Stenstan

Stenstan, the historic center of Sundsvall, consists of 51 blocks of stone buildings from the late 1800s. Walking through its streets, you'll see Art Nouveau mansions with intricate stone carvings and Renaissance Revival buildings with tall windows and decorated cornices. In 2017, these architectural details helped make Sundsvall Sweden's most beautiful city. Today, you can dine at Michelin-recommended Naturaj restaurant or begin your journey on the ancient St Olavsleden pilgrim trail that leads to Norway.

Art Nouveau Architecture of Stenstan

Architect Nicodemus Tessin laid out Stenstan's rectangular grid system in the mid-17th century. As you walk the broad avenues and squares, you'll pass 600 buildings with carved stone details, copper-domed towers, and decorated entrances. The Hirschska building, with its distinctive dragon statue mounted on one tower, influenced architecture beyond Sundsvall - architects later copied its style for buildings along Stockholm's Strandvägen. The 20-meter-wide streets make it easy to step back and photograph the buildings' elaborate stonework.

Museums and Cultural Venues

Inside the Kulturmagasinet, you'll find both the Sundsvall Museum and Medelpad Archives. The museum's "Staden som förvandlade sig" exhibition shows how Sundsvall rebuilt itself after the 1888 fire, with original architectural drawings and photographs from the period. At the archives, you can research historical photographs and documents about Stenstan, many of which are also available on sundsvallsminnen.se. The exhibits detail how local craftsmen and architects completed the stone city in just six years.

Modern Dining and Entertainment

The former train station now houses Centralen, where you can eat, dance, or attend conferences. At Naturaj restaurant, Chef Johan Backéus (Sweden's Chef of the Year winner) creates meals using ingredients from Medelpad's forests and coast. Try local specialties like smoked Baltic herring, lingonberry-glazed reindeer, or chanterelle mushroom soup. The district's cafes serve fresh-baked kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) and strong Swedish coffee.

Winter Activities and Nature

From Stenstan, you can reach 500 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails within a 10-minute drive. These are the same trails where Olympic medalist Charlotte Kalla trained, winding through pine forests and across snow-covered fields. Six downhill skiing slopes surround the district, while Norra Berget and Södra Berget mountains frame the city center. At Norra Berget's open-air museum, you can explore 18th and 19th-century buildings and eat at cafes with views across the city and Gulf of Bothnia.

The St Olavsleden Pilgrim Route

Starting from Stenstan, the St Olavsleden trail stretches 580 kilometers to Trondheim, Norway. You'll walk or cycle past medieval stone churches, along clear lake shores, and through mountain valleys. The route includes accommodations in villages and towns, making it suitable for both day hikes and multi-week journeys. During medieval times, thousands of pilgrims traveled this path annually to reach Saint Olav's shrine in Trondheim.