Ornskoldsvik Stadium

Ornskoldsvik (Swedish pronunciation: [oɳɧoldsˈviːk]) is a locality and the seat of Ornskoldsvik Municipality in Vasternorrland County, Sweden, with 32,953 inhabitants in 2017.

Its natural harbour and archipelago is in the Gulf of Bothnia and the northern boundaries of the High Coast area. It is well known as an exporter of pulp and paper products and heavy machinery goods. It has a strong environmental record and is the "testbed" for ethanol-powered cars.

History

Traces of human activity in the Ornskoldvik area date back to the Nordic Bronze Age and there is a reconstructed Roman Iron Age village called Gene fornby that is a popular tourist attraction just outside the town.

However, Ornskoldsvik itself is a relatively young city; it was founded as a koping (a Swedish market town) in 1842 and became a city in 1894. Its name originates with the surname of governor of Vasternorrland County from 1762–9, Per Abraham Ornskold, and means "Ornskold's Bay". The surname Ornskold literally means "Eagle Shield".

The town hosted the 1976 Winter Paralympics, the first Winter Paralympics.