Carl von Linné
The flower king Carl von Linné visited Älvkarleby in 1732 during his trip to Lapland. He had heard a lot about Älvkarlebyfallen and made a stop there to see how “the water falls to a height of 12 á 15 cubits down, so that it becomes white, roars as in rage, yes the drops throw a couple of cubits in the air so that of this continuously stands as a smoke ”. Linnaeus also visited the sawmill at the fall, and noted that the saw, which had to stand in such smoke all day, looked very pale.
Linnaeus also describes the marketplace in Älvkarleby, which he likens to a city with many merchant stalls. On his journey north, he crossed the river with the help of a ferryman near the market place.
In Västanå, just north of Älvkarleby, Linnaeus saw a flower, which he had never before observed in the Nordic countries, namely Pulsatilla vernalis, the moss.