The story of Sápmi is a colourful one, and an Arctic lifestyle without Sámi knowledge is inconceivable. Manifestly, as bearers of the cultural heritage, Sámi artists of today have a firm footing in the protection of the indigenous people’s land. But from a world in which even subtle details as bootlaces carry a history, we have a great deal to learn.
Håkan Stenlund
The seasonality of Arctic cuisine has created a unique food culture. In line with other parts of the green transition – where technological innovations are improving the future – sustainable cultivation methods are emerging in the north. From superberries and game to free-range cattle, during blizzards as well as warm summer nights.
Håkan Stenlund
It’s not long until Ragnar Martinsson from Öland has worked as a chef in Riksgränsen for ten years. This fact still surprises him.
Håkan Stenlund
Pablo Picasso is a true icon among the artists of the world. There were actually plans set in motion for him to leave an impression in Kiruna, but something happened along the way. Instead of the planned 33-metre-high Picasso sculpture in Kiruna all there is, is a copy of the sculpture’s model at Konsthall Tornedalen in Vietsaniemi.
Håkan Stenlund
Laponia is unique in so many ways. A place of universal worth both in terms of its culture and of its nature. Looking back at its history, this Sámi World Heritage holds a story for all eight seasons of the future.
Håkan Stenlund
Take the train! The call becomes all the more familiar. We choose train travel for many reasons; for the environment, of course, but also for the sake of the person within us. On the train we get the chance to sit for a while and do nothing more than admire the view falling away outside the window like a long row of beautiful new dominoes. As summer is here, it’s time for you to embark on your own journey in northern Sweden.
Håkan Stenlund
In addition to being Sweden's highest mountain, Giebmegáisi – or Kebnekaise as it came to be called in Swedish – is an interesting story about how mountains are named, and how easy mistakes are made. The mountain is also a clear sign of a changing Arctic, and for some it's a mountain to call home.
Håkan Stenlund
Tornedalen, the borderland between Sweden and Finland, is in many ways unique. The Torne River has never really been a border. Instead, it has tied the two countries together; never dividing, only uniting, to the benefit of sweethearts, smugglers, spies and sauna-bathing travellers. This summer take a road-trip through the promised land of the sauna.
Håkan Stenlund
It's all about turning. No jumps, no flips, no rails. Just the beautiful art of being able to turn on a snowboard. But apart from that Riksgränsen Banked Slalom is just a great May happening.
Håkan Stenlund
For those who are blind to the experiences close to home, it can be difficult to assign a value to a nearby place that has intrinsic beauty, quality and taste. We asked some of the world’s foremost creatives in food, design, art and architecture to explain their relationship with Sweden’s arctic destination, Swedish Lapland.
Håkan Stenlund
Rimon Lahdo was actually on his way to Norway when he was offered a job in Stora Sjöfallet and thought why not give it a try. Little did he know how quickly the world can change. Now he’s sat here, with paint in his hair, a cup of coffee in his hand – and his very own mountain lodge.
Håkan Stenlund
At Treehotel in Harads, genius architect Bjarke Ingels has created a hotel room for the future based on BIG's classic manifesto "Yes is more". The room 'Biosphere' takes both architecture and hotel rooms to a whole new level with its 350 bird houses.
Håkan Stenlund
The Bothnian Bay archipelago consists of 4,000 islands, or more. On some there are cabins for rent, and there are boat transfers available to many of them. The tour boat Laponia has served the islands outside Luleå for years. Sometimes island life doesn't get much simpler, or much better, than a red cabin on the outskirts of the archipelago.
Håkan Stenlund
A hotel skyscraper made of plywood that comes with a cultural centre, a spa and three cosy restaurants: one offering sake on the wine menu and another serving the perfect pölsa (a traditional northern Swedish dish often compared to haggis) for dinner. The Wood Hotel by Elite, in the middle of Skellefteå, leaves nothing to chance.
Håkan Stenlund
Two of Sweden's best museums for those interested in Sami history and Arctic cultural life are Ájtte in Jokkmokk and the Silver Museum in Arjeplog. Both these institutions have a similar history. But what stories would they tell us if they were able to?
Håkan Stenlund
Helicopter rides over mountain peaks, dog sledding across sparkling snow and fluttering tulle under the midnight sun. This is what the wildly varying working days of wedding photographer Rebecca Lundh look like.
Emma Graméus
The northernmost part of Sweden is home to northern Europe's indigenous people: the Sami. This means that Sweden's Arctic destination – Swedish Lapland – is part of Sápmi. This magnificent landscape holds an equally magnificent story. We went travelling by car through an exciting, beautiful world rich in culture: Sweden's northernmost part of Sápmi.
Håkan Stenlund
The Helamb family in Vuoggatjålme have served mountaineers and travellers for a hundred years. Even though there has been no road to Vuoggatjålme for most of that time, visitors from far and wide have made their way here. Mimmi Helamb was even given awards for that, as a secret agent.
Håkan Stenlund
In Swedish Lapland, people have skied since long before the pyramids of Egypt were built. The world’s first known pair of skis were excavated from a bog in Kalvträsk. Skiing is just as big a part of the arctic lifestyle as the northern lights, long johns and boiled coffee. This is the story of two planks and a passion.
Håkan Stenlund
In the village of Vitsaniemi, on the banks of the Torne River, you will find one of Swedish Lapland's most exciting hotel projects. They are also building an art gallery for the world here – a kind of Louisiana in the heart of the Torne Valley.
Håkan Stenlund
The Sámi word njálgge means tasty, as in a bit more of a party. In Jokkmokk, in the hands of food artist Eva Gunnare and reindeer herder Helena Länta, Njálgge is also a food adventure encompassing at least 20 dishes and eight seasons.
Håkan Stenlund
In the village Kalvträsk outside Skellefteå, wildlife photographer Conny Lundström has constructed a number of hides where photographers can experience a photo session with golden eagles up close. British photographer Dani Connor came here for that very reason: to capture golden eagles with her camera. But when she returned home, her memory cards were filled with pictures of squirrels.
Håkan Stenlund
Fried Arctic char and boiled potatoes, in all their simplicity. It has been a long time since I ate so well and such uncomplicated food. Yet, the delicious taste is also associated with a very simple truth: Hunger is the best spice.
Håkan Stenlund
The freedom to roam is an essential part of life in the Nordic countries. In the Arctic region, it is a large part of our culture and our well-being. To be able to access and live off the land is a privilege for campers and foragers, but it also comes with responsibility. This is the edible as well as the drinkable country.
Håkan Stenlund
Not only is the Bay of Bothnia Sweden’s sunniest summer getaway, it is also an exciting destination where the brackish sea water meets lively coastal towns.
Håkan Stenlund
Meet Frida Lind-Oja, marketing manager and co-owner of the family business Camp Ripan in Kiruna. She is probably slightly different from many other marketing managers and hotel owners, since she in her free time gladly participates in the worlds longest ski race.
Håkan Stenlund
Telling a great story has always been important. In fact, some claim that homo sapiens thrived as species due to their skills in gossiping. From jojk to Airijoki, from stories to songs, this place is known for a good vibe.
Maria Broberg
From saunas and ice baths, through forest therapy and locally grown menus, to award-winning SPA-hotels and blueberry-scented hand creams. You can take an exciting health journey through Swedish Lapland, keeping your feet firmly rooted on Arctic soil.
Håkan Stenlund
With lightly packed backpacks we head out for a hike to a cabin in the woods. To breath that fresh summer air, hang out with friends and create our own adventure spa by the lake.
Sanne Brännström
If you were to define skiing, it is ultimately about two planks and a passion. If you were to define skiers, however, they would probably be called the Palm family.
Håkan Stenlund
Some of the best and most scenic fly fishing in Sweden is found at Miekak fishing camp in the Arjeplog mountains. To some of its guests, it is something of a craving.
Håkan Stenlund
Sauna, or bastu in Swedish, is something as natural to people in the north as the midnight sun and the northern lights. It used to be something of a prerequisite for life in the Arctic, and now it is a rich part of the culture itself. Sauna is the essence of life up here.
Håkan Stenlund
The mountain bike is said to have been invented in California in the 1970s. But the truth is that as long as there have been bikes, we have biked the paths, even in the mountains. But with today's modern mountain bikes, mountain biking has become a bit easier.
Håkan Stenlund
To get to the atoll-like island Malören, fifteen nautical miles across the open sea from Kalix, it takes a boat trip of about an hour. Once you are there, the serenity that these nautical miles provide extends itself. The sea becomes a buffer zone of time and space. Because nothing can disturb you or reach you. You are at home, by the sea.
Håkan Stenlund
Simply put, painter and craft artist Leila Nutti is a jack of all trades. But what she does is perhaps more aptly described by the Sámi word árbediehtu.
Håkan Stenlund
She celebrates her 40th anniversary as an artist, Sámi narrator Britta Marakatt-Labba. This is also how long it has taken Swedes to discover her art. The breakthrough was international for this resistance artist who tells her story with the needle as a brush.
Håkan Stenlund
Kalix Löjrom, Kalix vendace roe, became Sweden's first food product to receive a protected designation of origin ten years ago. We tag along on a vendace roe safari to learn how this delicacy becomes one of the best dining experiences Swedish restaurants have to offer. We also get the opportunity to make our own roe. But first: a visit to the pub.
Håkan Stenlund
Our home, Swedish Lapland, has been formed by the Ice Age, the seasons and the reindeer. And we, too, have lived our lives in the shadow of the forces of nature.
Håkan Stenlund
In Junosuando, a village located on the Arctic Circle in Swedish Lapland, there's a statue of Leonhard Seppala. He's one of the world's most famous mushers. This is the story about Leonhard himself, his dog Togo, and what became known as the "Great Race of Mercy".
Håkan Stenlund
The Sámi culture is traditionally strong, and since the Sámi have lived and worked in northern Sweden for millennia, the culture is a big part of our Arctic lifestyle in Swedish Lapland.
Linnea Eriksson
Shimmery and magical. The dance of the northern lights is a spectacular sight that we frequently enjoy in Swedish Lapland. Viewing the Aurora Borealis is both a jaw-dropping and mystical experience. But when is the best time to see the northern lights in Swedish Lapland?
Emma Forsberg
Abisko National Park, in Swedish Lapland, offers some of the best conditions in the world for northern lights watching. The unique climate of the area keep the skies almost clear, and the light pollution is next to nothing. And here, you also find the Aurora Sky Station.
Håkan Stenlund
There is this one hotel room that looks like a bird's nest, and another resembles a UFO. Then there is the hotel where a ruin from an old train workshop runs straight through the kitchen, and the wine cellar is an old grease pit. There is also the hotel in the middle of town that cleans the air to the same extent an entire forest would. We travel between excellent accommodation options in Swedish Lapland.
Håkan Stenlund
Experiencing the northern lights is on many people's bucket list. Travellers from around the world head north to experience the celestial phenomenon, hoping to snap a picture of it. Been there, done that. But then some live with the northern lights as a lifestyle. Meet photographer Mia Stålnacke, the one who stops the northern lights.
Håkan Stenlund
You might think that in the Arctic, we have darkness or daylight. In the winter, the sun never rises above the horizon, and in the summer, the sun never sets. But in fact, we have light all year round. Just different kinds of light. Some darker, some brighter, and some very colourful.
Håkan Stenlund
When I turn my headlight off everything turns black. First I can't see anything, not even my hand in front of my face. Soon my eyes get used to the darkness and above me, a starry sky slowly lights up, so clear it makes me shiver. This is how our ancestors experienced the starry sky: sparkling and clear. I start to feel a breath-taking sense of humility and reverence.
David Björkén
As far away as you can get from industrial foods, you'll find Sámi food traditions. Nothing goes to waste. Everything has its own unique flavour. Meet Ingrid Pilto, a Sámi food creator.
Maria Broberg
Eating well is part of every journey. Well, it could be the whole reason for the trip. This is the food story.
Håkan Stenlund
A breath of fresh air never hurts. That has always been our roundabout way of trying to explain what it is that makes nature good for us human beings. But the results of more and more research in recent years have shown just how beneficial spending time in the great outdoors is for human health and wellbeing. Science confirms a piece of time-honoured folk wisdom. It’s time for a walk in the woods.
Håkan Stenlund
Autumn has only just claimed the land. Warm days in the sunshine, but cold at night when that same sun disappears behind the mountains. The landscape is coloured by the demands of the season. This is a story of a September hike around Šielmmáčohkka and upper Visttásvággi. A hike in a time of contrasts.
David Björkén
Markus and Rolf were given the mission to bless the world with dark-roast, coarsely ground coffee. Surely, you’ve heard the story about the northern lemmings bringing coffee beans home from Africa, floating home with the Gulf Stream to roast the beans with their body heat, in the Swedish mountains? No? Well, here it is.
Emma Ebermark
So you've gone to Swedish Lapland, Sweden's Arctic destination, to experience the magical northern lights. Here are seven tips on how to get some good pictures of the beautiful light phenomenon to take back home.
Håkan Stenlund
Many think autumn is the most beautiful time of year in Swedish Lapland. It's as if Earth itself grants a generous firework display of colour before the winter sleep settles over the Arctic landscape. And it's easy to capture the show with a camera on standby. These are five simple tips for capturing autumn in a photo.
Håkan Stenlund
When the sun never sets, and the kids are on summer holiday. When holidays are waiting around the corner and meadows explode with wood cranesbill. That's when long lines of cars queue up to get out of the cities. It's time to go find tranquillity with friends and family in summer houses and holidays homes, away from the hustle and bustle. It's time to celebrate the most important holiday of the summer. It's midsummer.
Emma Ebermark
Many towns, mountains, rivers in Swedish Lapland bear the names given to them by the Sámi people, usually describing their characteristics. When reading a map of Swedish Lapland, knowing the meaning of some Sámi words adds another, fascinating dimension to the landscape.
Göran Wallin
Getting just the right amount of physical activity will do you good. This is common knowledge. It's also said that nature is a healer for both body and soul. Maybe more so than ever in late summer when the colours begin to change, from sharply green to fiery red and orange. The air becomes wonderfully crisp and fresh, filling your lungs and your mind with energy.
Ted Logart
The midnight sun. The feeling of never having to face tomorrow, just keep having fun and enjoy the never-ending day, is absolutely wonderful. But. Those who depend on their beauty sleep will face certain challenges.
Maria Broberg
Johanna hasn't ridden a horse for 13 years, and Carl-Johan has never sat on a horse in his life. Follow them on a horseback tour through the Kiruna mountains.
Johanna Ögren
From the four national rivers to tiny water mirrors in the forest. From rafting boats to kayaks and canoes. It is impossible to miss all the water in Swedish Lapland. Big and small, flowing or still. Perfect for paddlers and the curious.
Håkan Stenlund
In Sámi it's called Geargevággi, which translates to Stone Valley in English. But in real life, it might as well be a fairytale.
Håkan Stenlund
What happens when a father and son decide to spend a couple of days in the Gulf of Bothnia archipelago? Well, first, you have to promise that there will be mobile phone coverage and then keep your fingers crossed that you’re right. Then you can safely assume there’ll be no trace of the kid during the entire trip.
Håkan Stenlund
Blueberries are one of the most common plants in Sweden, loved by both humans and animals. Not only are the sweet little berries tasty, but they are also very good for you: magic and science in symbiosis. Thanks to the midnight sun, the berries here in the Arctic part of Sweden are also a little sweeter, a little more aromatic and a little more vitamin-rich.
Linnea Eriksson
Places still exist where there's no point asking for the password for the wifi. Places where you leave your mobile behind to spend some quality time with others – or perhaps with yourself. The Sámi eco-lodge Geunja and the camp in Tjuonajokk are two of Swedish Lapland's finest places.
Håkan Stenlund
On a headland called Viedásnjárgga in Stora Sjöfallet National Park lies Naturum Laponia. It's a place that tells a story of mountains on the other side of the lake and how reindeer find their way here year after year. It tells part of the story why this place was awarded the title World Heritage.
Emma Forsberg
Scouting out the 'Big Five' on the African savannah is the big dream of many. They include leopard, lion, elephant, rhino and African buffalo and is a group of large, majestic and fairly dangerous animals. Here in the Arctic part of Sweden, we don't have animals the size of an elephant or with the speed of a leopard, but we have a fair few animals that are pretty cool in their own way. Below we have listed five animals that are both unique and fascinating, definitely worth putting on a list of must-see animals.
Sara Holm
Competitors from all around the world gather under the midnight sun to participate in the world's most northernmost triathlon with ironman distances; Laponia Triathlon 67N°.
Emma Forsberg
A tanked-up car, robust rod holders and a few intensely driven salmon fishers as the company is an excellent start if you're going to do some severe salmontrippin' in Swedish Lapland. This is the story of three high-pitched days in four wild salmon rivers.
Ted Logart
When you visit the islands of Swedish Lapland, you might stumble upon stones laid out in a formation. Maybe it's actually an old labyrinth that you’ve found? The phenomena are tens of thousands years old, and the pattern can be found in different places across Europe.
Göran Wallin
If a fish, or a catch, is to be a story, the fish has to be out of the ordinary, preferably bordering on dangerous. And if the story is to become a classic, the fish should be as big as a whale or the fisher should at least be a character like Captain Ahab.
Håkan Stenlund
If it's your first time visiting Swedish Lapland during the summer, you'll notice that it never gets dark. You have entered the world of the midnight sun, and if you're not used to it, it's an extraordinary experience. But beware, it might affect your sleep quality.
David Björkén
Imagine a pair of shoes that just gets better with age. With feeling and respect for material and craftsmanship, Kero creates durable and trendy products that just look better with use.
Emma Forsberg
Is it really true that anyone can walk around the forests and beaches of Swedish Lapland? Pick berries and pitch a tent anywhere? Yup, that's exactly what it's like in the democratic forest.
Maria Sirviö
That Swedes have their fika (coffee and a snack), and that they drink lots of coffee, are well-known facts. But what's the thing about having it outdoors? What's the deal with coffee boiled over an open fire?
Maria Sirviö
If biking in Swedish Lapland were a song, which song would it be? Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver's 1971 hit, would definitely be in the running. Dusty gravel roads, blue mountains and that constant feeling of being right at home.
Håkan Stenlund
Running is in human nature. Long before urbanisation, jogging and rubber-soled shoes made tarmac commonplace, we kept to the trails. These days, trail running is enjoying a renaissance. Running for the experience and running for those who prefer personal challenges to personal bests.
Ted Logart
Once upon a time, Haparanda was where the East met West, a hangout for spies, robbers and war profiteers. If the walls of Stadshotellet – the city hotel – could speak, we would be more than excited to listen to what went on in what once was the middle of the world.
Håkan Stenlund
As the renowned crew of fly-fishing filmmakers Hooké from Canada touched down at Luleå Airport, they didn’t really know what to expect of Swedish Lapland – but soon they got overwhelmed by the warm welcome of big Baltic salmons.
Stuart Davies
Perhaps summer and swimming aren't what first springs to mind when you think of Swedish Lapland. But, in fact, there are plenty of cool beaches and places to go for a swim – thanks to the inland ice.
Håkan Stenlund
There are five rivers in Skellefteå, three of which are classified as wild salmon rivers. Such a concentration of salmon waters cannot be found anywhere else in Sweden – and the crown jewel is Byske River, without a doubt. However, you need to earn your Byske salmon.
Ted Logart
A road trip is simply a way of discovering things you've never seen before. If you give yourself the chance, you might also come across flavours you've never experienced before.
Håkan Stenlund
Mathias Dahlgren won the world chef championship, Bocuse d'Or, already back in 1997, and today, he's one of Sweden’s most famous chefs. His previous restaurant Matsalen, at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm, was named one of the 25 best restaurants in the world. These days Mathias and his chefs also do catering. And sometimes they come to Swedish Lapland.
Håkan Stenlund
When you visit Swedish Lapland, you will notice that our food culture is closely intertwined with our lifestyle. There is a strong tradition that testifies to how we have lived from what nature has generously provided us with for many millennia. Join us on a guided tour of our natural resources, taking the shortest possible route to the plate.
Therese Sidevärn
Small-scale, hosting and proximity to nature. Curiosity, knowledge and learning. During her visit to Geunja the Sámi Eco Lodge in the mountain landscape surrounding Ammarnäs, Maria lived in complete harmony with nature. Something happened there, and an inner journey commenced.
Maria Broberg
The barren and vast mountain landscape in the far north, called Sandåslandet – the land of the sand ridges – is as popular amongst devoted fly fishers as suitable for adventurers on fat bikes. I pack my fat bike with enough equipment to last for a week. And I’m off.
David Björkén
The King's Trail runs through Sweden's most beautiful mountain scenery and provides more than 400 kilometres' worth of hiking adventure for the first-time hiker as well as the truly experienced mountain veteran. It is one of the world's most famous hiking trails, and the stage between Abisko and Nikkaluokta is the most-travelled trail in all of Sweden.
Håkan Stenlund
When in Swedish Lapland, exploring the nature of the Arctic, chasing the northern lights or just soaking up the sun 24/7, make sure you don’t miss out on the food. Some of the food we eat might sound a bit strange, but we highly recommend you try and get a taste of Swedish Lapland.
Håkan Stenlund
Photographer Mattias Fredriksson started as a cleaner at Hotel Riksgränsen. Then he picked up a camera. Today he's the most published skiing photographer in the world, still with a soft spot for the old mountain hotel in his heart.
Håkan Stenlund
Even with people there, the calmness of the place stands out. Geunja Sámi Eco Lodge stands there, carefully tucked in between the shores of a crystal clear lake and the foot of a high mountain.
Maria Broberg
On lake Uddjaur in Arjeplog, is where you'll find one of the coolest driving schools in the world: Lapland Ice Driving. How it came to be is a cold and actually quite a long story.
Håkan Stenlund
Dog sledding through vast expanses of white is in many ways synonymous with a winter adventure in Swedish Lapland. Håkan Stenlund took a tour in the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve. Following the footsteps of Jack London, in a way.
Håkan Stenlund
Just outside Luleå, you'll find the church village Gammelstad. This used to be where Luleå city centre was located right up to the 17th century, with red log cabins in a kind of organised chaos around one of Sweden's most beautiful churches. It's a unique place and something to preserve for future generations.
Håkan Stenlund
How to catch a Baltic salmon in Swedish Lapland? That’s the 100-dollar question for many salmon fly fishers. But there’s some good news. It’s getting easier. A lot easier. During the last years, salmon runs in the wild Swedish Baltic rivers have been heading in the right direction.
Ted Logart
In Sweden, we love our coffee, and so-called boiled coffee (coarse ground and brought to the boil in a pan) is in many ways the national drink of Swedish Lapland. Preferably served with all the trimmings: coffee cheese, coffee meat, dried reindeer meat and reindeer tongue.
Håkan Stenlund
The habitat and existence of the reindeer are under constant threat. Global warming is now a reality, just as the Ice Age was a reality, about ten thousand years ago. The reindeer adapted to the expansion and retreat of the ice cover. That is how evolution works; over millennia.
Håkan Stenlund
The Sámi call it Badjelánnda – the higher land. It's Sweden’s largest national park, right next to the Norwegian border and a part of World Heritage Laponia. A favourite location for those who want to be on their own for a bit. It's the beginning of autumn when Håkan Stenlund sets his sights on Consul Persson's cabin. A lonesome trek back.
Håkan Stenlund
Hiking can be an amazing experience, but it can also turn into a real challenge. Spending time in the mountains means you have to be able to rely on yourself, your knowledge and your choices. We've put together some good advice below to make sure you have an amazing – and safe – mountain experience.
Emma Forsberg
In 2008 photographer Chad Blakley moved to Abisko to work the summer season. He followed the love of his life: Linnea. They both quickly fell for the breath-taking landscape and the welcoming people in the village. So, Chad and Linnea decided to stay the winter as well. But it would be many more summers and winters in Abisko.
Håkan Stenlund
The ice age is always present along the coast of Swedish Lapland. From the constant land elevation to the barren, windswept frozen sea.
Ted Logart
National parks are areas featuring a certain type of landscape, protected to preserve their natural condition. It's about creating opportunities to experience nature. Swedish Lapland has the most, the oldest and the largest national parks in Sweden.
Håkan Stenlund
