Näsåker combines one of Sweden’s most distinctive rock-carving sites with the landscape along the Ångermanälven. Nämforsen, the Urkult festival and the trails in the Nipor offer different highlights: sometimes the Stone Age carvings take centre stage, sometimes the views over the valley or the cultural programme. This lets you shape your stay around your own interests without combining the different places and experiences into a single sightseeing itinerary.
Discover the Rock Carvings at Nämforsen
Nämforsen near Näsåker has by far the largest rock-carving site in Sweden, with around 2,600 carvings recorded. Visitors can see the carvings on Laxön and along the north bank. The exhibition at Nämforsen’s Rock Carving Museum explores the imagery of the Stone Age, the Nämforsen rock carvings and rock paintings in the surrounding area. It offers a thematic introduction that connects the individual carvings with the region’s broader visual heritage.
From 15 June to 15 August, the museum offers guided tours of the rock-carving site daily at 12:00 and 14:30; check the dates before your trip. The tour follows a 25-metre-long staircase and wooden walkways about one metre wide, with handrails. If you would rather explore the subject on your own, you can take a free self-guided mobile tour, either on site or from home using a mobile phone, tablet or computer. The mobile guide provides information about individual carvings, buildings and ancient archaeological sites. Näsåker Tourist Service is located in the museum at Nipvägen 7.
Urkult and Local Culture
Urkult is a festival in Näsåker that focuses on cultural encounters across borders. The first festival was held in 1995. Its opening ceremony includes Eldnatten, which takes place on the steep slope leading down to the dance floor in front of the main stage. The ceremony is a recurring part of the festival; individual programme details may vary. At Urkult’s Barnens marknad, children can take part in the festival market. The schyssta marknad offers organic, locally produced and ethically sourced goods where possible. The specific vendors and products may vary.
Different aspects of local culture can also be found outside the festival. Näsåker’s local heritage centre, Hembygdsgården, is on Prästnipan. It includes a reception building, a bakehouse, a barn, storage buildings and a school museum. Ådals-Liden Church is a wooden church from the early 19th century; its pulpit was made by a son of the region. These places offer a different focus from the rock carvings, highlighting historic architecture and local heritage.
The Valley, Town Centre and Trails
Näsåker sits above Nämforsen on the edge of a deeply cut valley. The steep Nipor slopes descend towards the Ångermanälven. You can hike in the Nipor and enjoy views of Nämforsen and the river valley. Per Hansviken is a swimming spot in the Ångermanälven, below the festival grounds and the Hembygdsgården. Näsåker swimming baths have a sauna and a swimming pool, offering another way to spend time by the water.
For orientation in town: the centre stretches for about 600 metres along Storgatan. The town’s buildings follow the old road from Sollefteå to Ramsele, now called Storgatan and extended by Pelle Molins väg. Näsåker’s civic office and library are at Storgatan 4.
A Trip to the Surrounding Area
Nävernäsan Nature Reserve is in the area around Näsåker. From the reserve’s car park, a boardwalk path crosses Nävernäsmyran to Mount Nävernäsan. There you’ll find a former fire lookout tower from 1939, a rest hut and a wind shelter with a barbecue area. This is a different kind of landscape experience from the views in the Nipor: the trail crosses a bog and leads up a mountain, bringing together different parts of the nature reserve. When planning your stay, you can choose between rock-carving history, local culture and landscapes rather than trying to fit everything into one day.
Discover more destinations: Edsele, Helgum, Junsele, Sollefteå, Ramsele, Långsele
Return to the main travel guide: Sollefteå.
