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The Bothnian Coast

The lovely Bothnian Coastline runs 850km from Gävle in the south to Haparanda, on the border with Finland, in the north. It's truly the long and winding road, with the E4 highway doing the distance, marked with attractive cities and towns at manageable driving distances, at places where rivers from the mountains to the west come down to meet the Gulf of Bothnia. There are lively student cities at Gävle, Umeå and Luleå, plus timber towns such as Sundsvall and Skellefteå and gorgeous islands and coastlines at Höga Kusten and Kustvägen. Your visit will be all the more enjoyable with time up your sleeve and your own wheels.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Bothnian Coast.

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    Gammelstad

    The Unesco World Heritage–listed Gammelstad, Sweden's largest church town, was the medieval centre of northern Sweden. The 1492-built stone Nederluleå church has a reredos worthy of a cathedral and a wonderfully opulent pulpit. It has 420 wooden houses (where the pioneers stayed during weekend pilgrimages) and six church stables remaining. Guided tours (80kr) leave from the Gammelstad tourist office at 11am, 1pm and 3pm (mid-June to mid-August). Bus 9 runs hourly from Luleå; disembark at the Kyrkbyn stop. Adjoining the church village is an open-air museum, Hägnan (open 11am to 5pm), a recreation of a 19th-century village, staffed by guides in period costume, which houses an ‘olde tyme’ country store.

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    Luleå Archipelago

    This extensive offshore archipelago contains over 1700 large and small islands, most of them uninhabited and therefore perfect for skinny-dipping, berry picking, and camping. The larger islands, decorated with classic red-and-white Swedish summer cottages, are accessible by boat from Luleå. Facilities are limited, so most visitors come as picnicking daytrippers.

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    Norrbottens Museum

    Besides the extensive displays on the history of Norrbotten, Norrbottens Museum is worth a visit for the Sami section alone, with its engrossing collection of photos, tools, and dioramas depicting traditional reindeer-herding Sami life, as well as a nomad tent for kids. The little ones will love the recreated 19th-century playrooms.

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    Teknikens Hus

    Curious minds of all ages will love the gigantic educational playground that is Teknikens Hus, within the university campus 4km north of town. The museum has hands-on exhibitions about everything from hot-air balloons and rocket launching to the aurora borealis. Take bus 4 or 5 to Universitetsentrén.