Lake, bathing To Jgarviken, Klvberget and Knoppe

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Flowerpot Factory

Axe Museum
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Youth hostel, Caf

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Holiday village

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Grnnsjn
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Grnsfors Bruks Axe Forge

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Axe Museum Grnsfors Bruks Axe Forge 7 Forging courses 9 8 Caf Grnsfors Grnsfors Flowerpot Factory Dammstugan The old Spiksmedjan (The nail works) Holiday village Log-building courses To Lillbodarna and Grnsfors fre back road to Hassela Krusbaden beach The old mill

To Gnarp, Sundsvall, E4N

12

To Bergsj, Hgen Hudiksvall, E4S

i n s o m e p l a c e s , history and tradition converge with modern times in a completely natural way. One such place is Grnsfors. Firmly established along a meandering river, Grnsfors is situated in the exquisitely beautiful northern part of Hlsingland. Just make a short detour from bustling e4, and you will find yourself in a world you thought no longer existed. A living industrial and handicraft culture has thrived here for hundreds of years. Mills, stove-builders, breweries, sawmills, forges and much more were in operation along the river; all of which is documented in Grnsforsboken (Grnsfors book). Two of these fine handicraft industries currently remain in full operation. Grnsfors is a living place above all, a place where reverberations from history merge with the modern pulse of life. Take a short walk with us along Grnsforsn and learn more about our village. (Grns = boarder, fors = creek).

Grnsfors Bruks Axe forge

f o r o v e r o n e h u n d r e d y e a r s Grnsfors Bruks has been synonymous with top-quality axes. The work of manufacturing and selling axes is currently carried out by a 15-strong team. 80% of the output is exported to 22 countries. The experience and skill of the individual smiths is crucial to the quality and feel of the fine axes. Each axe is signed with the smiths initials as a quality seal and guarantee. Axes are produced here for many different applications such as wood-splitting, woodworking, log-building, hunting and axe-throwing. The forge is located in the centre of the village where you hear the rhythmical pounding as you approach. Grnsfors Bruks axes are available for purchase here. The axe forge is open weekdays during normal working hours. Visitors are welcome to come and watch the axes being forged, sharpened, tempered and fitted with handles. Guided tours are available (time permitting). +46 (0)652710 90, axes@gransfors.com, www.gransfors.com

Grnsfors Flowerpot Factory

p r o d u c t i o n o f earthenware vessels began at Grnsfors in 1883, and since the beginning of the 1900s, the flowerpot factory has been run by the Bergstrm family, now in its fourth generation. Clay of suitable quality for molding and firing can be found here, and visitors can see and experience how clay from the nearby fields is worked and transformed into beautiful utility items. Flowerpots from Grnsfors, which have been the main product since the 1930s, are the Rolls Royce of pots. They are loved by growers and gardening experts for their quality and their simple, natural beauty. In addition to flowerpots, the small factory also makes traditional earthenware vessels from old original models. You will find a factory shop to explore too.

+46 (0)652140 19, info@blomkrukor.se, www.blomkrukor.se

Forging courses
for mor e than a decade, master smith Lars Enander has been arranging forging courses in conjunction with Grnsfors Bruks. Participants get the chance to discover the potential of the glowing iron or improve their skills in the ancient art of forging in Grnsfors classic axe forge. Course length varies from five-day basic courses to a comprehensive forging course of 20 weeks. Lars Enander is a valued instructor who has written several books on smithing, including the classic Jrnsmidesboken (Book on wrought iron). Lars has two assistant smiths, Claudia and Ulrika, and together they forge a specialized range of axes for Grnsfors Bruks.

+46 (0)70548 85 13, lars@enandersmide.com, www.enandersmide.com

Log-building courses
log b u i ldi ng an d han dli ng an axe go together. Consequently, its only natural that log-building courses should be held in Grnsfors, home of the axe. Building with timber has a history stretching back thousands of years in Scandinavia, and these traditions are being passed on here. Participants can enjoy the pleasure and satisfaction of working together with skilled carpenters to build a complete cabin from logs. You not only have the opportunity to test various axes and traditional tools for log building, but also receive training in the use of modern equipment for sawing and milling logs for timber houses. These courses have allowed many participants to realize their dream of constructing their own small house. The supervisor for the log-building courses is joiner and carpenter Olaf Jung.

+46 (0)702835 828, axes@gransfors.com, www.gransfors.com

Grnsfors Axe Museum

n e x t d o o r to the forge is Swedens only axe museum, where you will find axes literally from floor to ceiling, over 2000 of them. The history of this implement, from Stone Age flint axes onward, is detailed here. Battle axes, peat axes, belt hatchets, mortise axes, adzes and blazing hatchets, everything you can imagine. The collections include numerous interesting documents and advertising devices for axes from various eras. Naturally, you will also find Grnsfors axes here, including axes forged in the village prior to the establishment of the mill. The oldest axe in the museum is 3500 years old and was found right here in Grnsfors. You can purchase the practical little Axe Book (Yxboken) to learn all about axes and how to use them. The Axe Museum is very much a living museum, where prospective visitors can have a go at splitting wood, hewing, axe throwing, hacking and chopping with various axes. Open daily and free of charge.

+46 (0)652140 70, yxboken@gransfors.com

Spiksmedjan
a n o l d f o r g e beside rushing falls that has been converted into assembly rooms, where we often hold spontaneous parties: on the terrace by the river when the weather is bright and fine, or inside by the fire when the weather is not so accommodating. Course participants enjoy sitting here comparing notes or telling tall stories from near and far. Weddings, birthday celebrations, girly parties, company parties, axethrowing competition celebrations have all been organized here. We are always happy to find an excuse for a party here in Grnsfors, so if you have any ideas, please get in touch.

+46 (0)652710 90, axes@gransfors.com, www.gransfors.com

Grnsfors Bed & Board

i n an old r e d hou s e close by Grnsforsn is Caf Grnsfors. Throughout the summer you will find it has more to offer than many visitors would perhaps expect of a tiny, remote place like Grnsfors: Malin cooks and bakes, serving wonderful lunches with freshlybaked bread to course participants. With a little advance planning, she is happy to organize a delicious spread for large groups, in Grnsfors or at a location of your choice. There are plenty of accommodation facilities in Grnsfors: four log cabins each with 2 to 4 beds and two more houses with a total of 2 double rooms and 3 single rooms. The Axe Museum also has a guest room for visiting smiths and carpenters. Self-catering is available for those who require it.

+46 (0)652710 90, axes@gransfors.com, www.gransfors.com

What to see & do around Grnsfors

t h e v i l l a g e o f h g e n is a peaceful spot just south of Bergsj, beautifully situated beside Kyrksjn (Church Lake) and Storsjn (Great Lake), and clearly illustrates the long history of iron in Nordanstig, as our municipality is named. You can see graves and building ruins and imagine life one thousand five hundred years ago. Access to the sea, the social life of the village and bog iron are essential building blocks in the history of iron. An information centre detailing the importance of the site during the Iron Age is under construction | +46 (0)652 108 34, janeric.lindh@hutb.se lak e s, bath i ng, for e sts an d mou ntai n s Upstream of Grnsforsn lies a fairly large lake, Grnnsjn, where you can borrow boats and go fishing. There are two excellent bathing spots with sandy beaches, Krusbaden and Jgarviken. Around the lake stretch endless forests with peaks at 200300 metres above sea level. In clear weather you can see from nearby Klvberget in eastern Bottenhavet to the bluey mountains in Hassela in the west. twenty kilometres to the east lies bottenhavet with wonderful, often wholly unspoiled, beaches. You will also find a string of beautiful small coastal communities: Srfjrden with sea bathing and golf course | +46 (0)652221 70, Mellanfjrden with Hotell and Restaurang Sjmrket | +46 (0)652161 15 and M/S Gran | +46 (0)652161 75 take to the water, and after just 1 1/2 hours you can

land on the island of Gran with its special flora and fauna. Running along the coast is Kuststigen (Coastal Path), a long-distance footpath from village to village, stretching a total of 60 kilometres. t h e a x e f o r g e is open weekdays during normal working hours. Visitors are welcome to come and watch the axes being forged, sharpened, tempered and fitted with handles. Guided tours are available (time permitting). at h a s s e l a , twenty kilometres west of Grnsfors, during the winter season you will find 12 prepared ski runs for downhill skiing, cross-country skiing trails, scooter safaris, dog sled tours and spa facilities | +46 (0)652406 90 www.hasselasport.se. In the summer, Hassela offers two golf courses | +46 (0)65274 70 80 www.hkogolf.com and | +46 (0)652511 11 to choose from. Several kilometres further away is Ersk-Matsgrden, where you can view a living farmstead in an 1800s setting throughout the summer, with animal husbandry and traditional dishes and refreshments available | +46 (0)652410 19.

PRACTICAL TIPS 10 km east of Grnsfors, halfway to Bottenhavet, by the E4, is Gnarp, where you will find food stores, bank and petrol stations, ATG agent, hardware store and flower shop. Buses also stop in Gnarp +46 (0)771910 109 www.x-trafik.se, as well as (more infrequently) trains +46 (0)77175 75 75. 10 km west of Grnsfors is Bergsj, the municipal centre of Nordanstig, where you can find food stores, chemist's +46 (0)652 107 17, banks and cash machines, petrol station, systembolag (state liquor shop), ATG agent, hardware store, electrical appliance shop, flower shop, Bergsj Hotell and Gstgiveri +46 (0)652710 15, library and local government offices +46 (0)65236 000. Bergsj also has a bus station +46 (0)771910 109 www.x-trafik.se.

HOW TO G ET TO G RNSFORS Grnsfors is located 350 km north of Stockholm, in northern Hlsingland close to Bottenhavet. It is 10 km from the E4, between Hudiksvall and Sundsvall, along road 758 between Gnarp and Bergsj. On the E4 by Statoil in Gnarp, Grnsfors is signposted as 10 km. When travelling east from Bergsj, Grnsfors Axe Museum is signposted at 10 km. If you are travelling from far away by public transport, the best option is to take the SJ train to Hudiksvall +46 (0)77175 75 75 and from there take the bus via Bergsj or Gnarp +46 (0)771910 109, www.x-trafik.se. An inexpensive option between Stockholm and Gnarp is the Y-bus +46 (0)77133 44 44, www.ybuss.se. From Grnsfors, it is 50 km to Sundsvall via Gnarp and 40 km to Hudiksvall via Bergsj. A useful tip is to visit www.helaresan.se and enter Bergsj as your destination. USEFUL INFORMATION Booking centre/tourist information office +46 (0)652161 75, info@bokningscentralen.com. Brochure NORDANSTIG can be ordered from the Booking centre. Map of Nordanstig municipality can be ordered from the Booking centre. Police +46 (0)652106 10, Taxi +46 (0)65268 000, Emergency services +46 (0)650380 11. Emergency medical service 112 or +46 (0)652301 70 or +46 (0)70392 40 30.

Sundsvall

Hassela E4

Grnsfors Bergsj Hgen

Gnarp

Norrfjrden Srfjrden Mellanfjrden

Gulf of Bothnia (Bottenhavet)

E4

Hudiksvall

BROCHURE CO-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION, AGRICULTURAL GUIDANCE AND GUARANTEE FUND

SE820 70 Bergsj. Phone +46 (0)652710 90. Fax +46 (0)652140 02. axes@gransfors.com. www.gransfors.com
Published by the Local Development Groups in Grnsfors/Hgen.

P&P KOMMUNIKATION