Sandviken: Culture, Nature and Active Days

Culture in the Centre

In the centre of Sandviken lies the Kulturcentrum, a hub for the city’s cultural and entertainment life. It offers events and exhibitions as well as a library, an art gallery, a cultural school, the Trampolin House of Literature and various stages and event venues.

Sandvikens konsthall at the Kulturcentrum presents exhibitions and opening receptions, along with guided tours, workshops, concerts, lectures and cultural events. The alternative cultural centre Kungen houses a gallery for contemporary art. The Sandviken Jazz & Blues Festival is considered one of the major annual events in Sandviken’s cultural life.

The 40-minute Soundwalk Sandviken takes you through parts of Sandviken’s cultural landscape. It combines memories and stories from the history of the ironworks with soundscapes and newly written music, and begins at the entrance to the city library.

History

Sandviken Church was designed according to plans by Professor Israel Wahirnan; construction began in 1929. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1931, and occupies a dominant position on the ridge that runs through Sandviken.

Högbo Bruk is also a living ironworks site with origins dating back to the 1630s, combining nature, cultural history, outdoor activities, crafts, events, food and accommodation. The Bruksmuseet Smedsgården displays homes from various periods in the history of the ironworks site; it also includes a small school museum about the former school life of its pupils.

Gamla Bruket, also known as “envåningsbruket”, was built between 1864 and 1880 for the workers of the old ironworks.

Nature and Water

In the immediate vicinity of Sandviken lies the Långängarna nature reserve, with a 1.5-kilometre nature trail. Among other things, you can see aspens with aspen feather moss and possibly three-toed woodpeckers there.

Hedåsbadet is a family-friendly bathing beach with a sandy beach, bathing jetty, volleyball court and an accessible outdoor fitness area. Storsjön has a 15-kilometre long-distance ice-skating track; its starting point is at Hedåsbadet in Sandviken. Storsjön is known for its zander fishing, which is possible from a boat or from the shore.

Parkbadet offers a leisure pool, a 25-metre swimming pool, whirlpools, group activities and a gym. Its leisure area features water slides offering more than 250 metres of sliding fun in total.

Trails and Cycling

The Gästrikeleden runs between Gävle and Sandviken and continues towards Gysinge. The trail is 270 kilometres long and divided into 32 stages of varying lengths. Along the Gästrikeleden, you experience diverse nature with lakes, rapids, wetlands and deep forests.

Sandviken offers cycling trails with varying levels of difficulty for beginners and ambitious recreational cyclists. Biking Gästrikland connects 50 mountain-bike trails and more than 500 kilometres of interconnected, signposted cycling routes, and enables bikepacking connections in Sandviken and Gästrikland.

City Life and Regional Orientation

At Sandviken Resecentrum, urban, regional, rural and express buses as well as regional and night trains meet under one roof. There are also frequent bus connections within Gästrikland, as well as train connections to and from Mälardalen.

The urban network of Sandviken includes Järbo, Årsunda, Sandviken, Kungsgården, Storvik, Gysinge, Hammarby and Österfärnebo.

The Sandviken Tourist Centre provides tips and information about attractions, accommodation and events, and sells products made by local craftspeople. Göransson Arena is used for concerts, art exhibitions, trade fairs and conferences. Sandviken’s local food selection includes cheese, bread, cured meats, meat, spices and sweets.

For the main travel overview: Gävleborg.