Things to do in Ljusdal in Hälsingland - 12 tips

What can you do in Ljusdal? This small town in Hälsingland offers everything from street art to Hälsingland farms. Here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Ljusdal.

Ljusdal

Ljusdal is a relatively small town, but there is still a lot worth seeing and experiencing, not least in the area around the central parts of the town.

Ljusdal is located on national road 83 (Tidernas väg) and national road 84, about 50 kilometres west of Hudiksvall.

What can you do in Ljusdal?

So what can you do in Ljusdal? There is a lot to see and discover both in and around the town. Here are our top tips on things to do in Ljusdal.

1. discover the centre of Ljusdal

Ljusdal has a small centre that is quite pleasant. Here you will find shops, restaurants and cafés, such as the wine bar La Banca.

Part of Ljusdal is called "Old Town" and there are several beautiful older houses here.

2. Admire street art in Ljusdal

We were really fascinated when we discovered all the delicious street art in Ljusdal. We had not expected this! Despite being a relatively small municipality, Ljusdal has managed to organise a large street art festival, with international artists, in the form of ARTSCAPE 2019 LJUSDAL.

Now you can see 16 large murals, made by both Swedish and international artists. The artworks are located on Bagargränd and are really delicious to check out.

3. Look inside Ljusdal church

Another thing you don't want to miss doing in Ljusdal is peeking into Ljusdal Church. The church, some of which dates back to the late 12th century, is relatively unassuming on the outside, but all the more impressive on the inside.

In 1753 the church suffered a fire, and when it was rebuilt it took on its present appearance. The paintings in the church were added when it was restored in 1914-1915, and were done by the artist Yngve Lundström.

In the church there is a beautiful altar cabinet and a restored romantic Branch & Straw organ from 1764 to view. During our visit, we met the church caretaker and had a very pleasant conversation.

4. See the Ljusdalsbygden Museum

Ljusdalsbygdens museum was not open when we visited Ljusdal, but here you can learn about the cultural heritage of north-west Hälsingland, in the form of various exhibitions.

5. fascinated by Hälsingegården Bommars

Hälsingegården Bommars is one of the seven Hälsingegården farms that represent the Hälsingegårdar World Heritage Site. It was in 2012 that Hälsingegegårdarna was included on UNESCO's prestigious list, as a unique place in the world of interest to all mankind.

Bommars Farm is located in the village of Letsbo and is characterised by, among other things, its wallpaper, with stencilling between the floors. The farm is privately owned and visits must always be pre-booked. We accompanied the owner on a guided tour here, which was very nice, interesting and educational. More information before visiting can be found on the website bommars.se.

6. Travelling in Järvsö

The most touristic place in Ljusdal municipality is undoubtedly Järvsö. Although Järvsö is a very small town, it is a very popular place, both among "ordinary" tourists and among celebrities and other "fine people".

Hit kommer man för skidåkning i Järvsöbacken, MTB-cykling, naturupplevelser och restauranghäng. Här ligger också Sveriges största landsortskyrka och en champagnebar (!) samt mysiga Stenegård, med hantverksbutiker och Lill-Babs museum.

7. Shop for delicacies in Färila

Just east of the centre of Ljusdal is the small town of Färila, which makes a perfect stop if you like to shop for delicacies. You can start with a stop at Färila ICA / Delins charkuteri. The shop is famous for its sausages, not least the "Färila sausage". Delicious, we can attest!

Next door you will find another exciting store in the form of Björk & Co. Here you can browse through all kinds of goodies such as meat, sausages, cheeses, cheesecake, hard bread, jams and much more. We couldn't resist shopping here either ...

8. Hike in Gröntjärns nature reserve

If you want to, you can take the opportunity to hike in Gröntjärns nature reserve. The reserve is located in a valley surrounded by high mountains, about 5 kilometres west of the village of Västerstråsjö in Svågadalen. There is a turquoise-coloured pond here, which gives the reserve its name. The pond is special because the water level naturally varies by more than 13 metres.

9. fishing

Fishing is popular in the area, and Ljusdal municipality has no less than eight fisheries management areas. You can fish in Ljusnan, but also in the Svartsjö area, Örasjön, Leån, Storsjön and Bäckesjön, for example.

10. visit the Loos cobalt mine

The Loos cobalt mine is located in the parish of Los (or Loos parish, the spelling varies) and was in operation for a fairly short period, from the 1730s until 1773. The mine extracted ore containing cobalt, which was used to produce a popular blue colour. A blue dye works was set up in the town, and the colour was mainly used to decorate porcelain.

Today the mine functions as a working life museum, where you can look around two exhibition halls (free of charge) and take a guided tour of the mine (for a fee). The flags in the picture below represent the forest Finns (the green one), who lived in the area at the time, and Hälsingland.

By the way, at the mine is Wilmar's Bagarbod, which was closed when we were here, but which we have heard good things about.

11. Take a trip to Hälsingegården Beyond Åa

Hälsingegården Bortom Åa - Fågelsjö Gammelgård - is another of the seven Hälsingegården farms that are part of the World Heritage Site. This farm is beautiful and relatively easy to visit, as guided tours are regularly organised in the summer.

Here you can admire amazing murals, hear the story of the 'America House' and see the fascinating 'seven-locked armoury', a food storage room fitted with seven locks. There is also a cosy café.

12. Experience nature in Hamra National Park

Not far from hälsingegården Bortom Åa you can find Hamra National Park. This natural area is mainly known for its untouched primeval forest, where many animals and plants live in the old and dead trees. A large part of the national park also consists of marshland with bogs, streams and small lakes.

More to see and do in Ljusdal

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

• Norebadet is a bathing area with a sandy beach.
• 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.
• Wildlife Sweden Camp Ängra offers various outdoor activities, including safaris and wildlife watching.

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

In Ljusdal there are a number of different accommodation options, such as Stadshotellet, Borrgårdens vadrarhem and the lovely Järvsöbaden in Järvsö. If you, like us, are travelling with a camping vehicle, there are also various options in and around Ljusdal.

We stayed three nights in a car repair shop's car park in Ljusdal, because the camper's generator broke down, so we did not have time to test any places in Ljusdal itself. However, we stayed one night at the nice Järvsö Camping. Here are some places where you can stay overnight with a motorhome:

• Järvsö Camping, Turistvägen 76, Järvsö
• Church Lake car park, Magasingatan 16, Ljusdal
• Ljusdal Camping, Ramsjövägen 56, Ljusdal

At a slightly longer distance from Ljusdal, we can also recommend Wine streams, for a great free camping experience.

More to see and do near Ljusdal

If you head out to the coast, you can visit Hudiksvall, surrounded by beautiful natural areas and charming fishing villages. It is also not too far to Söderhamn, which is also on the coast. If you are travelling south instead, you can visit Helvetesfallet and Storstupet, north of Orsa.

More tips on things to do in Ljusdal?

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