Explore Swedish Lapland
Swedish Lapland, the heartland of the indigenous Sámi people, is Europe’s last wilderness, characterized by seemingly endless forests of pine and spruce, thundering rivers that drain the snow-covered fells and peaceful lakeside villages high amongst the hills. The irresistible allure of this vast and sparsely populated region is the opportunity to experience raw nature at first hand. This unsullied corner of the country is a very long way away for many Swedes; in terms of distance, Gothenburg, for example, is closer to Venice than it is to Kiruna. The reputation of the local people for speaking their mind or, alternatively, not speaking at all, has confirmed the region’s image within Sweden: remote, austere yet still rather fascinating.
One constant reminder of how far north you’ve come is the omnipresent reindeer that are still fundamental to the livelihood of many families here, but the enduring Sámi culture, which once defined much of this land, is now under threat. Centuries of mistrust between the Sámi and the Swedish population have led to today’s often tense standoff; Sámi accusing Swede of stealing his land, Swede accusing Sámi of scrounging off the state. Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear accident led to a fundamental change in Sámi living patterns: the fallout affected grazing lands, and even today the lichen (the reindeer’s favourite food) in certain parts of the north is unfit for consumption, a fact which the Sámi, perhaps understandably, are keen to play down. The escalating problems posed by tourism – principally the erosion of grazing land under the pounding feet of hikers – have also made the Sámi’s traditional existence increasingly uncertain.
The best way to discover more about Sámi culture is to drive the 360km-long Wilderness Way (Vildmarksvägen) from Strömsund, a notable canoeing centre, over the barren Stekenjokk plateau to isolated Fatmomakke, a church town of dozens of traditional wooden kåtor (huts) beside the steely waters of Kultsjön lake. The road terminates at Vilhelmina, another tiny church town which makes an interesting diversion on the way north. Storuman and neighbouring Sorsele have handy train and bus connections that are useful access points for a small handful of charming mountain villages close to the Norwegian border, where hiking is the main draw. More accessible Arvidsjaur, reached by the Inlandsbanan offers a fascinating insight into indigenous culture at its lappstad, a diverting collection of religious dwellings and storehuts.
However, it’s Jokkmokk, just north of the Arctic Circle, that is the real centre of Sámi life – not least during its Winter Market when thousands of people brave the chill to buy and sell everything from reindeer hides to wellington boots. Moving further north, the iron-ore mining centres of Gällivare (where the Inlandsbanan ends) and Kiruna share a rugged charm, though it’s undoubtedly the world-famous Icehotel in nearby Jukkasjärvi that is the real winter draw. Beyond, the rugged national parks offer a chance to hike and commune with nature like nowhere else: the Kungsleden trail runs for 500km from the tiny village of Abisko – oddly, yet reassuringly for hikers, the driest place in all of Sweden – to Hemavan, northwest of Storuman, through some of the most gorgeous stretches anywhere in the Swedish mountains.
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Silvermuséet
Silvermuséet
Arjeplog town itself is a tiny, unassuming sort of place, barely one main street leading to what passes as a main square, but is really only a car park between the tourist office and the Silvermuséet, the only sight in town. Housed in a yellow wooden building opposite the tourist office, it’s home to fascinating collections of over 700 pieces of Sámi silver, including several ornate silver collars that were handed down from mother to daughter; if a mother had several daughters she would divide her chain amongst them. Whilst in the museum, make sure to visit the Scinema in the basement, where you can see a slide show about the surrounding countryside and nature and how people in this remote part of Sweden learnt to adapt to the harsh climate. -
Galtispuoda mountain
Galtispuoda mountain
If you’re in Arjeplog with your own transport, it’s worth making every effort to see the jaw-dropping panoramic vistas from the top of Galtispuoda mountain (808m), which lies 15km north of the village. On a clear day from the peak, you can see over 130km in all directions across the surrounding marshland and forest with views extending even into Norway. From this amazing vantage point, you start to realize just how sparsely populated this remote part of Sweden is: if Stockholm, for example, had the same population density as Arjeplog it would have just fifty inhabitants.
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Lapland, Lappland or Sápmi
Lapland, Lappland or Sápmi
Whilst Lapland’s strong cultural identity is evident in every town and village across the north, it’s a much trickier task to try to pin down the region geographically. The word Lapland means different things to different people. Mention it to a Swede (the Swedish spelling is Lappland) and they’ll immediately think of the northern Swedish province of the same name which begins just south of Dorotea, runs up to the Norwegian and Finnish borders in the north, and stretches east towards (but doesn’t include) the Bothnian coast. For the original inhabitants of the north, the Sámi, the area they call Sápmi (the indigenous name for Lapland) extends from Norway through Sweden and Finland to the Russian Kola peninsula, an area where they’ve traditionally lived a semi-nomadic life, following their reindeer from valley bottom to fell top. Most foreigners have a hazy idea of where Lapland is; for the sake of this guide, we’ve assumed Swedish Lapland (the English spelling) to be located within the borders of the administrative province of Lappland but have included all of Route 342 – The Wilderness Way, or Vildmarksvägen – beginning in Strömsund, which crosses into Lappland, as well as the Torne Valley, which also lies partly within the province.
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Brides of the arctic circle
Brides of the arctic circle
The predominance of heavy labouring jobs in the north of Sweden has produced a gender imbalance here – around three men to every woman (a fact which also explains the ridiculously macho behaviour that seems to prevail in these parts). So, to celebrate the village’s four-hundredth anniversary in 1987, the local council placed advertisements in the national papers inviting women from the south of the country up to Lapland to take part in the birthday festivities. Journalists outside Sweden soon heard of the ads, and articles about the unusual invitation began to appear in newspapers across Europe. Before long, busloads of women from all over the continent were heading for the village. The anniversary festivities proved to be a drunken, debauched bash that tiny Pajala wouldn’t forget in a long time, but they did help to redress the gender problem: dozens of East European women lost their hearts to gruff Swedish lumberjacks, and began new lives north of the Arctic Circle. Naturally a succession of winters spent in darkness and in temperatures of -25°C takes its toll and some women have already left; to date, though, about thirty have stayed the course.
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Laestadius and the demon drink
Laestadius and the demon drink
No other man has made a greater impression on northern Scandinavia than Lars Levi Laestadius (1800–61), the Swedish revivalist preacher who dedicated his life to saving people in three countries from the perils of alcoholism. Born in Jäkkvik in 1800 and educated in Kvikkjokk, the young Laestadius soon developed a close relationship with the indigenous Sámi, many of whom had turned to drink to escape the harsh reality of their daily lives. It was while the priest was working in Karesuando (1826–49) that he met Mary of Åsele, the Sámi woman who inspired him to steer people towards a life of total purity. Following Laestadius’s death in Pajala in 1861, the movement continued under the leadership of Juhani Raattamaa before splitting into two opposing branches: a conservative western group in Sweden and Norway, and a more liberal eastern one in Finland. Today tens of thousands of teetotal Swedes, Finns, Norwegians and Sámi across the Arctic area of Scandinavia still follow Laestadius’s teachings; as well as not drinking, they’re not allowed to have flowers or curtains in their homes, nor are they permitted to wear a tie, listen to the radio or watch TV.
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Treriksröset
Treriksröset
Heading north for Treriksröset – the three-nation marker post where Sweden, Norway and Finland meet – walk over the bridge to Kaaresuvanto in Finland, from where a daily bus leaves at 2.35pm (Finland is an hour ahead of Sweden) for Kilpisjärvi (journey time 1hr 40min). From June to mid-September a second daily bus leaves at 4.25pm for Tromsø in Norway, travelling via Kilpisjärvi. From Kilpisjärvi, there are two ways to get to Treriksröset. One of these is a hike of 11km down a track which passes through an area of dwarf woodland before running around a small lake to reach Sweden’s northernmost point; don’t forget your camera and mosquito repellent. The path then continues (14km) towards the northernmost peak in Sweden, Pältsan (1445m); the going here is rocky in parts.
The STF cabins (no advance booking; mid-March to April & mid-July to mid-Sept; dorm beds 370kr) at the foot of the mountain, boast thirty beds and a sauna. There’s an easy hike (40km) from the cabins back to Keinovuopio, then cross the river to the village of Peera, on the main E8 road in Finland, where you can catch the bus back to Karesuando (daily; approximately 1.45pm, also June to mid-Sept daily at 11.25am; check Finnish bus times at w matkahuolto.fi).
Alternatively, you can reach Treriksröset from Kilpisjärvi by getting a boat ride across the lake on M/S Malla, which shortens the hike to just 3km. The boat requires at least four passengers to sail (late June to early Aug 10am, 2pm & 6pm Finnish time; 45min; €25 return).
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Getting to the North Cape
Getting to the North Cape
From Karesuando it’s a drive of 510km to the North Cape in Norway, routing via Enontekiö in Finland and then Kautokeino and Alta in Norway; it will take at least six hours with your own car. By public transport, the easiest option is to walk across to Karesuvanto in Finland and pick up the bus for Tromsø which operates from June to mid-September. Change buses in Skibotn on Norway’s E6 highway and then head east towards Alta for connections to the North Cape. Finnish bus timetables are at w eskelisen-lapinlinjat.com, Norwegian ones at w boreal.no.
