Härnösand () is a town and locality in Västernorrland County, Sweden. It is the seat of Härnösand Municipality, with 25,012 inhabitants in 2023. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape just a few miles north of Härnösand. Härnösand is the seat of the Diocese of Härnösand, the County Governor residence and Västernorrland County Museum.
History
On 10 December 1885, Härnösand became the first town in Sweden with electric street lighting, following the Gådeå power station being taken into use.
World War II
During World War II, owing to its strategic position as a port, the town was used to help the Nazis transport soldiers and weapons.
Education Härnösand is the seat of The National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools (Specialpedagogiska skolmyndigheten).
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) operates its training programme Sida Partnership Forum in Härnösand.
Industry One of the biggest employers in Härnösand is the cable-TV and Cable internet service provider Com Hem.
Sports The women's team of the bandy club Härnösands AIK plays in the highest division and the men's team has done.
Their handballteam plays in division 2 and is called Brännans IF.
The football club IF Älgarna plays in Division 2 Norrland.
Curling is also played in the city and Team Anette Norberg is based there. Anette Norberg won several medals in sport, including an Olympic gold medal. Sweden's only curling high school is located in the city. Established in 1989, the school has trained a number of curlers who later competed at national and international levels.
Härnösand also has an ice hockey team AIK Hockey Härnösand that plays in division 1 in region norr.
Recreation Härnösand is a fairly small town and some of the activities young people engage in are Kåken (), a youth centre provided by the municipality. The city also has an extensive selection of outdoor activities in the summer and wintertime. Wintertime people can go skiing (cross country and downhill), ice skating, etc. Summertime activities include climbing, kayaking, trekking, etc. The town also features a summertime beach Smitingen, which occasionally gets some surfable waves. Härnösand is each summer the site of one of the world's largest airsoft events, Berget.
Climate Härnösand has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with significant maritime influence, causing mild to warm summers and cold but not severe winters that are milder than areas further north. In the Kvarken area and further north the water is less salty and freezes easier, creating colder winter climate.
Notable people
Alfhild Agrell, writer and playwright Anders Jonas Ångström, physicist Albert Atterberg, soil mechanics Dagmar Beling (1929–2023), painter Nils Bohlin, inventor Lena Endre, Actor Tomas Fischer, book publisher and businessman Anton Forsberg, ice hockey goaltender for the Ottawa Senators Bo Holmberg, politician Lasse Lindh, Musician Johan Lundgren, businessman Bertil Malmberg, writer Anette Norberg, women's curling Olympic gold medalist Carl Gustaf Nordin, statesman Ulf Sandström, ice hockey player Monica Sjöö, (December 31, 1938 – August 8, 2005), painter, writer and a radical anarcho/ eco-feminist and an exponent of the Goddess movement. Frideborg Winblad, educator and administrator
References
External links
Härnösand official site Webcams