A coastal town on Sweden's High Coast with wooden houses from the 1700s and local fishing culture. The summer market draws visitors to its Baltic Sea harbor.
In Hudiksvall, you'll find red-painted wooden houses from the 1800s along Storgatan street, fishing boats in the natural harbor, and decorated farmhouses in the surrounding countryside. You can swim at the Hudiksvallen beach in summer, walk through the pine forests of the Gulf of Bothnia archipelago, or attend classical concerts in historic churches during the Musik vid Dellen festival in July. The locals call their town "Glada Hudik" (Happy Hudik), a nickname from the 1800s that reflects the town's long tradition of social gatherings and community events.
Getting to Hudiksvall
The town lies 305 kilometers north of Stockholm along the E4 highway. Trains on the East Coast Railway (Ostkustbanan) connect Hudiksvall to Stockholm and Sundsvall several times daily. You can walk between most places in the town center within 15 minutes.
Weather and Seasonal Activities
Summer temperatures average 20°C, while winter days typically stay around 0°C. You can swim at the indoor Hudiksvallen pool complex year-round, and in winter, the Glysisvallen sports center has an ice hockey rink, soccer field, and running track.
Cultural Activities and Events
During the ten-day Musik vid Dellen festival in early July, musicians perform classical and folk music in local churches and on traditional farms. At Hälsinglands Museum, you can see paintings by John Sten, who introduced Cubist art to Sweden before his death in Bali in the early 1900s.
Decorated Farmhouses
About 1,000 timber farmhouses from the 1800s stand in the region around Hudiksvall, including seven UNESCO-listed buildings. Inside, you'll find walls covered in hand-painted folk art mixed with Rococo and Baroque designs. Each house has a herrstuga - a room specifically for celebrations. Fifty farms are open to visitors.
Local Industry and Economy
Holmen paper products and Ericsson Network Technologies, which makes optical and copper wires, employ many local residents alongside public sector institutions.
Sports and Recreation
Local teams include Strands IF and ABK football clubs, and HHC hockey club. Near the town in Forsa socken, you'll find the Storbergsmasten - a 335-meter transmission mast that shares the title of Sweden's tallest structure.
