This is an unutterably pretty place to visit, the charming lanes of wooden houses all painted in Falu Red were complemented by a great one room museum explaining the history and importance of the settlement.

From the first time I saw a picture of this is a site I always assumed I would visit. My armchair trips always pictured it as a cold, dark and snowy place; as such my visit on a balmy hot, bright sunny summer day had already skewed my conceptions. There are several Church towns around Sweden we managed to visit three of them almost by accident on our loop of northern Sweden, however Gammelstad was by far the largest and most impressive. The higgledy-piggledy clusters and rows of red cottages all wind up hill to the central church which was another delightful surprise. I was fully expecting the usual somber plain interior however it was rather impressive with the ornate altarpiece being the highlight.

We then headed to the tourist information office and upstairs to the little museum. In only one room this place did a great job of explaining the history and importance of the settlement, this is the sort of exhibition I wish introduced every world heritage site.

We bought some ice creams and walked some more quaint rows of wooden cottages and called in to a community car boot sale (we finally discovered what all those signs for "Loppis" in Sweden were about). Feeling suitably impressed headed off to nearby Luleå for a pleasant wind down at the lovely waterfront cafes.

It was really rewarding visit to a place I hand longed to see for several years. The glorious weather, quaint layout, friendly community and excellent explanation made it well worth the trip.

[Site 6: Experience 8]