Sweden Guide
Central and northern Sweden
Gällivare
GÄLLIVARE is far more pleasant than you'd imagine from its industrial surroundings. Strolling around its open centre is a great antidote to the small inland villages along the train route. There's a gritty ugliness to Gällivare that gives the place a certain charm: a steely grey mesh of modern streets that has all the hallmarks of a city, although on a scale that's far too modest for the title to be applied with any justification. It's also a good base for hiking in the nearby national parks.