Söderhamn – City, Archipelago and Nature

Söderhamn combines a hub for train and bus travel with historic sites, the archipelago, beaches and nature reserves. This gives you a choice of different experiences when planning your trip: urban history and museums, paths by the water, birdwatching, swimming and activities in different seasons.

Getting to Söderhamn and nature around the city

Söderhamn Travel Centre is a hub for train and bus travel. The Skatön Nature Reserve is located 10 km east of Söderhamn and covers 343 hectares. Skatön has several sandy beaches. Also in the surrounding area, south of the city, is the Ålsjön Nature Reserve, covering 248 hectares. More than 200 bird species have been recorded in the reserve; more than 60 species breed there regularly. A wooden footbridge through large parts of the Ålsjöområdet area makes access easier for wheelchair users and visitors with prams.

Near Söderhamn, Skatberget rises 32 m above sea level and offers wide views over the Söderhamn archipelago. This allows nature, open expanses of water and the characteristic landscape of the surrounding area to be experienced in different ways, without equating the two nature reserves.

Trails, water and active days

Sågverkstrampet offers a specific combination of exercise and landscape. The 13 km hiking and cycling trail begins in Söderhamn and leads to the quay in Stugsund. It runs along the Söderhamnsån and Söderhamnsfjärden; information boards along the route provide information about the historical period. For a cycling or walking excursion, this provides a documented route connecting the city, watercourse, fjärd and quay.

In the Hällåsen-Hällmyra area, there are 10 km of groomed and illuminated cross-country ski trails in winter, with routes of varying difficulty. This includes a family-friendly 2.5 km loop. In summer, the trails in the Hällmyra-Hällåsen area are suitable for walking and running; the trail system is also used for mountain biking at that time.

Skärså, an old fishing village with fishermen’s cottages and boathouses, is located near Söderhamn. It has a bathing area with a kayak jetty. Boat tours from the mainland to islands are also available, including from Skärså to Prästgrundet and with the M/S Moa for a day of swimming at Enskärsoren.

Urban history, museums and historic sites

The F15 Air Museum is housed in an old hangar. It displays all the military aircraft that were stationed at F15, as well as aircraft and settings from the former air force wing. The visitor experience includes a Viggen flight simulator; an appointment must be booked in advance for this.

Söderhamn Museum has a permanent exhibition on the history of the city. The Föreningen Söderhamns Museum association has carried out museum work since 1915 in the historic 1748 drill house. Rådhustorget provides another connection to the city’s history: the square is part of a culturally and historically valuable city centre protected as a listed historic site.

Ulrika Eleonora Church was inaugurated in 1693. The stone-built church survived the fire. In summer, it is open from Monday to Thursday from 12:00 to 18:00 and offers guided tours led by summer hosts. Söderhamn city guides lead tours through the oldest parts of the city and explain their buildings, art and the people who shaped Söderhamn over the centuries. Visitors who wish to explore the city independently can use the self-guided city walk, which focuses on the city’s history and buildings; it is suitable for visitors who have about an hour to spare.

Erik-Anders farm in Söderhamn Municipality also expands the destination’s cultural reach. It is one of the seven World Heritage farmsteads of Hälsingland and houses a visitor centre for the Hälsingegårdar World Heritage Site.

For regional context, you can also find Söderhamn in Norrland. If you would like to explore other places in the same travel area in addition to Söderhamn, you can find Mo, Skog, Ljusne, Söderala, Marmaverken, Stråtjära and Norrala here.

To the higher-level travel overview: Söderhamn.