About the village
Gubbhögen belongs to Strömsund municipality in Jämtland County. The village is beautifully situated by Lake Flåsjön about 50 km (30 minutes) north of the town Strömsund. The spectacular wilderness road goes through Gubbhögen and the surrounding landscape consists of forests and lakes, there is a rich wildlife with both bears, moose and lynx. Both villagers and visitors appreciate the proximity to nature with fishing, mushroom and berry picking, hunting and outdoor life. Here you can enjoy the wild nature and really feel the silence and tranquility.
Why is the village called Gubbhögen?
Gubbhögen literally translates to "old man pile". There are certainly a few old men living in Gubbhögen, but the village's name has a different history. The name is said to come from the time when Gubbhögen was just a mountain pasture at the end of the 18th century. There was a large stone on the mountain pasture. When coming by boat on Flåsjön, with a little imagination, the stone could resemble the profile of an old man.
For a period, the mail to the village was often confused with the newly built Stockholm suburb of Gubbängen. Perhaps the inhabitants also wanted to change the "old man" image. Anyhow, it was decided around 1948 that the village would change its name to Högbynäs. However, there was no cure for the problem of mail confusion, it went to Höganäs instead! Finally, the name was changed back to Gubbhögen again in 1985.
