Hälsingland is a farming region with great expanses of pasture where old folk dances are danced in summer. The high spot of the year is the Hälsingehambon, a popular festival celebrated on the Hårga Meadow to the south of Bollnäs, with dances in colorful traditional costumes. The district has many attractions for visitors: in addition to the beauty of the country areas there are the beaches and fishing villages on the "Maidens' Coast". The town is noted for the stunning scenery.
The chief town of Hälsingland is the port and woodworking town of Hudiksvall (pop. 38,000), on the Hudiksvallfjärd, the oldest town in the Norrland after Gävle (municipal charter 1582) and the oldest of the towns founded by the Vasa kings. In the past the town was frequently ravaged by fire.
A few kilometers west of Bollnäs is Alfta, with the Linnea Avenberg doll factory and a Doll Museum (700 dolls ranging in date from 1730 to the present day).
Off the E 4, both north and south of Hudiksvall, are attractive little fishing villages and seaside resorts on the "Maidens' Coast", notably Stocka and Mellanfjärden (north of the town), Skärså, Stenö (particularly suitable for families with children) and Ljusne (to the south).
Söderhamn lies 56km/35mi south of Hudiksvall on E 4. In the days when Sweden was a great power this was an important arms manufacturing town: it is now an industrial and commercial town noted for its parks and gardens. From the Oscarsborg lookout tower, completed in 1895, there are extensive views. Kvarnen, an old mill, is now a cultural center (exhibitions). A pleasant excursion is to the Losemyra Fäbod, an upland grazing station a few kilometers north of Söderhamn.
Address: Söderhamn Tourist Office, Resecentrum, S-82640 Söderhamn, Sweden
The old part of Hudiksvall, with many wooden houses, is Fiskarstaden, on the harbor. Rebuilt after a fire in 1792, it is the best-preserved part of the town. The church dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. Another notable building is the Hantverksgådens Hus (19th C.), with a richly decorated facade on Storgatan - an early example of a specially built shop front.
Nearby is the Hälsingemuseum, with exhibits illustrating local history and life and a picture gallery with works by Swedish artists. The Theater (1881; restored 1972) is beautifully situated in a park by the Lillfjärd. To the east of the town is the Köpmanberg, with a park and a restaurant.
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Soderhamn, Sweden
