Sundsvall is a city in Västernorrlands Län. It was granted temporary market town rights in 1621, and these were formally approved in 1624. The town was named after grasslands at the site of Sund, but for the first decades it was located at Åkroken west of the present center. Queen Kristina moved the town in 1648 to give it a better port. Over time, Sundsvall developed from a fishing community into an important industrial town, and it became one of the country’s centers for the economically important forest industry. In 1888, one of Sweden’s biggest city fires hit Sundsvall, and they chose to rebuild the city in stone, which has given Sundsvall the nickname Stone City.
Today you can go for some good walks in Sundsvall, where you can explore Stenstaden or the Stone City in all of the central part of town with its right-angled streets south of the river Selångersån. The stone town was bounded by the river to the north, the railway to the south, Skolhusalléen to the west and Strandgatan to the east. In the center of the district is Stora Torget, where you can see a statue of Sundsvall’s founder, Gustav II Adolf. You can see several beautiful buildings in Dutch Renaissance style around the square, and to the south is Sundsvall’s town hall, which was built 1865-1868 and which was the town hall until 1975. The town hall was partially destroyed by fire in 1888 and could be re-inaugurated in 1891.
In the middle of Stenstaden, the Esplanade runs from north to south. The esplanade is a street and a promenade park that was laid out as a fire belt in the aftermath of the fire in 1888. There street are several characteristic buildings along the street, such as Sundsvalls Teater from 1894, Sveateatern from 1912, Rahmska Huset from 1891 and Sundsvallsbanken’s building from 1886, which is located by the park Vängåvan, where you can see Sofia Gisberg’s fountain from 1886. From here you can walk down the main street Storgatan, which is a pedestrian street with shops, cafes and restaurants.
To the north and close to Selångersån is the Kulturmagasinet, housed in the Skonerten, Barkassen, Briggen and Kuttern magazine buildings, which were all built on the city’s harbor in the 1890s. In Kulturmagasinet you can visit Sundsvall’s Museum, which conveys the city’s history. Just west of Stenstaden stands Gustav Adolfs Kyrka, which is a church built in neo-Gothic style in the years 1891-1894. Like much else in Sundsvall, the old church on this site was destroyed by fire in 1888, and therefore Gustav Adolfs Kyrka was built. In the church you can see a fine interior with stained glass windows and other highlights.
Stora Torget is Sundsvall’s central square. It is a square that has been used as a marketplace and meeting point since the Middle Ages, and it has undergone several transformations as the city grew. After the great fire in 1888, the area around the square was rebuilt with stone buildings, which gave the square a new architectural character. The surrounding buildings were built in neo-Renaissance, Art Nouveau and Classicist styles, reflecting the architecture of the time as well as the city’s economic growth and ambition to create a new urban environment.
The layout of the square is symmetrical, like the modern city plan, with wide streets leading into the square from all sides. Stora Torget is paved with granite and contains fountains, benches and green areas, emphasizing the recreational function of the place. The facades of the buildings around the square are rich in detail, as befitted the craftsmanship quality and aesthetic ideals of the time for an important public urban space.
Sundsvall City Hall was built in 1894 after the city’s great fire in 1888. The building was designed by architect Johan Laurentz in the Neo-Renaissance style and was built of red brick with sandstone details. The building has a symmetrical facade with tall windows and ornate cornices. The City Hall was designed to accommodate the city’s administrative functions and representative activities, and it includes large meeting rooms, offices and ceremonial rooms. The building’s location on Stora Torget marks its central role in the city’s political life.
The architecture of the City Hall reflects the ideals of the time for public buildings, where monumentality and decoration were combined with functionality. The interior includes large halls with high ceilings, decorative ceilings and wooden panels, while the staircases and corridors were finished with granite floors and ornate railings. The building has undergone several restorations to preserve the original style, so that it stands beautifully in today’s cityscape. Sundsvall City Hall still functions as the municipality’s representative building and administrative center today.
Esplanaden is a street that was built in the late 19th century as part of the city’s reconstruction after the fire that devastated Sundsvall in 1888. The street was planned as a wide boulevard with trees and green areas along the sides, which gave it a park-like feel and created a visual connection between the southern center, Stora Torget and the city’s harbor area. Buildings in the Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles were built along Esplanaden, often with symmetrical facades, ornamented cornices and large windows; all of which suited the beautiful street.
Esplanaden functions as both a traffic artery and a recreational area. The wide sidewalks and green lawns make the street attractive for pedestrians, and the park-like layout creates a visual break between the dense stone buildings. Many of the buildings along the Esplanade were built as offices, hotels and private homes and are today preserved as examples of 19th-century building craftsmanship and architectural style ideals.
Sundsvalls Teater was inaugurated in 1894 as part of the city’s reconstruction after the great fire of 1888, and it stands as one of the oldest preserved theater buildings in Sweden. The building was designed by architect Johan Fredrik Stenberg and built in stately architecture. Inside, Sundsvalls Teater is equipped with a large hall with high ceilings, a balcony and decorative ceilings. The stage is large and flexible with access to scenery and technical installations that made the theater contemporary for 19th-century performing arts.
The interior is characterized by wood paneling, painted ornaments and stucco details, and original elements such as parquet floors and railings on the balconies have been preserved. The theater has undergone several restorations to adapt to modern requirements, but the historic architecture and atmosphere have fortunately been preserved. Sundsvalls Teater today functions as an active cultural center, hosting theater performances, concerts, and other events.
Sveateatern is a theatre that was built in 1912 and represented the development of cinema and theatre construction in Sweden at the time. The building was designed by architect Ragnar Östberg, who was also behind several other significant public buildings. Sveateatern was built of brick with red facades and sandstone details, and it has a distinctive front with a gable and decorative elements.
Inside, Sveateatern is equipped with a fairly large hall. It is a hall with a balcony, boxes and a large stage with movable scenery and stairs. The interior also offers aesthetic details such as stucco, decorative columns and wooden panels. During the 20th century, the hall and theatre were modernised, and today it functions as one of Sundsvall’s central cultural venues with both theatre, concerts and cinema screenings.
Storgatan is Sundsvall’s main street, and it has functioned as the city’s primary shopping street for centuries. After the Great Fire of 1888, the street was rebuilt with stone buildings in the Neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles, which gave the street its characteristic appearance today. Along Storgatan are both shops and offices, and the street was planned with wide sidewalks and trees along the sides of today’s pedestrian street.
The architecture along Storgatan is varied, and there are both buildings from the decades after 1888 and houses in newer styles. In this way, the street illustrates the city’s development after the Great Fire, and it is a living example of the architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Many of the buildings were built by local craftsmen and architects, and it is clear that Storgatan was intended to be one of Sundsvall’s most important streets.
Kulturmagasinet was built at the end of the 19th century as warehouses in the city’s harbor area north of the city center. The buildings were built of stone with industrial details, reflecting the functional architecture of the period. The robust design of the structure made it suitable for storing goods, and the large open spaces inside supported logistics and handling of goods.
In the 1990s, Kulturmagasinet was established, and the buildings were converted into a cultural center, where the old architecture was preserved while the functionality was changed for cultural purposes. Inside, the rooms were divided into exhibition rooms, a library and offices, but the large, open surfaces and visible beams were preserved to highlight the original character of the building. Kulturmagasinet today houses both Sundsvall Museum, the Medelpad Archives and Sundsvall’s main library. It also functions as a cultural center with exhibitions, lectures and events.
Sundsvall Museum was founded in 1907 and is centrally located in Kulturmagasinet. The museum aims to preserve and communicate the history of the city and the region, such as prehistoric finds, cultural historical objects and industry-related effects. The museum displays a wide range of objects, photographs and works of art, which together tell the story of the region’s development from prehistoric times to the present day.
Finds from the Högom burial ground are on display, as are objects from the Migration Period around the year 500, including swords, gold rings and ornamented buttons, which provide insight into the local community’s power structures and material culture. In addition, the collections document the role of industry in the Medelpad region, where the forestry and sawmill industry has influenced parts of the development. There are tools, machine parts, household utensils and elements from both working life and private life, such as workers’ kitchens and community center dining rooms.
The museum’s photo archive includes approximately three million photographs, glass plates and negatives from the late 19th century to the present day, with motifs such as urban environments, villages, working life and more. The archive is used for exhibitions such as Sundsvall Then and Now, where historical and modern images are juxtaposed to show how the city has changed.
The museum also has an art collection covering Swedish art from the late 19th century to the present day, with a special representation of artists from the region. It includes sculptures, paintings and sketches, including major donations such as works by Carl Frisendahl. In addition to the artistic part, the museum offers thematic exhibitions that show the city’s transformation after the fire in 1888, social life, and how everyday and festive culture has changed in Sundsvall over time.
Gustav Adolfs Kyrka was inaugurated in 1901 and was built in the neo-Gothic style of the time with red brick facades and sandstone details. The church was designed by architect Gustaf Wickman and is built with a high nave, pointed arches and stained glass windows. The building has a large central portal and a distinctive tower, making it one of the most visible buildings in Sundsvall’s cityscape.
The church room is impressive, and the stained glass windows create a fine play of color on the floor and walls. Materials such as brick, wood and sandstone have been used consistently, and many original elements from 1901 have been preserved. This applies to the benches, the altar and the pulpit in the church. Gustav Adolfs Kyrka today functions as a church with services, concerts and ceremonies.
The High Coast or Höga Kusten is an area located in northern Ångermanland in Västernorrland County, stretching for about 130 kilometers between the cities of Härnösand and Örnsköldsvik. The area is internationally known for its unique geology and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The landscape was shaped by the uplift after the last ice age. The land here has risen over 286 meters since the ice disappeared, which is unique in the world. The result is a dramatic meeting of deep fjords, steep cliffs and forested ridges. The uplift continues today at about 8 millimeters per year, and the area thus provides a unique insight into nature’s geological processes over time.
The most characteristic part of the landscape is found around Skuleberget, where the cliff rises almost 300 meters directly from the sea and offers panoramic views of the Ångermanland coast. At the top lies Skule National Park, which was established in 1989 to preserve the distinctive coastal landscape. The national park contains both old natural forests, cliffs, limestone areas and rare plant species that thrive in the nutrient-rich soil. There are marked hiking trails in the area, including parts of the Höga Kusten Trail, which is a 128-kilometer-long hiking trail that runs from Hornöberget in the south to Örnsköldsvik in the north. The route crosses mountains, forests, sea cliffs and cultivated fields and is one of Sweden’s most varied and well-maintained hikes.
The Höga Kusten offers a wide range of nature and outdoor experiences all year round. In the summer, you can sail between Norrfällsviken, Ulvön and Trysunda. These are small island communities with preserved fishing ports, red wooden houses and remnants of older coastal culture. Sea kayaking, climbing and cycling are widespread activities, and many visitors combine nature with visits to local farms, smokehouses and working workshops. In winter, you can enjoy snowshoeing, ice climbing and skiing in smaller facilities such as Skulebacken.
In addition to the raw nature, the High Coast also has a rich cultural and adventure life. At the foot of Skuleberget is Naturum Höga Kusten. It is a modern visitor center that conveys the geology, flora, fauna and cultural history of the area through interactive exhibitions. In the summer months, the Skulefestivalen is held, a music festival that attracts visitors from all over Norrland. Around the towns of Härnösand, Kramfors and Örnsköldsvik there are also museums, art galleries and historical sites that tell the story of the coast’s fishing, forestry and shipping.
Umeå is a northern Swedish city in the Västerbotten region. The city is known from the 14th century, but the nomadic Sami have been in the region before an actual settlement was formed here. Umeå consisted initially of a church and a trading post, which was located on Kyrkbacken a little west of the current city center. For centuries there was trade with the Sami in Umeå, which did not grow significantly, and therefore it lost its privileges in the 1590s.
In 1622, Gustav II Adolf reestablished Umeå, which in 1638 had around 40 houses. However, the small town grew and became the residence city of Västerbotten. Approximately 1,000 people lived in the city in 1800, and this number grew to 3,000 in 1885. In 1888, Umeå was hit by a large fire that left most of the inhabitants homeless, and during the reconstruction, many birch trees were planted, and they can still be seen in the streets.
Gävle is located on the east coast of Sweden on the Gulf of Gävle and is the seat of Gävleborg County. The city has around 80,000 inhabitants and serves as the economic and administrative centre of northern central Sweden. Gävle is situated at the mouth of the Gavleån River, which has historically been of great importance to the city’s trade and industry, as it connected the inland forest areas with the harbour. Gävle is an important transport hub with rail connections to Stockholm, Sundsvall and Falun, and the city’s harbour is one of the largest on this part of the coast.
Gävle was granted city privileges in 1446 and was the first city in Norrland to have formal city status. In the Middle Ages it served as a trading post for fish, iron and wood, and its location made it an important export point for goods from the northern provinces. However, Gävle was hit by repeated city fires, the most devastating of which in 1869 left almost the entire northern part of the city in ruins.
Sundsvall, Sweden
Overview of Sundsvall
Sundsvall is a city in Västernorrlands Län. It was granted temporary market town rights in 1621, and these were formally approved in 1624. The town was named after grasslands at the site of Sund, but for the first decades it was located at Åkroken west of the present center. Queen Kristina moved the town in 1648 to give it a better port. Over time, Sundsvall developed from a fishing community into an important industrial town, and it became one of the country’s centers for the economically important forest industry. In 1888, one of Sweden’s biggest city fires hit Sundsvall, and they chose to rebuild the city in stone, which has given Sundsvall the nickname Stone City.
Today you can go for some good walks in Sundsvall, where you can explore Stenstaden or the Stone City in all of the central part of town with its right-angled streets south of the river Selångersån. The stone town was bounded by the river to the north, the railway to the south, Skolhusalléen to the west and Strandgatan to the east. In the center of the district is Stora Torget, where you can see a statue of Sundsvall’s founder, Gustav II Adolf. You can see several beautiful buildings in Dutch Renaissance style around the square, and to the south is Sundsvall’s town hall, which was built 1865-1868 and which was the town hall until 1975. The town hall was partially destroyed by fire in 1888 and could be re-inaugurated in 1891.
In the middle of Stenstaden, the Esplanade runs from north to south. The esplanade is a street and a promenade park that was laid out as a fire belt in the aftermath of the fire in 1888. There street are several characteristic buildings along the street, such as Sundsvalls Teater from 1894, Sveateatern from 1912, Rahmska Huset from 1891 and Sundsvallsbanken’s building from 1886, which is located by the park Vängåvan, where you can see Sofia Gisberg’s fountain from 1886. From here you can walk down the main street Storgatan, which is a pedestrian street with shops, cafes and restaurants.
About the Sundsvall travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
About the travel guide
The Sundsvall travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the Swedish city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.
Sundsvall is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.
Read more about Sundsvall and Sweden
Sweden Travel Guide: https://vamados.com/sweden
City tourism: https://visitsunds-vall.se
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