Travel Guide Gävle

Gävle is an important trading port and the main town in the Gästrikland region. Many of the buildings are reminiscent of the past, although much of the town was rebuilt after a fire in 1869. Among the buildings that were rebuilt is the Gävle Teater, which is a smaller replica of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The old town, located on the south side, is made up of low, colorful wooden houses dating from the 17th century - a charming place! The birthplace of Joe Hill, a Swede who became an American in the 19th century and was one of the leading figures of the labor movement in the United States, can be seen here. Gävle is a city where you should spend at least a whole day to have time to see its Frängelsmuseet, bringing back to life the old prisons of the city, the beautiful Boulogne park through which the Gavleån river flows, and to stop at the Länsmuseet, for the culture of the region. Like many medium-sized Swedish cities, the entertainment is concentrated around the central square. But Gävle is most famous for its field hockey team, which regularly wins the championship, and for its huge straw goat, which has been erected every year on December1st since 1966 on Slottstorget. From Gävle, you can also discover the pretty fishing villages, such as Bönan, which stretch along the coast.