The best family-friendly hikes and walks in Sidsjö

After the Sundsvall fire of 1888, the city's reconstruction was the subject of much debate. Officials eventually agreed to largely preserve the existing city plan, rather than transforming it into a network of wide fire lanes. However, all buildings were to be constructed of stone (hence the name Stenstaden, or Stone City), and a wide promenade, serving as a fire lane, was to be built through the city center. The use of stone for all city buildings meant that many who had lost their homes in the fire could not afford to rebuild. Despite immediate aid from across Europe, only the city's wealthy timber barons could finance the new stone structures.

Together with Stora Torget on the other side of the Esplanade, Vängåvan Park forms a large green space and the heart of Sundsvall. The park, with its fountain built at the end of the 19th century, was one of the first publicly designed spaces in Sweden. During Sundsvall's rapid economic growth, the area around Vängåvan, with its several banks, became one of Sweden's most important financial centers. The fountain in the center of the park was designed by the Sundsvall artist Sofia Gisberg. It was completed on August 25, 1886, the same day as the new Läroverket (the Swedish National Library), now the Hedbergska School. The fountain was made possible by donations from A. P. Hedberg. Public artworks were rare in Swedish provincial towns at that time and considered highly exclusive.

The Hirsch House, which occupies the entire west side of Stora Torget, was built between 1890 and 1891 by the merchant Isaak Hirsch, based on plans by Johan Laurentz and Hjalmar Kumlien. It features a Renaissance style with red brick facades and stucco ornamentation. A tower crowns the building, its spire topped with a weather vane in the shape of a golden dragon – a symbol of protection against fire, which is hardly surprising after the great city fire of 1888. The dragon's spire has become a landmark of Sundsvall. Even the name of the basketball team, the "Sundsvall Dragons," is derived from the tower's spire.

This house, built in the Dutch Renaissance style, was constructed for the pharmacist Peter Grahn on Stora Torget between 1889 and 1891. It was designed by Carl Fredrik Malm and Gustaf Hermansson.

The neo-Gothic Gustav Adolf Church was built between 1891 and 1894 according to the plans of architect Gustaf Hermansson and remodeled in 1952. In 1955, the church, originally named after Lovisa Ulrika, received its current name. The previous building on the same site was completely destroyed in the Sundsvall fire of 1888.

If you are standing in the center at Stora Torget in Sundsvall, you should look up at the house facades and see the richly decorated dormer windows and roofs of the stone houses. With all this splendor, you can understand why many Swedes today consider Sundsvall to be the most beautiful city in the country. This district is called Stenstan, or the stone city. The center of the district is the magnificent Stadshuset at Stora Torget. If you stroll through the city center along the pedestrian zone, you will be able to admire many colorful dragons. We discovered around 20 dragons. The dragon is a symbol of Sundsvall.

Gym with a view. It's something different to do strength training with such a view. Vandalism doesn't seem to be an issue here. Everything is in tip-top order.

View of the Sundsvall-Sidsjöbacken ski area. With slopes for skiing and snowboarding.