Welcome to our vast wilderness!
Many travellers who visit Northern Sweden for the first time are astonished to discover such a vast, majestic landscape, with such enormous expanses of pristine wilderness and breathtaking scenery, so close and easily accessible from the hustle and bustle of central Europe. The wilds of Northern Sweden and Scandinavia are frequently – and sadly – referred to as ”Europe´s last wilderness”.
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View towards Kårstjåkka, Kaitumfjällen in Lappland. |
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Photo: Claes Grundsten/Bildhuset |
It is certainly the largest and least tamed. Sweden is one of the biggest countries in Europe, and the Northern Sweden region covers over half of the country’s total land area, while containing less than a ninth of its population. Northern Sweden is where visitors from all around the world come to experience priceless natural luxuries such as solitude, endless open space, perfect silence, crystal clear air and water, the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights, complete darkness, polar cold and limitless amounts of splendid natural beauty.
From the magnificent Scandian mountain range along the Norwegian border in the west, the Northern Swedish landscape stretches through boundless forests and marshlands teeming with wild game such as elk, bear, wolf, lynx and wolverine, crossed by a large number of great rivers, several of which are untamed, with wild rapids full of salmon and trout. Along the long eastern coastline one finds numerous interesting towns, picturesque fishing villages and scenic archipelagos to explore.
For the active traveller and lover of the great outdoors, Northern Sweden offers a tremendous abundance of options, for all ages, abilities and preferences, from the most simple, peaceful, contemplative and serene settings, to friendly adventures for the whole family, to extreme challenges for the most advanced mountaineers and sportspeople. Hiking, downhill and cross country skiing, fishing, canoeing and river rafting, climbing, snowmobiling, cycling, dogsleigh and reindeer rides, icebreaker tours – the options are simply unlimited.
Northern Sweden also features a multitude of interesting sights and attractions, plus pleasant towns and villages for those who like to combine rewarding experiences of nature and culture, with the world famous Icehotel near Kiruna as one of many star attractions. Lapland in the far north is of course home to the Sami people, the native Scandinavians, with their unique culture, handicrafts and traditions.
Welcome to Northern Sweden – the land with plenty of space for body, mind and soul!
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Sami people - The native Scandinavians
The Sami people live in the far north of the Scandinavian peninsula. They are Europe´s only indigenous people, and one of the smallest in terms of population, numbering only around 75,000 - of which 20,000 live in Sweden.
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Arctic wilderness in its purest forms
There is a large number of national parks and nature reserves throughout Lapland and Northern Sweden, where travellers can experience various types of unique Arctic scenery, independently or in a wide range of organised tours and excursions, at any time of year.
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