Sweden has many hidden gems and Gävle definitely fits in the category. Despite being home to 100,000 citizens, it rarely grabs international headlines. But it has made its mark. Here are seven very random facts about the unique city.
1. It is the home of Sweden's straw yule goat, Gävlebocken (The Gävle Goat)
Gävles most famous celebrity is without doubt Gävlebocken (The Gävle Goat). The huge animal is put up every Christmas and last year travelled all the way to China afterwards. As much as the goat itself is a tradition, so is burning it down. So far the goat has been set on fire more than 30 times by locals and the different ways of setting the three tonne straw goat on fire seem to get more creative each year. The goat also has its own Twitter, Instagram and blog.
The Gävle Goat is Gävle's most famous celebrity. Photo: Gävle Kommun
2. The world famous coffee Gevalia is from Gävle
It's no secret that Swedes are obsessed with coffee, and Gävle is the home of the world famous coffee company Gevalia, which roasts 200 tonnes of the brown stuff everyday. The line “när du får oväntat besök” (when you get unexpected visit) is well known among Swedes. If you don't drink Gevalia when you live in Gävle, you break a really serious unwritten rule.
Ahlgrens bilar is from Gävle. Photo: Janerik Henriksson/TT
Cat Stevens used to live in Gävle. Photo: Chris Pizzello/TTnyhetsbyrån
In Gävle City you can fish for salmon. Photo: Gävle Kommun
Gävle Concert Hall is covered in 169.00 tiles. Photo: Gävle Kommun
Take a walk in Gävle's city park. Photo: Gävle Kommun