Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Swedish Destinations Not to Miss in 2017
Sandviken – where it is easy to enjoy life From a historical metal mecca to a modern town centre with an international atmosphere, Sandviken is both easy to get to and easy to enjoy. Diversity is key, with top-class sporting facilities as well as untouched nature and a cultural buzz – so hop on your bike or skis and get ready to enjoy. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Sandviken
Situated just an hour and a half from Arlanda Airport, Sandviken is not just close to the world – it boasts a range of activities and experiences so rich and varied it feels like a multifaceted world in itself. With an international business stemming from the area and 700 researchers among the town’s 6,000 employees, it truly does have an international atmosphere. “We like to say that the world is always close,” says Eva Hofstrand, head of tourism at Sandviken. “International visitors fill our hotels, and 78 | Issue 96 | January 2017
everything from the nature to the cultural offering boasts an incredible diversity.” Metal workers and business people alike will associate Sandviken with the global engineering group Sandvik, founded in the town in 1862. Historically, the area’s metal expertise goes back to the early 1600s and Högbo Bruk, a forge and iron works that primed the conditions for a successful metal cutting business to fuel gas energy. Picturesque red longhouses and leafy nature still characterise
the area, which has recently grown into a well-developed recreational resort. “Högbo is known for its food – both gourmet dining experiences and charming farm shops selling quality meat, cheese and vegetables,” says Hofstrand. “But there’s plenty to do between meals as well. Högbo is an official partner of Vasaloppet, so it’s a bit of a skiing paradise, but it’s also known as a cycling mecca and you can go paddling, golfing – it’s endless.”
Top-class cycling and skiing Hofstrand describes Sandviken as a perfect place for epicureans and other bon vivants, and it is easy to see why. Here, the Swedish ‘lagom’ has been left behind in favour for a more-is-more approach; everything is done to the fullest and only