Norrland

Introducing Norrland

Norrland, the northern half of Sweden, is remote enough that travellers here aren’t likely to see the tour-bus crowd – or, for that matter, much of anyone else. The population is sparse – reindeer outnumber cars on the roads, and much of the landscape consists of deep green forest. It’s a paradise for nature lovers who enjoy hiking, skiing and other outdoor activities. Some of the best long-distance hiking trails in Sweden are here, along with the most rugged of the country’s national parks. Accommodation tends to be budget-friendly, too, leaning more towards camping and hostels than proper hotels.

The area has what amounts to its own separate identity from the rest of Sweden. It’s associated with early pioneers’ struggles to produce the timber and iron ore necessary for building the railways that opened up the region.

The north is home to the Sami, and it’s here that you’ll find the Ájttemuseum in Jokkmokk, one of the best places to learn about their culture. Several villages have well-preserved open-air museums that demonstrate traditional Sami culture.

For quirk-seekers, Norrland offers some true gems: a rarely glimpsed monster lurking in a lake, a disappearing hotel made of ice, and a golf course that flits between Sweden and Finland, to name a few. Inlandsbanan, the historic railway line from Mora to Gällivare via Östersund, Storuman, Arvidsjaur and Jokkmokk, is a fun if not particularly fast way to see the north.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009