Hem / About Nordanstig
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Jenny Norlin - UN
In northern Hälsingland, in the middle of Sweden, you will find the municipality of Nordanstig. A destination with many pristine sites and only 9,650 inhabitants on an area of 1,380 square kilometers.
The municipality stretches from the coast, with long sandy beaches, to the large inland forests with a feeling of wilderness. Our municipality offers fishing lakes and hunting grounds, golf courses and riding trails. In winter, we always have a lot of snow inland and for the ski enthusiasts there are many ski slopes and nice ski tracks. The communities in the area are small, there´s no city. Our largest village is Bergsjö, where the municipal office is located. Other larger villages are Gnarp, Harmånger, Hassela, Ilsbo, Jättendal, Strömsbruk and Stocka.
Our municipality is called Nordanstig since a municipal merger in 1974. The name Nordanstig was already used in the 14th century but is not found as a place name on any map. In the middle of the municipality is the town of Steg, and "Stejje" as we say here, lies along the path used to get to the surrounding villages. It is likely that people who lived north of Steg were called "Nolastejjare", or correctly nordanstigare. Hence, the northeast corner of the landscape Hälsingland came to be called Nordanstig.
In the municipal coat of arms/shield; there is a horse that symbolizes forestry and the historic agriculture; and a fishing net that symbolizes the coast and the historic fishing industry. The six loops in the fishing net symbolizes our six parishes. The weapon was designed in the 1980s by Paul Persson, Jättendal.
Fun facts about Nordanstig:
- Nordanstig has 28 nature reserves
- Nordanstig has one of the longest sea bathing beaches in northern parts of Sweden (1.5 km in Sörfjärden)
- Nordanstig's coast has 197 islands
- Nordanstig has Sweden's highest cobblestone field (Stenörn in Ilsbo)
- Nordanstig has more than 2000 historic sites
- Nordanstig has around 500 active corporations
- Nordanstig has two golf courses
- In Nordanstig, the famous Gränsfors Bruk Axe is manufactured
- In Nordanstig's fiddling team, we currently have 7 national fiddle players with the prestigious award "Zornmärket" in gold and silver
- the World Cup winner in Slalom 2012, André Myhrer, was born and raised in Bergsjö, Nordanstig
- Sweden's only known female rune master Gunnborga, came from Vattrång in Nordanstig
- The world-famous opera singer Jussi Björling (1911-1960) has his origin in Strömsbruk, Nordanstig.
- Wilhelm Moberg's book The Emigrants is based on a diary of a cousin of Joris-Pelle, Erik Norelius, from Hassela in Nordanstig
- The people of Hälsingland (including Nordanstigare) were the last to sign the Swedish New Law in the late 1500´s. King Gustav Vasa had to fight for a long time in the 16th century, before he subdued this stubborn, insistent and independent people. They wanted to continue obeying their own Hälsingland law..