The capital of Gävleborg County, two hours north of Stockholm, where the Gävleån river meets the Baltic. Every Advent the city raises the Gävlebocken in Slottstorget — a thirteen-metre straw goat that, since 1966, has become an international Christmas symbol, almost always the victim of arsonists. Beyond the ritual, Gävle offers the wooden quarter of Gamla Gefle, a 16th-century castle and a Baltic archipelago that turns into a beach in summer. Industry, coffee and forest meet here with Scandinavian elegance.
Key places
- Gävlebocken in Slottstorget (the Yule Goat, since 1966)
- Gamla Gefle (old town of 18th-19th century wooden houses)
- Gävle Slott (16th-century castle)
- Limön Island (archipelago, swimming and hiking)
- Gävle Konstcentrum (contemporary art centre)
Table & market
- Köttbullar (meatballs with cream sauce and lingonberry jam)
- Smörgåsbord (herring, smoked salmon and cold-cut buffet)
- Norrland specialities: moose, reindeer and forest berries
When to go
Summer (June to August) or Advent (December, to see the goat)
Our own photographs
