Arvidsjaur – Sámi culture, nature and winter experiences

Arvidsjaur combines Sámi culture, distinctive trails, vast landscapes and winter activities. Anyone looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home can tailor their stay to their own interests: cultural discoveries, short walks, days in nature or snow sports can be combined into different travel plans.

Sámi culture and living traditions

One prominent cultural feature is Lappstaden. It is a Sámi church town and the only one of the older surviving church towns of Sámi origin that reflects a Sámi building tradition. Storstämningen is also part of the annual calendar: the festival is celebrated every year on the last Sunday in August with traditional festivities. If you would like to plan your trip around this date, it provides a clear cultural focus.

Gamla Prästgården was built in 1891 and has been a museum since the 1970s. Guided tours can be booked in advance for groups. The Hembygdsgården café at Gamla Prästgården is also part of the visit and often serves waffles. This allows you to combine a cultural outing with a cosy break without reducing the character of the place to a single attraction.

Trails for different day plans

Arvidsjaur offers several ways to explore the surrounding area at different levels of intensity. Prästtjärnsstigen is 2.5 km long and runs around Prästtjärnen. Kulturstigen starts at Bogårdsmuren and is 300 m long. Kyrkstigarna are short trails in the town of Arvidsjaur. Those who prefer a more extensive natural setting will find numerous hiking trails, fire pits and wind shelters in the Vittjåkk-Akkanålke nature reserve near Arvidsjaur. The area also has mountain peaks over 700 m high and expansive views.

Lillberget also offers a short hiking trail to a viewpoint with sweeping views over Arvidsjaur and its surroundings. These different routes make it easier to plan varied days: you can incorporate a short walk into your time in town or devote more time to the landscape.

Winter in Arvidsjaur

During the colder months, attention turns to Rymmarstadion and Prästberget. Rymmarstadion has a 4.5 km floodlit cross-country ski trail as well as a biathlon facility with illuminated targets. The site also gives children and adults the opportunity to improve their skiing technique in a playful way. Prästberget offers three downhill runs of varying difficulty, from red to black slopes. This means that when planning your trip, you can choose between cross-country skiing, biathlon and alpine skiing without having to devote every day to the same activity.

Railway, town and further excursions

Arvidsjaur’s railway area includes a station building with a waiting room, a storage and office building, a loading ramp and smaller storage buildings. On certain weekends, steam trains depart from Arvidsjaur station. The steam train journey runs from Arvidsjaur station to Slagnäs, where you can swim and grill sausages. Storgatan has numerous restaurants, cafés and shops. If you would also like to combine an independent excursion with a specific destination, you can go fishing at Nyborgstjärn: children up to the age of 16 can fish there free of charge.

When searching for a suitable holiday apartment, you can first decide whether culture and town life, nature trails or winter sports should be the main focus. For further travel planning, you can also use Abborrträsk, Glommersträsk, Moskosel and Akkavare as additional destinations for orientation.

For the overarching travel overview: Arvidsjaur.