We have put together a collection of texts that describe the High Coast’s particular character as well as its selling points. Please feel free to use them as a complement to your digital presentation or printed materials.
When we get the opportunity to describe the High Coast’s infinite qualities, we take the chance to tell people about the area’s land uplift, nature, opportunities for adventure and positive encounters with others. Please use these messages to describe our unique destination.
Are you looking for high-reaching nature experiences? If this is the case, our beautiful High Coast World Heritage Site is a must. Stretching along the Norrland coast from Härnösand to Örnsköldsvik is the world’s highest coastline, along with a full display of the unique consequences of the land uplift after each Ice Age.
This is a place where people from all over the world will join you around the campfire. Decide yourself if you’d rather breathe in the nature and culture in a relaxed manner or quicken your pulse by taking part in exciting activities. Regardless of your preferences, we can promise that our panoramic views will leave you breathless.
Welcome to the High Coast!
The High Coast being home to the world’s most dramatic land uplift after the inland ice retreated is one of the primary reasons for the area being named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO at the turn of the millennium. The world record has been measured at the top of Skuleberget, where the ancient coastline is now a total of 286 metres above sea level.
In addition to Skuleberget, Norrfällsviken, Skuleskogens National Park, Trysunda, Sörleviken and Högklinten are all exciting places to visit. You will find till-capped mountains, gigantic cobble fields, cut-off coastal inlets and smooth rocky shorelines scarred by glacial striations. These natural phenomena are unique on Earth and evidence of the land uplift experienced in the area after each Ice Age. The area is also home to Sweden’s highest island, Mjältön, that juts 236 metres out of the sea, and the Baltic Sea’s deepest point, Ulvödjupet, measuring 293 metres deep.
Currently, the High Coast is rising at a rate of 8 mm each year, so it continues to reach for the sky.
The High Coast is the perfect combination of open sea, towering mountains and deep forests. Nature is the destination’s greatest asset and a source of wellbeing for both local residents and guests. In 2016, a panel selected by the Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature put forward a number of candidates for the general public to vote on, resulting in the High Coast being named Sweden's Most Beautiful Natural Area.
In the wilderness of Skuleskogen National Park, sights worth experiencing include the famous canyon Slåttdalsskrevan, the sweeping views from the peak of Slåttdalsberget, clear evidence of the land uplift all around you, the endless deep forests and the Naturum Höga Kusten Visitor Centre.
Ulvön, Trysunda and Grisslan are three beautiful islands in the archipelago, all well known and loved. The Skag and Högbonden lighthouses are other key places to visit, as are Rotsidan and the old fishing villages at Norrfällsviken and Bönhamn. If you don’t have access to a boat, you can get around the archipelago using the passenger ferries, charter boats or cruise liners. Gorgeous beaches are also popular along the coast - Smitingen, Gullvik and Storsand are all popular among visitors.
Other nature experiences include the region’s rivers and their beautiful valleys with the river Ångermanälven being the most spectacular. The river is known for its impressive sandbanks that have been formed by the land uplift and its waters rich in salmon, but perhaps most of all for the famous bridge Höga Kustenbron.
Our cultural heritage goes back thousands of years with clear evidence of people inhabiting the area. From Stone Age settlements and hunting pits, to Bronze Age cairns and Iron Age grave sites all the way through to contemporary villages and towns.
Nämforsen by Näsåker is one of the largest individual sites of rock engravings in northern Europe – the earliest engravings here have been estimated to be 6000 years old. Several hill forts from the Iron Age point towards times of unrest when local residents had to protect themselves from invaders arriving from across the sea. One of the most well-preserved can be found on top of Rödklitten, along the World Heritage Trail.
There are plenty of events that have had a hand in shaping us – such as the dramatic witch trials held in the 1600s and the Ådalen shootings in 1931 – the area is also home to plenty of tales, fables and mythical places. Stories of trolls and robbers are common when mentioning the cave Rövargrottan on Skuleberget. During the 1600s, robbers based in the cave plundered the surrounding villages and robbed passers-by.
In more recent times, the cultural heritage of the High Coast has been shaped by the Gävle Fishermen and the infamous fermented Baltic herring, the history of the river valleys, beautiful homesteads, an exciting industrial era, works produced by high-profile artists, High Coast Art Valley, the Murberget Museum and much, much more.
Nature has laid the foundations for a broad outdoor life on the High Coast. Outdoor life has in turn created an enormous selection of available activities, adventures and events. Today, the High Coast is a recognised and award-winning destination for just this.
Increasing numbers of visitors are arriving each year from Germany, Finland and the Netherlands to enjoy hiking, kayaking and fishing adventures, among other things. You can take part in beaver safaris, dog sledding trips, kayaking, rafting, multi-day horse riding tours, snowshoeing, skiing, wild animal spotting and seal safaris. For those who like to compete, we are home to several Swimrun and challenging trail running events.
Skuleberget attracts many adventurers. It is home to Europe’s largest Via Ferrata with several fixed climbing routes of varying difficulty. There is also a chairlift that takes visitors to the top of the mountain in both the summer and winter.
The High Coast is home to a calm that is typical of northern Sweden. But it is also home to inspiring meetings between people. Our warmth and lack of prestige are appreciated by visitors to the area. We want to spend time with our guests, get to know them for who they are and we like to make everyone feel welcome. A lot of our visitors actually come to the High Coast for just this reason – to meet others in an environment that reflects their own values with regards to how we treat each other and the environment we live in.
These friendly exchanges can be witnessed in the destination’s accommodation, along the hiking trails or in overnight cabins – but also in more organised examples such as at our various outdoor and food festivals. Or at the music festivals Urkult and Skulefestivalen, which are two meeting places where the whole family can take part in cultural experiences with beautiful nature as a backdrop.
Höga Kusten Destinationsutveckling AB
Järnvägsgatan 6, 891 31 Örnsköldsvik
info@hkdest.se
Org.no: 556961-4067
