[3][4] Historical documents first mention the 1224 land division act between the Order of the Sword Brothers and the Archbishop of Riga.

Vecgulbene (Old Gulbene) estate complex was built in the middle and second half of the 19th century not far off the church.

During the first period of Latvian independence, besides those employed by the railways, small business, trades and crafts were the most important economic activities in the town.

There is one major town in the Gulbene municipality, and the region is separated into 13 smaller rural parishes.

Gulbene has a cold and long winter, a warm and short summer, and a fleeting spring and autumn.

Julius Madernieks was the founder of Latvian professional applied art born in Vecgulbenes parish and being notable person in city Gulbene.

The Gulbene municipality's biggest rivers (Gauja, Tirza and Pededze) are currently popular locations for nature tourism and water-sports, but once these were famous places for harvesting river-pearls.