404 wooden houses cluster around an early 15th-century stone church in Gammelstad. The church town is the best-preserved example of a northern Scandinavian church village. The houses grouped around the church illustrate this distinctive settlement form: a shared centre shapes the character of the place.
Church Town, World Heritage and Surveying
Gammelstad is in Luleå Municipality. Laponia, which belongs to Norrbotten and lies in the municipalities of Gällivare and Jokkmokk, offers a different focus. World Heritage-listed survey points on the Struve Geodetic Arc are also located in the county, in the municipalities of Haparanda, Kiruna, Pajala and Övertorneå. Norrbotten is thus home to different forms of cultural heritage: a church town, an extensive natural and cultural heritage area, and survey points on an international chain of measurements.
The Struve Geodetic Arc is a chain of triangulation survey points extending more than 2,820 kilometres through ten countries. The measurements were carried out between 1816 and 1855. These figures give the arc a different scale from Gammelstad’s compact townscape: this was a cross-border surveying project of the 19th century.
Laponia: Landscape and Sámi Culture
Laponia offers a view of a landscape of high mountains, old-growth forests, vast marshes, lakes and well-preserved river systems. Every summer, the Sámi drive their reindeer herds through this landscape towards the mountains. The herds’ seasonal movement is as much a part of its description as its natural features.
Naturum Laponia is the gateway to four national parks, two nature reserves and nine Sámi communities. Visitors can learn about the mountains, forests and marshes of the World Heritage area, its seasonal changes and the importance of reindeer in Sámi culture. The Laponia exhibition at the Ájtte Museum offers another perspective, providing insight into the area’s cultural and natural significance for all humanity.
Abisko: Mountain Flora and River Course
Abisko National Park combines birch forests, open heathland and meadows with rugged mountain terrain shaped by Arctic nature. Its plant life is also remarkable: the park has one of the richest floras in the Swedish mountains. Species that grow there include the Lapland rosebay, polar campion and several species of orchid.
The E10 and the railway line run through the national park. From Abisko Turist station, it is about an 800-metre walk to the Abisko naturum visitor centre. The Kungsleden passes through the park, following the Abiskojåkka River through Abisko Canyon. The Norrbotten County Administrative Board calls it the county’s best-known hiking trail; it runs from Abisko in the north to Hemavan in Västerbotten.
Rapids, Islands and Trails
At Storforsen, there are information boards, walking trails and picnic areas; a boardwalk leads to the rapids. Large parts of the area are accessible to people with reduced mobility. Muddus/Muttos National Park, meanwhile, features old-growth forests, marshland, deep ravines and the Muddus Waterfall. These landscape features give the two areas their distinct characters.
During the summer months, the Norrbotten County Administrative Board organises boat trips to Sandskär, the largest island in Haparanda Archipelago National Park. There are several long sandy beaches for swimming and a five-kilometre nature trail with an accompanying information leaflet. The trails on Dundret offer a different time frame: hiking trails in a mountain landscape are available year-round. There are also cross-country ski trails, a snowmobile route, wind shelters and rest huts.
A Regional Speciality
Food culture is also part of Norrbotten’s character. Surströmming is a Norrbotten speciality with a hundred-year tradition; it is deeply rooted in the regional food culture, particularly along the coast.
Discover more destinations: Piteå, Älvsbyn, Gällivare, Övertorneå, Kalix, Arvidsjaur, Överkalix, Arjeplog, Haparanda, Pajala, Jokkmokk, Kiruna, Boden, Roknäs, Luleå, Kurravaara, Narken.
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