Gävle

The city of Gävle lies in the historical province of Gästrikland. It is situated on the Gavleån river and is known for its mostly right-angled street grid. Since Gävle was founded as early as 1446, it is the oldest town in Norrland. For a long time it was the trading point for products from the northern Bergslagen mining region. Fishing was very important for many years. The fishermen of Gävle held a monopoly on fishing along the Norrland coast, granted by the Swedish Crown, and so became known as the “Gävle fishermen”. Gävle also had the right to trade internationally. In the 18th century, however, the town’s further development was halted, because the so-called Bothnian trade restriction prohibited shipping to other countries. Gävle, too, was destroyed several times by terrible fires, but each time the inhabitants built new buildings afterwards.

Today several larger companies are based in Gävle. For example, the roastery of the Gevalia coffee brand, which belongs to JDE Peet’s, is located here. The Swedish mapping, cadastral and land registration authority (Lantmäteriet) is also located in Gävle. The city is also an important railway junction, and major main roads meet here. The old town has countless wooden houses, most of which are inhabited by artists. Of particular interest to visitors are the castle, the town hall, the theatre and above all the railway museum, which houses a collection that is unique in the world. There is also a large amusement park that is a zoo at the same time: Furuviksparken. It has existed for more than 100 years. The area around Gävle also has a great deal to offer visitors. A visit to the Dalälven or Ljusnan river valleys is worthwhile in any season. The Jungfrukusten (“Maiden Coast”) also attracts many visitors every year. In addition, the city has a heritage railway, which will impress not only fans of steam trains. Anyone interested in music should visit the concert hall, where the Gävle Symphony Orchestra gives regular concerts, often together with international artists.

But the most interesting thing in Gävle is the Christmas goat. Since 1966, the inhabitants have set up an oversized Yule goat (julbock) on the city’s central square every year at Christmas time. It is always made of straw. As a result, it often happened that the goat went up in flames and was destroyed, usually through arson. Many non-locals and students, however, took this up as a tradition. Since then, many people have taken part every year in actively setting the Yule goat on fire and destroying it. Nowadays it is treated with fire retardant to protect it better against arson attacks.