Sundsvall can be explored through a variety of themes: the stone-built history of Stenstan, regional collections, and activities for enjoying nature and staying active. This lets you shape your stay around the interests that matter to you, rather than limiting yourself to just one way of exploring.

City history and culture

Stenstan was rebuilt in stone after the Sundsvall fire of 1888 to prevent future fires. It is considered Sweden’s most complete example of a city of the 1890s type. Its spacious architecture, inspired by major European cities, gives the area its character, alongside shops, restaurants, cafés and meeting places. Here, the cityscape and everyday urban amenities are part of the same experience: you can take an interest in the architecture or combine your visit with a meal at a restaurant or a café stop.

Norra Berget offers a different perspective on regional history. The open-air museum comprises about 40 historic buildings from various locations in Medelpad. These include Kyrkladan, one of the oldest surviving wooden buildings in Norrland. The buildings and their surroundings are used to bring history to life. Norra Berget is also in an area designated as a nature reserve and offers walking trails and views over Sundsvall. Here, historic buildings and a natural area come together as different aspects of the same visitor destination.

The collections at Sundsvall Museum range from finds from the Högom burial ground to objects related to the forestry industry and the city’s history, as well as contemporary Swedish art. The themes therefore cover different periods and interests, from archaeological finds to contemporary art. When planning your cultural visit, you can decide whether you are more interested in early history, the forestry industry, urban development or art.

Events are held at Kulturmagasinet throughout the year. The programme includes, among other things, guided tours, lectures, craft activities, films, dance, concerts and theatre performances. Kulturmagasinet is in central Sundsvall and can be reached by bus, bicycle, car or on foot. If you want a particular event date to shape your visit, it is worth checking the programme as you plan.

Nature and staying active

Södra Berget Bike Arena offers cycling trails through the forests of Norrland. Difficulty levels are marked green, blue, red and black. When choosing a route, you can refer to the indicated category and check which difficulty level suits your plans.

Friluftscentrum on Södra Berget is a starting point for the Södra Berget recreation area. Södra Berget Arena is open daily, year-round. This means you have both a named starting point for the recreation area and specific information about the arena to help you plan your visit.

The Sidsjö recreation area is by Lake Sidsjön, three kilometres southwest of the city centre. The distance and direction help you locate this excursion area. By contrast, Norra Berget offers walking trails and views over the city in an area designated as a nature reserve. If you mainly want to get around on foot, these are two named options with different locations.

Himlabadet is next to the sports hall at Universitetsallén 13 in Sundsvall. The facility is fully accessible. A wide path runs around the entire pool area, and wheelchair users can move around throughout the swimming facility. For visitors who value accessible routes, both the location and the described layout provide practical guidance.

Plan your stay around your interests

The cultural offerings take different forms: Stenstan tells the city’s history through its architecture, Sundsvall Museum brings together archaeological, industrial, urban-history and art collections, and Kulturmagasinet hosts events throughout the year. You can weigh up whether the cityscape, a collection theme or a specific cultural event will be the deciding factor for your stay. Nature and staying active are other distinct themes, from the walking trails and views at Norra Berget to the colour-coded cycling trails at Södra Berget Bike Arena.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Njurunda, Stöde, Indal, Svartvik, Liden, Kvissleby.

Return to the main travel overview: Sundsvall.