Gävle, Port town near Gulf of Bothnia, Sweden
Gävle is a port city in central Sweden at the mouth of the Gavleån river where it flows into the Gulf of Bothnia. The city center consists of wide avenues and square blocks rebuilt after a major fire in the 19th century.
King Christopher of Bavaria granted town rights to the trading settlement in 1446, when residents sold timber and iron to Hanseatic cities. After the devastating fire of 1869, the center was rebuilt following a new plan with wide streets.
In the castle park by the river stands Länsresidenset from the 18th century, a yellow mansion once home to the governor. Today the rooms hold administrative offices, but the facade and gardens still show the classical Swedish architecture of that era.
Most sights lie in the flat city core, which is easy to explore on foot. The railway station connects the city to Stockholm in about one and a half hours travel time.
The Stadsparken holds Sweden's oldest coffeehouse, which has welcomed visitors since 1856. The trees around it were planted when the park was laid out in the 1860s, and some now reach over 30 meters (98 feet) in height.
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