Things to do in Järvsö in Hälsingland - 15 tips

What can you do in Järvsö in Hälsingland? Despite being a small town, Järvsö attracts many visitors and holidaymakers. Here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Järvsö.

Järvsö

Despite its small size, Järvsö is a well-known holiday destination. People come here to ski, cycle MTB trails, experience culture and hang out in restaurants and cafés.

This little town is also famous for being the home of Lill-Babs, for being home to Sweden's largest rural church, and for having the northernmost champagne bar with the entire Taittinger range. In other words, this is a special little place!

Järvsö is located in the Hälsingland hinterland, about 17 kilometres south of Ljusdal and about 60 kilometres east of Hudiksvall.

What can you do in Järvsö?

So what can you do in Järvsö? There is a lot to see and discover! Here are our top tips on things to do in Järvsö and the surrounding area.

1. Discover the centre of Järvsö with shops and cafés

Järvsö is a small, but incredibly pleasant and charming town. In the centre you will find many beautiful buildings, as well as a surprisingly large selection of restaurants, cafés and shops. For example, you can eat at Järvsöbaden, Bergshotellet or Restaurang Sydsidan. Or why not have a coffee at Anders-Pers Fikabod?

2. Eat at the creperie in Järvsö

One place we can specifically recommend is the creperie in Järvsö. This is an incredibly charming little eatery, where you can try both sweet crepes and savoury galettes.

There is a creperie "on the mountain" and one "in the village" and we tried the one in the village. Here we each tried a galette, with ham and pork respectively. Very good and nice!

3. Enjoy ice cream at Glasskupan

If you are craving ice cream, we can also recommend a visit to Glasskupan, which is an ice cream parlour in the middle of Järvsö. We each bought a good soft ice cream, but there is also the opportunity for more exciting ice cream creations.

4. Check out Järvsö church

Järvsä Church, located on Kyrkön, is Sweden's largest rural church. The church was built between 1832 and 1838, on the foundations of a demolished medieval church. Lill-Babs, among others, is buried in the churchyard. Those who wish can also walk a beautiful nature trail around the island.

5. visit Stenegård

One thing you don't want to miss doing in Järvsö is visiting Stenegård. This farm offers a genuine Hälsingland environment, where you will find craft shops, but also a garden park, cultural activities, a visitor centre for the world heritage Hälsingland farms, Lill-Babs Museum, children's activities, coffee breaks and Midsummer celebrations.

6. Take a look at the Lill-Babs museum

What we found most interesting at Stenegård was Lill-Babs museum. The museum is located here because Lill-Babs grew up in Järvsö, and later had a house here.

The museum is relatively small, but packed, and tells the story of the star's life - both on stage and off. You can see many of Lill-Bab's stage outfits, as well as paintings of her and other nostalgic artefacts. Don't miss it!

7. visit Karlsgården

In Järvsö, Karlsgården, or "Karls i Bondarv", is a Hälsingland farm with a long history. Today, five farms remain in the village, out of the eight that existed in the 16th century, and Karlsgården shows what the farms looked like before they were painted red. The farm was not open when we were here, but the local history society sometimes organises various activities, and it may be possible to book a tour.

8. Drink champagne at Järvsö Champagnebar

A champagne bar in Järvsö? Yes, here in little Järvsö, there is actually "the world's northernmost champagne bar with the entire Taittinger range". The bar is currently open on Friday and Saturday evenings, during the summer, and you can both sample champagne and enjoy various snacks, such as cheese and charcuterie trays. Nearby you'll also find beer, boules and a farm bakery.

9. See the Kristofersgården World Heritage Site

Järvsö is home to one of the Hälsingegårdar farms that represent the Hälsingegårdar World Heritage Site. This farm is privately owned and is the only one of the seven World Heritage farms that is still farming.

No public tours are organised here, but it may be possible to book a guided tour by contacting the owners, which we did. At the farm, we saw exciting murals, with exotic motifs. It was also very interesting to hear about life on the farm in the past!

10. Skiing in Järvsöbacken

In winter, skiing in Järvsöbacken is popular. The slope offers skiing for the whole family on 23 runs, with nine lifts, five conveyor belts, two large children's areas and a snow park.

11. Try downhill cycling

In the summer, Järvsö is a great destination for anyone who wants to indulge in mountain biking and downhill cycling. Järvsö Mountain Bike Park, also called Järvsö Bikepark, offers lots of adventurous trails.

12. experience the Wild Kingdom

Vildriket, formerly Järvzoo, is a zoo in Järvsö that specialises in Nordic animals. Among other things, you can see the four large predators: wolf, lynx, bear and wolverine.

13. See the view from Öjeberget

In the centre of Järvsö is Öjeberget, and here is the viewpoint called "Öjebergets utsiktsplats". It is possible to get almost all the way by car, by driving Alpvägen up to the top car park.

When you arrive at the car park, you should not continue walking upwards (which we did). The viewpoint is instead found a little "behind" the car park, where you can look for signs saying "Trappstigen".

14. Climb Järvsö Klack

Järvsö Klack is a mountain with a viewpoint, which is a kind of landmark for the Järvsö area. You can walk up to the top, which means a hike of about 1.4 kilometres. The hike is not particularly difficult, but since it goes uphill, you may need to pause for breath both here and there. Once at the top, you get your reward in the form of a lovely view.

15. Sunbathing and swimming in Orbaden

Orbaden is a small town that belongs to Bollnäs municipality, but is very close to Järvsö. There is a kilometre-long sandy beach here, by Lake Orsjön, and the place is usually called "Hälsingland's Riviera". It is also home to Orbaden Spa & Resort and Orbadens Camping.

It was a bit too cold for sunbathing and swimming when we were here, but we understand it is very popular at the height of summer. A stunningly beautiful beach!

More to do in Järvsö

There is of course even more to see and do in Järvsö in addition to our tips. Here you will find some more suggestions.

• Kyrköns nature reserve is located on the island in Ljusnan where the church is located, and here you can walk on a path around the island.
• Tevsjö Distillery is a distillery with a long history, making whiskey but also gin, for example.
• The way of the ages is a road that runs between Uppsala and Ånge - a little longer, a little more winding and full of experiences.
• The Wolf Hotel is a unique accommodation in the Wild Kingdom, with large panoramic windows facing the wolf enclosure.

Where can you stay in Järvsö, or park your motorhome?

In Järvsö, there are of course several hotels and other accommodation options, such as Bergshotellet and Järvsöbaden. If you, like us, are travelling with a camping vehicle, you can for example stay at Järvsö Camping. This is a relatively small and pleasant campsite in a good location.

More to see and do near Järvsö

Järvsö belongs to Ljusdal municipality, and there is more to things to see and do in Ljusdal, in the form of street art and health farms, among others. If you're heading to the coast, you can visit the pretty towns of Hudiksvall and Söderhamn. If you head south instead, you can head to the dramatic Helvetesfallet and Storstupet, north of Orsa.

More tips on things to do in Järvsö?

Have you visited Järvsö? Do you have any other suggestions for what to see and do in Järvsö? Please tell us!