Gävle

	Gävle
	Gävle
State :	Sweden
Province (län):	Gävleborg County
Historical Province (landskap):	Gästrikland
Municipality :	Gävle
Coordinates :	60 ° 41 ′ N , 17 ° 9 ′ E Coordinates: 60 ° 41 ′ N , 17 ° 9 ′ E
SCB code :	7076
Status:	Crime scene
Residents :	74,884 (December 31, 2015)
Area :	39.75 km²
Population density :	1884 inhabitants / km²
	List of perpetrators in Gävleborg County

Gävle [ ˈjɛːvlə ] , formerly Gefle , is a town in the historic Swedish province of Gästrikland and the capital of the province of Gävleborgs län .

geography

Gävle is located at the mouth of the Gavleån in the Gulf of Bothnia . The streets of the city are mostly laid out at right angles. Hemlingby and Strömsbro is a district of Gävle.

history

Gävle around 1700, illustration from Suecia antiqua et hodierna

Gävle was founded in 1446, making it the oldest town in Norrland . The city acted as a port for the products from the northern Bergslagen . For a time the local fishermen, the so-called Gävle fishermen , had a royal monopoly on fishing along the Norrland coast. For a long time Gävle was a stapelstad , a city that had the right to international trade. In the 17th and 18th centuries, on the other hand, the so-called Bottnian trade compulsion hampered progressive development, as it prohibited sea travel abroad.

In the middle of the 17th century, Gävle became the administrative seat of the then province of Västernorrlands län . The subdivision of this province in 1762 meant that Gävle became the capital of Gävleborgs län.

The city burned down several times, most recently in 1869. After that, many new buildings were built soon. In 1883 Gävle had 19,358 inhabitants.

The Gavleån in Gävle

The old town hall of Gävle

economy

Larger companies in Gävle are BillerudKorsnäs AB (until 2012 Korsnäs AB), Stora Enso AB and Assi Domän - Förenade Well (paper industry), as well as Mondelēz International with the coffee roaster for the Gevalia brand and the candy manufacturer Cloetta (until 2012 Leaf ) with brands such as Läkerol and Ahlgrens .

The Swedish land surveying authority ( Lantmäteriet ) has its headquarters in Gävle .

traffic

At Gävle, European route 4 and European route 16 (formerly riksväg 80) and the main traffic routes ( riksväg ) number 56 and 76 meet. In the city area, the E 4 has the character of a motorway .

The place is an important railway junction. In addition to the main line from Stockholm to northern Norrland, trains from Bollnäs , Falun and Avesta Krylbo arrive here .

Gävle Central Station also has an IATA airport code (QYU) which is used in connection with travel bookings via Arlanda Airport . There are no more scheduled flights from the town's airport due to the inexpensive rail connection.

Trams also ran in Gävle from 1909 to 1956 . In 1952 the last line in the city center was shut down, four years later the last line to the suburb of Bomhus.

See also

Norra stambanan (Gävle – Ånge, 268 km)
Stockholm – Sundsvall railway line (400 km)
Falun – Gävle railway line (91 km)

Gävle Concert Hall

Gävlebocken (Julbock) 2003

University library

Attractions

Many wooden houses in the old town are inhabited by artists . The railway museum ( belonging to the Trafikverket ) is interesting . Other striking buildings are the Gävle Castle , the theater and the town hall.

There is a large animal and amusement park in Gävle : Furuviksparken . It was inaugurated on August 17, 1900 by Count Olle Cronstedt. Excursions to the surrounding area, such as the Dalälv or Ljusnantal , but also to the Jungfrau coast are also worthwhile . The Jädraås – Tallås Järnväg museum railway is a magnet for fans of steam trains.

The concert hall in Gävle is the venue of the Gävle Symfoniorkester , which regularly plays subscription concerts with international guest artists.

Yule goat in Gävle

Since 1966, an oversized Yule goat , the so-called Gävlebocken , has been set up on the central square in Gävle at Christmas time. In 2004 it was 13 meters high, seven meters long and weighed about three tons. Despite the intensive efforts of the initiator ( Vetenskapliga förening Gävle ) to protect the goat made of straw better and better, it was mostly damaged or destroyed by arson attacks in many years , in 2016 already on the day of the inauguration.

Sports

The ice hockey team of Brynäs IF (season 2015/16: highest division Svenska Hockeyligan ) and the football club Gefle IF (season 2017: second highest division Superettan ) come from Gävle . Brynäs IF plays its home games in the Gavlerinken Arena and Gefle IF in the Gavlevallen stadium .

In addition, Gävle is home to Gävle Godtemplares IK , who today plays in the fourth-highest Swedish ice hockey league Division 2 , but in 1957 became the first national champion who was not from Stockholm.

Gävle also has a harness racing track.