Gävle, Sweden, is just 100 miles north of Stockholm, making Gävle one of the best destinations for day trips from Stockholm. All in all, Gävle is a very romantic and relaxed destination with panoramic views and many colorful wooden houses. Don’t forget to bring your camera.
When it comes to the natural beauty of Gävle, the Gavleån and Testeboan rivers, and the piers along the water, bring this picturesque town to life on Sweden’s east coast. “By the water” is by far the most common answer when people are asked where they would like to live and play in Gävle.
Things to see and do in Gävle
- If the weather is wet or cold, consider having fun indoors and visit the Prison Museum, the County Museum, or the Swedish Railway Museum.
- Do you have any money to spend? Gävle also has one of the largest shopping centers in the region including Gävle City Center and Valbo Shopping City in Norrland, where you can naturally find an IKEA.
- What if the weather is nice? There are also activities for young and old at Furuvik Zoo (Furuviksparken) and Kybacka Moose Park. After all, what is a visit to Sweden without the sight of a king moose?
- Or, you can head to Bonan Fiskelage, which is a wonderful fishing museum with a lighthouse (lots of steps to climb, optional). Be sure to enter the lifeguard museum exhibit as well.
- As for the free activities, just wander around Gävle’s Old Town with your camera or sit in one of the cafes in the center of Gävle. The city also has a large number of public art and sculptures that add character to the streets, squares and parks, for example in Boulognerskogen City Park.
- There is also evening entertainment available. The Gävle Concert Hall and the Gävle Theater offer world-renowned artists productions large and small.
Eating and drinking in Gävle
Gävle also offers many opportunities to experience good taste, from intimate and personal restaurants to the best coffee and chocolate in Sweden.
In fact, the world-renowned Gevalia coffee plant has been a part of the city for over 150 years. Gevalia (the Latin name for Gävle) is the largest coffee roaster in Scandinavia. If you have an afternoon, take a tour of the plant, learn about the art of making coffee, and take home a delicious reminder of your visit to Gävle.
Alojarse and Gävle
There are several hotels in Gävle, both popular chain names and smaller locally owned hotels.
How to get to Gävle
This city is easy to visit. To get to Gävle, take the E4 north from Stockholm or take one of the many trains that include Gävle on their list of stops. There are also bus services to Gävle from various cities, but they take much longer than trains.
Gävle is a medium-sized city with just over 70,000 residents and has activities in both summer and winter. There is no low season here, which makes it a good option for a day trip from Stockholm at any time of the year.
In early December, the straw-made Gävle Goat (Gävlebocken) is built as a traditional Christmas display in the city center in Slottstorget every year.




