Stenstan — "the Stone City" — is the rebuilt historic centre of Sundsvall, a grid of grand stone-and-brick buildings put up in the four years after the great fire of 1888. The architectural showpieces, mostly designed by a small group of Stockholm architects led by Johan Magnus Adolf Lithén, are arranged along Esplanaden, the broad east-west boulevard that was widened after the fire as a firebreak.
The whole area is best appreciated on a slow walk: start at Stora Torget with the city hall, work down Storgatan past the most decorative facades, end at Selangersån. The Sundsvalls Museum on Storgatan is the place to fill in the fire story properly. In summer the streets fill with cafés and live music.