Gammelstad

If you just can’t get enough of those little red Swedish cottages with the white trim and lace curtains, head for the mother lode: the Unesco World Heritage–listed Gammelstad. This little settlement – row after zigzaggy row of cute little red-and-white cottages – was the medieval centre of northern Sweden. The stone church (from 1492), 424 wooden houses (where the pioneers stayed overnight on their weekend pilgrimages) and six church stables remain. Many of the buildings are still in use, but some are open to the public and the site is lovely to walk around. Guided tours (Skr30) leave from the Gammelstad tourist office every hour on the hour between 10am and 4pm from mid-June to mid-August. Bus 32 runs hourly from Luleå.