routes through Gävle are E4 south to Stockholm and north to Sundsvall, E16 west to Falun and eventually Oslo, and R76 south along the coast.

Get around
Walking will get you most places within town. From the railway station east end to the river park west end is little over 1 km.

There's no bike hire in town, but you can get spares and repairs M-F at Posa Cykel at Norra Köpmangatan 4.

Local buses all run from the railway station and Rådhustorget main square, see X-trafik for timetables. Bus 1 runs every 15 min to Valbro shopping centre. Bus 41 runs every 20 min to Sandviken. Bus 49 runs every 2 hours to Gävle Bro the long-distance bus drop off, then to Hedesunda.

Taxi operators are Fast Pris (+46 26 165000), Gävle Stad Taxi (+46 26 100880), Taxi Stor & Liten (+46 26 107000) and TaxiKurir. Taxis are usually reliable and the drivers speak good English.

See



 * is the main square of the modern town, laid out on a grid north of the river. It has several interesting old buildings including the Rådhus (town hall) for which it's named, but most are bland 20th century.
 * Gamla Gefle, Gävle's old town, remains only as a few blocks south of the river. The Joe Hill and Prison Museums are here.
 * Gamla Gefle, Gävle's old town, remains only as a few blocks south of the river. The Joe Hill and Prison Museums are here.
 * (Heliga Trefaldighets kyrka) on Kyrkogatan was opened in 1654 after its predecessor burnt down. It contains the 11th century Sörby rune stone, dedicated to a warrior chief called Egil.

Further out

 * is a wetland and deciduous forest nature reserve at the foot of the Testeboån river as it flows into the harbour. Access is free 24 hours via Hamnleden onto Gestrins väg. You can also reach it by the footpath on the railway bridge across the bay, though the view is mostly of industrial docklands. Not to be confused with Testeboån Nature Reserve (below) which starts 15 km upriver.
 * along the road to Bönan has a bathing beach and walking trails through the woods.
 * is a small fishing village and collection of summer chalets. The coast is mostly rocky but there's a small sandy cove. The former lighthouse, a wooden tower, is now the base for the channel pilots. The village has a cafe and a campsite open in summer. Bus 95 runs from Gävle via Brädviken every couple of hours.
 * covers the upper course of Testeboån river and is easiest accessed from the car park along Oslättforsvägen, as marked. (No access from the nearby E4.) You could also access from its source at Oslättfors. Glaciers dumped a moraine of gravel across the valley so the river splits into multiple channels, with wetland and deciduous forest. Further down the terrain becomes steeper so the river cascades. The reserve is free to access 24 hours.
 * is a woodland village by the lake at the source of Testeboån river, with access to the reserve. From 1796 there was an ironworks (bruk) here, making nails and other forged products. A few buildings of that era remain: the church (24 hours), the utility office, a coal depot and metalsmiths' houses. In 1880 the works were replaced by a timber industry, still in business. The mansion house, school and railway buildings are gone, and there isn't a museum. You can bathe or kayak in the lake.
 * is a hamlet straggling north of Bergby by the E4. Its main attraction is the church of 1854: it's oriented north-south. The font and two crucifixes are from its medieval predecessor. 500 m north, Hamrånge Hembygdsförening calls itself a "heritage village", but it's not a skansen outdoor museum. Set up in 1931, it's a sort-of events venue but unsure of what it wants to be. 2 km south of the village, Julhuset I Hamrånge is a Christmas lights display.
 * , active 1671-1927, were 5 km north of Axmarby village on the north boundary of the county. These have been landscaped into a park dotted with old buildings that you're free to stroll around, but there isn't a museum. The castle was demolished in 1970.
 * , active 1671-1927, were 5 km north of Axmarby village on the north boundary of the county. These have been landscaped into a park dotted with old buildings that you're free to stroll around, but there isn't a museum. The castle was demolished in 1970.

Do

 * The countryside around Gävle is good for outdoor life, especially during summer. Canoeing on the numerous lakes is popular. Fishing is free in the Baltic Sea; a license is needed in lakes and rivers.


 * Regiment Park is south bank of the river beyond the concert hall.
 * is the larger park on the north river bank. A footbridge at its east end connects to the concert hall and Regiment Park.
 * Football: were promoted in 2022, so they play soccer in Ettan or League One, Sweden's third tier. Their home ground Gavlevallen, opened in 2015, has a capacity of 6500; it's 2 km north of town.
 * Monitor ERP Arena (aka Gavlerinken) is an indoor arena next to the football stadium. With a capacity of 7900, it's the home rink of Brynäs IF ice hockey team, playing in the Swedish Hockey League, the top tier. The arena is also used for live music events.
 * Football: were promoted in 2022, so they play soccer in Ettan or League One, Sweden's third tier. Their home ground Gavlevallen, opened in 2015, has a capacity of 6500; it's 2 km north of town.
 * Monitor ERP Arena (aka Gavlerinken) is an indoor arena next to the football stadium. With a capacity of 7900, it's the home rink of Brynäs IF ice hockey team, playing in the Swedish Hockey League, the top tier. The arena is also used for live music events.
 * Golf: Gävle Golfklubb are northeast of town along Hamnleden, just north of Testeboåns delta.
 * means "gasometers" - stonking great redbrick roundhouses, not the collapsible metal storage towers that became common in the 20th century. This industrial dockland brownfield has been rehabilitated into a cultural neighbourhood with theatre, rock shows, cinema and retail. Bus 14 runs along Atlasgatan.
 * means "gasometers" - stonking great redbrick roundhouses, not the collapsible metal storage towers that became common in the 20th century. This industrial dockland brownfield has been rehabilitated into a cultural neighbourhood with theatre, rock shows, cinema and retail. Bus 14 runs along Atlasgatan.

Buy

 * There are a few indoor shopping malls downtown, but most stores are along the main drags downtown and south.
 * Souvenirs from Gävle could be a straw goat, Ahlgrens candy, Gevalia coffee, or Mackmyra whisky from Systembolaget.


 * Gallerian Nian is the main town centre mall, at Drottninggatan 9 one block east of the Best Western. Most stores are open M-F 10:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-18:00.
 * Flanör is the slab of a shopping mall on the west side of Rådhustorget the main square.

Budget

 * Main square has a cluster of hot dog, falafel and similar food stands.
 * Gallerian Nian (see Buy) has a food court with a few outlets.

Sleep

 * Scandic Gävle West is in Hagaström at the junction of E4 and E16, so this is more convenient for passing motorists.
 * Scandic Gävle West is in Hagaström at the junction of E4 and E16, so this is more convenient for passing motorists.
 * Scandic Gävle West is in Hagaström at the junction of E4 and E16, so this is more convenient for passing motorists.
 * Scandic Gävle West is in Hagaström at the junction of E4 and E16, so this is more convenient for passing motorists.
 * Scandic Gävle West is in Hagaström at the junction of E4 and E16, so this is more convenient for passing motorists.
 * Scandic Gävle West is in Hagaström at the junction of E4 and E16, so this is more convenient for passing motorists.

Stay safe
While Gävle is generally a safe city, main risk factors are petty theft and nightlife brawls. As in most of Sweden, cold weather can bring dangers including those of winter driving. Animal collisions are a risk factor; in particular moose, deer and boar.

Although it has become somewhat of a longstanding tradition for arsonists to try to burn down the Gävle goat, which more often than not does not survive the winter, keep in mind that this is still illegal, and you will be pressed with criminal charges if caught.

Connect
As of Nov 2022, Gävle has 5G from Tele2, Telia Mobile (the best coverage) and Telenor, and 4G from Tre Mobile. Wifi is widely available in public places.

Go next

 * Älvkarleby is a small town 20 km south, where the river Dalälven reaches the Baltic Sea. There's a hydroelectric power station and the unusual Dragon Gate, a Chinese hotel with a museum of Swedish culture.
 * Sandviken 27 km west is the blue-collar neighbour town. The municipality includes Högbo Bruk recreation area.
 * Uppsala with its ancient burial mounds and University is 40 min south by frequent train.
 * The Uppland history tour from Tierp to Stockholm is a showcase of the foundation of the Swedish kingdom, with roots in the Viking Age.
 * Stockholm 170 km south of Gävle has connections all over Scandinavia.