Gislaved

Gislaved is the largest town in the municipality and the one with the most city feel. It has the largest range of shops – both centrally and in a number of shopping districts – as well as restaurants and other services. Gislaved is home to a rich music live and excellent opportunities for diverse leisure activities. It’s also close to the woods and such things as the outdoor pursuits area at Holmen on the banks of the Nissan River, rambling tracks along the banks, and bird-rich wetlands in the southern part of the urban area.

Gislaved’s spirit of enterprise has a long tradition that has resulted in a great number of manufacturing companies. In addition to the employment offered by these companies, there are service companies, and the municipality is also a major employer.

Housing

The centre of Gislaved is dominated by rental apartments, with low-rise housing in the surrounding areas. The majority of the houses were built between the 60s and the 80s, and there are more modern areas and vacant building lots for people wishing to build their own homes. Many housing areas are surrounded by green space and have limited through traffic, which makes for a more pleasant living environment. There are housing cooperative apartments in several locations, many with their own patios.

Leisure

The central towns have the most to offer for sports buffs; there are sports halls, football fields, illuminated jogging trails, tennis courts, riding-schools, multi-arenas and gyms, to name a few examples. There are playgrounds for children of all ages at several places in the community.

The Glasshouse is a meeting place that houses a catering school, entertainment venues, bowling and Kulturplatån (the Cultural Plateau) with practice venues, a DJ room and recording studios. It also offers various courses in dance, theatre and photography.

Gislaved’s art gallery is located in the pedestrian precinct; it exhibits a wide range of paintings, sculptures, photography, mixed-media, arts and crafts and video art.

The library offers a range of activities in addition to book lending, including children’s films and theatre for the youngest members of the public. Film buffs can also visit the Folkan cinema, which shows films for all ages as well as live or recorded concerts and operas from the world’s major stages.

Schools

Gislaved has a number of preschools for children in the ages 1 to 5; there are several primary schools, a senior high school and an upper secondary. Gislaved’s upper secondary also has adult education and SFI (Swedish For Immigrants).

Communications

There are good connections both within the municipality and beyond. In addition to cycle tracks within the community there are asphalted cycle tracks to Anderstorp and Hestra.

Tourism

The Nissan River runs from north to south through the municipality and all the way through Gislaved. There are hiking trails along the river banks and facilities for canoeing.

There is magnificently rich bird life in the wetlands established around the water treatment plant. The dedicated ornithologist can see around 100 different species.

Gislaved’s industrial museum is unique and specializes in rubber, plastic and leather. The museum exhibits Gislaved’s industrial development and developments in agriculture from the 18th century on.