Elvisjö is a small community in the countryside of the historical province of Uppland in an area that was once Börstil Parish. The community is made up of a number of farmsteads and the name can be translated to Elvi’s Lake. And no, this is not where Elvis has been hiding all these years. The community has today a bit more than 10 permanent residents, most of them elderly. These days it’s famous for its flea market or “Loppis” in Swedish.
A Short History of Elvisjö
Elvisjö has had many spellings during the centuries. In the early 20th century it was Elvissjö, during the 19th-century spellings included Elfvisjö and Elfwisjö, and the same applied also during the 18th century. It was over the centuries a part of Börstil Parish. Elvisjö was already at the end of the 18th century home to 7 farmsteads as well as the boatswain Mats Glad and the tailor Hans Ersson.
Things to Do and See
The main attraction in Elvisjö is the local flea market. There are signs for it all the way from the main road. The flea market has at least earlier had a Swedish countryside specialty. The Swedish dish “kalvdans” can be translated to calf dance. Indeed, the name really doesn’t give any clue of what the specialty is. It is a dessert made from the first milk that a cow produces after giving birth. Due to the fact that Swedish law prohibits the sale of unpasteurized milk, this dish is a very rare find today and many of the younger people in urban areas have never heard about it.
How to Get to Elvisjö
- Flights: The closest major airport is Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, 103 kilometers away with both domestic and international flights.
- Car: Elvisjö is along country roads not far from road 76 between Gävle and Östhammar.
- Bus: Local and regional UL buses connect Elvisjö with the surrounding region with a bus stop in nearby Simundö.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 141 kilometers (1 h 49 min)
- Gothenburg – 605 kilometers (6 h 31 min)
- Malmö – 749 kilometers (8 h)
- Linköping – 336 kilometers (3 h 47 min)
- Kiruna – 1161 kilometers (13 h 27 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
