Sundsvall is a city in lower Norrland, central Sweden, situated in the province of Medelpad and Västernorrland County. Sundsvall was chartered in 1621, has a port by the Gulf of Bothnia, and is located 395 km north of Stockholm. The city has burned down and been rebuilt four times. The first time, in 1721, it was set on fire by the Russian army during a war. The last fire, in 1888, was the largest in Sweden's history. It is presumed that the fire was caused by a flame from a steamship. After that fire, the city centre was rebuilt only with stone buildings. Sundsvall's centre is therefore nicknamed Stenstaden (the stone city).