Holmsveden: Discover Lakes, Trails and Culture

Holmsveden combines an agricultural landscape around Härnebosjön with swimming areas, hiking trails, regional handicrafts and traces of history. This makes the area a suitable base for many different types of holiday days: by the water, in nature, on a bicycle or exploring the local culture. When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore consider whether your trip will be shaped primarily by time spent swimming, excursions, activities or peaceful experiences in the landscape.

Water activities around Holmsveden

Härnebosjön is located in the centre of Holmsveden. There is a boat ramp for easy launching, as well as plenty of parking spaces. At Holmsvedens badplats, there is a bathing jetty, diving tower, sandy beach, barbecue area, changing rooms, toilets and picnic tables. For Holmsveden, Härnebobadet, the water-quality classification from 2025 was “excellent” for the 2026 bathing season. Water quality and possible algal blooms are monitored through official inspections.

Another option is Långbobadet in the area around Holmsveden. It has a sandy beach, and small children can wade far out into the water over sandy ground. If you are travelling with children, this swimming area can be planned as a separate excursion, while the bathing jetty and diving tower at Holmsvedens badplats offer other water-based experiences. Public transport stops 100 metres from Holmsvedens badplats. X-trafik train services and bus 64a stop there.

Hiking, cycling and winter trails

The Holmsvedenbygden area offers opportunities for fishing, hiking and cycling. Anglers will find, among other fishing waters, Tönnångerssjön in the Tönnånger-Älgnäs fishing area. The ice freezes early on this lake, and Tönnångerssjön attracts visitors for cross-country skiing on the ice. Those who want to weigh up summer activities against winter experiences when planning their trip will find different options here, without having to limit their days to just one type of holiday.

The surrounding landscape also provides distinctive landmarks. At 357 metres above sea level, Storberget is the highest point in Söderhamn Municipality. Bears live in the forests of Ödmården. Near Holmsveden, at Sagberg, there is also a field of glacial boulders dating from the Ice Age, described as one of the largest in Norrland.

Helgonleden, handicrafts and local traditions

The Helgonleden pilgrimage route runs between Uppsala and Trondheim and passes through the Holmsvedenbygden area. Near Holmsveden, it passes the church ruin on Kyrkudden in Lake Bergviken. The Holmsvedenbygden area also includes a church ruin dating from 1321. In addition to activities by the water, these historical points of interest give a trip a cultural focus.

Kurbits och hantverksgården in Holmsveden sells hand-painted Kurbits art and folk-painted furniture. In summer, it also hosts changing guest exhibitions. Another facet of local tradition is Western Day, which is celebrated annually in Holmsveden on the last weekend of August. If you are looking for holiday accommodation for a specific travel period, you can take such seasonal and annual events into account in your planning without equating them with a year-round programme of events.

Getting there and choosing your base

Holmsveden has a railway station on the Northern Main Line. Trains run along this route between Gävle and Ljusdal. In addition, the Tidernas Väg route (LV 272, RV 83) passes through Söderhamn Municipality and the area known as “Socknen på Ödmorden”, including Holmsveden and Skog-Stråtjära. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first decide whether travelling by train, bus or car is the key factor in your trip planning. You can then combine water, nature and culture as the main focuses of your stay.

Discover more places

If you would like to look at other places in the same broader selection in addition to Holmsveden, here is a brief overview: Mo, Ljusne, Stråtjära, Norrala, Skog, Söderala, Marmaverken and Söderhamn.

For the broader travel overview: Söderhamn.