High Coast

UNESCO World Heritage Site
High Coast
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List

View over the High Coast from the top of Skuleberget
Type Natural
Criteria viii
Reference 898
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 2000 (24th Session)
Extensions 2006

The High Coast (Swedish: Höga kusten) is a part of the coast of Sweden on the Gulf of Bothnia, in the municipalities of Kramfors, Härnösand and Örnsköldsvik and notable as a type area for research on post-glacial rebound and eustacy, in which the land rises as the weight of the glaciers melts off of it. This phenomenon was first recognised and studied there; since the last ice age the land has risen 800 m, which accounts for the unusual landscape with tall cliff formations. The High Coast is part of the Swedish/Finnish High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago World Heritage Site (the High Coast was joined with the Finnish Kvarken areas in 2006).

UNESCO, when putting the area on the World Heritage List in 2000, remarked that "the High Coast site affords outstanding opportunities for the understanding of the important processes that formed the glaciated and land uplift areas of the Earth's surface".

The most popular places to visit in the High Coast of Sweden are Skule Mountain, Skuleskogen National Park and the islands Ulvön and Trysunda.

Hike in the High Coast

The High Coast of Sweden is excellent for hiking and is seen as one of the best hiking regions in Sweden. Both outdoor magazines (such as Utemagasinet and Outside) and daily newspapers (such as Svenska Dagbladet) rank the High Coast Trail as the top of Sweden's hiking trails. The Höga Kustenleden is a 128 kilometer long trail along the High Coast. For dayhikes Skule Mountain and Skule National park are perfect. If you are looking to hike with likeminded people the High Coast Hike (Höga Kusten Hike) is an annual event suitable for both experienced and new hikers.

Origin of the term

The term High Coast was coined in connection with a report on the area in 1974 [1] Before then the area was termed The Ångermanland Coast.[2][3]

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Höga Kustenutredningen. Huvudrapport Höga Kusten-kommittén. Härnösand: Kommittén, 1974 (Swedish) 329 s., 5 maps (Main report from the High Coast Committee. Härnösand 1974.
  2. ↑ Johan Nordlander 1853-1934 Gävlebornas fiskefärder till Ångermanlands kust 1924 (Trips to the Ångermanland coast by fishermen from Gävle)
  3. ↑ Lars Silén. Några ryggradslösa havsdjur från Ångermanlands kust (utanför Ulvön); Svensk faunistisk revy; 1955(17):4, s. 110-114Marine invertebrates from the Ångermanland coast (outside Ulvön). Included in the Swedish Revue of Fauna 1955 (17):4 pp 110-114
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Coordinates: 63°00′N 18°25′E / 63.000°N 18.417°E / 63.000; 18.417

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