Östhammar’s character is quieter than that of a grand port, but its story reaches well beyond its present waterfront. It began as a medieval trading place where fishers and farmers exchanged goods. As the shoreline rose and the old harbour silted up, the town shifted, briefly lending its name and privileges to a new settlement at Öregrund before returning to the bay. That changing relationship with the sea explains much of Östhammar’s identity: a small administrative centre, a historic fishing town and a place to enjoy the Roslagen coast at a slower pace.

Population and place

Statistics Sweden figures published by Östhammar Municipality record 4,821 residents in the built-up locality on 31 December 2023; the whole municipality had 22,172. The town is the administrative centre of northern Roslagen, on the coast north of Stockholm. Its compact core sits close to the water, with Sjötorget’s park, piers and play space, and the open waterfront at Krutudden. The central streets, local shops and public services are easy to combine on foot, while bus connections link the town to other settlements across the municipality.

A medieval town moved by the rising shore

The first Östhammar stood west of today’s centre beside a former sea inlet. A trading place grew there in the Middle Ages, serving fishers and farmers, and the town’s earliest known privileges were confirmed in 1368 by King Albert of Mecklenburg. North of it stood Östhammarshus, a bailiff’s castle destroyed in 1434 during the Engelbrekt uprising. Over the following century, post-glacial land uplift made the harbour increasingly shallow. In 1491 the townspeople asked to move to Medelör, where Öregrund was established and received the older town’s privileges.

The move did not last. After Danish forces burned Öregrund in 1521, residents returned and laid out a new Östhammar farther east, at Gullskäret; privileges were renewed in 1539. Fishing, crafts and regional trade supported the settlement. In 1719 Russian forces burned most of the town during attacks along Sweden’s east coast; the church was the sole building spared, while the town hall and 78 farms were lost. A further fire in 1795 damaged the southern part. These events help explain why the surviving streets carry layers rather than a single intact medieval plan.

From fishing port to spa town and service centre

Östhammar’s older street pattern is partly irregular, while later planning introduced straighter roads and rectangular blocks. The first formal town plan dates to 1878. Timber houses from the nineteenth century, turn-of-the-century verandah villas and the waterfront together preserve the feel of a small town shaped by fishing, trade and bathing culture. In the late nineteenth century, visitors came for the seaside resort atmosphere, and summer villas became part of the townscape. Rather than inventing an ancient foundation legend, the more revealing story is the documented relocation caused by land uplift and changing navigation.

Today Östhammar serves as the municipality’s centre for administration, shopping and public services. The wider municipality has a varied economic base: manufacturing and energy are important, with major employers in Gimo and at Forsmark, about 20 kilometres north of Östhammar by road 76. Those workplaces belong to the surrounding municipality, not the town centre itself. In Östhammar, local commerce, municipal services, healthcare, education, hospitality and visitor activity sustain everyday life. This distinction matters: the town is a service hub in a larger coastal and rural economy.

Walk the centre and meet the waterfront

Begin around Rådhustorget and follow the old streets toward Sjötorget. The town hall and the square form a civic focus; nearby wooden buildings and old commercial properties show the scale of the historic centre. Municipal cultural programming uses the Rådhus and Kulturhuset Storbrunn for exhibitions, concerts and events. At Sjötorget, a park, piers, outdoor gym and playground face the water. A short walk onward to Krutudden opens possibilities for bathing, kayaking and outdoor recreation. Check local notices for event dates and the availability of equipment or facilities.

Östhammar works well as a lived-in town rather than a museum set. Grocery shops, pharmacies, smaller stores, cafés and public services support residents; the harbour and open spaces give visitors room to pause. The former resort character can still be read in houses with verandahs and gardens, while today’s calendar of exhibitions and music keeps the centre active. A stroll is a better way to appreciate these layers than a rushed checklist of sights.

Nearby coast and day trips

Öregrund is the most direct nearby excursion, and its history is tied to Östhammar’s medieval relocation. Regional buses connect the two towns. Krutudden and the waterfront offer an easier short outing within Östhammar itself. Farther north, Forsmark lies along road 76 and combines an industrial presence with the historic mill environment at Forsmarks bruk; check visitor access and opening periods before making it part of a trip. The wider municipality also contains Gimo, Österbybruk and several smaller coastal communities, each with a different relationship to ironworking, agriculture or the archipelago.

Getting there

Östhammar’s bus station is the practical public-transport arrival point. UL lists express bus 775 to Uppsala, route 811 to Gimo and Uppsala and a separate 811 service to Öregrund; other buses connect with Tierp, Skärplinge, Hargshamn and Forsmark. The network makes a car-free visit possible, though onward connections and rural services vary. Check the current UL journey planner before setting out. By car, road 76 follows the coast and connects toward Forsmark and the wider northern Roslagen area.

Give the centre and waterfront a few unhurried hours, then use the bus network for Öregrund or another nearby community. Östhammar’s appeal comes from a specific history—the moving shoreline, the town’s relocation and its later resort years—combined with the everyday functions of a small regional centre. The sea is not just scenery here; it is the force that shifted the town and continues to shape how visitors and residents move through it.

Useful official links