Holmsveden is a rural area by Lake Härnebosjön. When planning your trip, you can choose from several different focuses: swimming with specific facilities, crafts and the pilgrimage trail, as well as activities that vary with the season. You can tailor your stay to swimming spots and summer exhibitions, or to hiking trails, cycling and winter ice skating.
Swimming and time by Lake Härnebosjön
Holmsveden bathing area has a bathing jetty, a diving tower, a sandy beach, a barbecue area, changing rooms, toilets and picnic tables. If you would like to travel by public transport, there is a stop 100 metres from the bathing area, served by X-trafik train services and bus 64a. Services may change, so check the current timetable.
The 2025 water quality classification for Holmsveden, Härnebobadet, was “excellent” for the 2026 bathing season. Water quality and possible algal blooms are monitored by the authorities. Check the latest results before swimming; for later bathing seasons and updated conditions, refer to the official website.
Lake Härnebosjön lies in the centre of Holmsveden. A boat ramp makes it easier to launch boats, and there is ample parking. This means that, as well as swimming, boating on the lake is among the local activities; check current conditions before your visit.
Crafts and the Helgonleden
Kurbits och hantverksgården in Holmsveden sells hand-painted Kurbits art and folk-painted furniture. Rotating guest exhibitions are held there in the summer. Those interested in traditional crafts will find a different focus here than at the swimming spots: instead of a day by the water, you can focus your visit on painting and furniture-making. The exhibitions are seasonal, as the rotating guest exhibitions are held in the summer.
The Helgonleden pilgrimage trail also shapes the cultural character of the area. It runs between Uppsala and Trondheim and passes through the Holmsvedenbygden. Near Holmsveden, the trail passes the church ruins on Kyrkudden in Lake Bergviken. The Holmsvedenbygden is also home to church ruins dating back to 1321. The named stops and the Helgonleden’s long route give the area’s heritage a different scale from a visit to the craft centre.
Hiking, fishing and winter on the ice
The Holmsvedenbygden has hiking trails and opportunities for cycling. Fishing is another local leisure activity. The Tönnånger-Älgnäs fishing area includes Lake Tönnångerssjön as a fishing water, among other places. As regulations may change, it is advisable to check the latest rules before fishing.
Lake Tönnångerssjön freezes early and attracts visitors for long-distance skating. This is a clear seasonal contrast with the swimming opportunities: here, the focus is on winter activities on the ice. Check current ice conditions before setting out. Near Holmsveden, at Sagberg, there is also a glacial boulder field described as one of the largest in Norrland. The range of activities thus extends from hiking trails and the lake to a geological feature in the surrounding area.
Plan your journey and stay
Holmsveden has a station on the Norra Stambanan railway line, served by trains between Gävle and Ljusdal. For the details of your journey, the current timetable is essential. The time of year you choose also affects which of the activities described takes centre stage: the guest exhibitions are a summer offering, while ice skating on Lake Tönnångerssjön is a winter-season activity. Swimming, crafts, the pilgrimage trail and activities in the Holmsvedenbygden therefore offer different starting points for planning, without requiring them to form a fixed shared day itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Mo, Marmaverken, Skog, Söderala, Stråtjära, Ljusne, Söderhamn, Norrala.
Back to the main travel overview: Söderhamn.
