For many people, Sveg is that small locality with the large wooden bear that you pass by. It could also be the place where you restock, on your way to the ski resorts. To understand Sveg, you will most likely need to turn off the main road through the town. The bear is accompanied by a locality with a long history and approximately 2.500 human inhabitants. Yes, the bear population in Härjedalen is one of the largest in Sweden.
A Short History of Sveg
Sveg is known to have been the spot of the local thing (a session of court) already in the 13th century. The area became the center of Sveg Parish during the Middle Ages and remained a location of the thing and church until the end of the 19th century.
The forestry industry established itself in and around Sveg at the end of the 19th century and the locality received a railroad connection in the early 20th century. It is the forestry industry that has kept the grip of Sveg, but in more modern times the amount of work within call centers has also increased.
Things to Do and See in Sveg
Nature will never be far away in Sveg. Here we list some of the most popular activities in the area.
The World’s Largest Wooden Bear
The construction of the world’s largest wooden bear began in 2003 and was completed 2 years later. Its purpose is to be a landmark and symbol for Sveg and Härjedalen. It was built on the spot and reaches a height of 13 meters and weighs 80 tonnes. Except for a large amount of wood, the bear also consists of approximately 570 000 nails. A normal brown bear usually weighs around 300 kilograms and does hopefully not contain more than 20 nails (claws).
Gammelgården
Gammelgården is an open-air local heritage museum. It is run by the association for the handicraft of the province of Härjedalen, an organization that was founded in 1913 and has its roots in a sewing circle from the beginning of the 20th century.
The museum showcases the local history, culture, and traditions with historical buildings from the surrounding area.
Björnberget
Björnberget is the local mountain, 8 kilometers from the center of Sveg. Here you will find 5 slopes for alpine skiing with an altitude difference from the top to bottom to up to 200 meters.
The mountain is also a local viewpoint for the ones who decide to hike to the peak.
Björntrampen
Starting at Bäckedals Folkhögskola is Björntrampen, the bear path. This is a 3-kilometer-long trail in nature, that also includes several information signs to educate the wanderer about the area.
Swim in the Lakes
There are several lakes suitable for swimming around Sveg. The closest one to the center is Sandtjärn, located just 500 meters away. Other possibilities are Svegssjön and Nordsjön.
Svegsbadet
Too cold water in the lake? You can also find the indoor swimming pools at Svegsbadet, together with a water slide and other indoor activities.
How to get to Sveg
- Flights: The closest airport is Härjedalen Sveg Airport (EVG) located 4 km away. It connects the area with the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN) for connections around the globe.
- Car: Sveg is located along the E45 between Östersund and Mora.
- Train: Inlandsbanan has a station in Sveg along the route Mora-Östersund.
- Bus: There are regional buses connecting nearby Sveg with the surrounding area.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 433 kilometers (4 h 51 min)
- Gothenburg – 614 kilometers (7 h 21 min)
- Malmö – 851 kilometers (9 h 28 min)
- Linköping – 514 kilometers (6 h 29 min)
- Kiruna – 993 kilometers (11 h 56 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
When you refer to the ‘thing’ at the beginning, I was confused. I now realize it should be ‘ting’ or ‘tingsrätt’ . Otherwise nice article and information.