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It's only two hours north by train from Stockholm to GAVLE , principal city of the county of Gastrikland and communications hub for the west and north. Gavle's charter was granted in 1446, but the town was almost completely redesigned after a fire in 1869. Its large squares, broad avenues and proud monumental buildings, centring on the roomy Stortorget , reflect its late-nineteenth-century success as an export centre for timber and metal. The place to head for is the one surviving part of the old town, Gamla Gefle , an area of wooden cottages and narrow cobbled streets on the other side of the river from Stortorget. Lansmuseet Gavleborg , on the riverfront at Sodra Strandgatan 20 (Tues-Sun noon-4pm, Wed till 9pm; 25kr, free for students and under-20s), has work by many Swedish artists from 1600 to the present including local naive painter Johan Erik Olson. The Joe Hill-Garden at Nedre Bergsgatan 28 (June-Aug daily 11am-3pm; other times by appointment; tel 026/61 34 25; free) is the birthplace museum of US labour organizer Joe Hill. Born Johan Emanuel Hagglund in 1879, he emigrated in 1902, rallying comrades to the International Workers of the World with his songs and speeches until he was framed for murder and executed in 1915. The most piquant items are Hill's last testament and the telegram announcing his execution. The train and bus station are at the east end of the city, only a few minutes from the centre or Gamle Gefle. The tourist office is opposite the train station at Drottninggatan 37 (June-Aug Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm, Sun 11am-4pm; www.gavle.se ), with maps and information about furnished apartments in central Gavle, from 345kr a night per person, though the weekly rate works out cheaper. Of the two hostels , the best placed by far is in the old town at Sodra Radmansgatan 1 (tel 026/62 17 45; GBP5-10/$8-16); if this is full, try the other at Bonavagen 118 in Engeltofta, 6km northeast of town (tel 026/961 60; GBP5-10/$8-16), or try for a summer price at the central hotels such as the Aveny , Sodra Kungsgatan 31 (tel 026/61 55 90; GBP30-35/$48-56). As a rule, places round Nygatan and Stortorget are good for basic daily lunch : for a change, Bali Garden , Nygatan 37, is Indonesian with meat dishes at under 90kr, while the Roma next door does takeaway pizzas from around 50kr.
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