Holiday apartment in Västerbotten: Nature, culture and hiking trails

Västerbotten County stretches from the east coast on the Gulf of Bothnia to the Norwegian border in the west. The northern part between Sorsele and Skellefteå belongs to Swedish Lapland. The unspoilt natural landscape encompasses coasts, lakes, mountains, valleys and deep forests, offering great geographical diversity.

Nature

Vindelfjällen is Sweden’s largest nature reserve and one of Europe’s largest protected areas. The section of the Kungsleden between Ammarnäs and Hemavan runs through this protected area. Along this section there are five mountain huts operated by STF. In Ammarnäs and Hemavan, the Vindelfjällen Naturum visitor centres offer tips on hiking trails, guided tours, exhibitions, maps and souvenirs.

Hiking and winter trails

The Lapplandsleden is a 190-kilometre ski and hiking trail connecting Borgafjäll and Hemavan. A tent is required for multi-day hikes on the Lapplandsleden, as the huts are far apart. There are also four overnight huts there: Arevattnet, Åtnikstugan, Tjåkkelestugan and Slipsikstugan.

In Björnlandet National Park, a hilly forest landscape protects valuable old-growth forest; the oldest pine trees are over 500 years old. Several marked hiking trails and two overnight huts are part of the national park. The Isälvsleden leads through a different landscape: the trail runs for 60 kilometres between Vindeln and Åmsele through a distinctive environment with pointed sand ridges and crosses several nature reserves.

At Vindelforsarna, a marked trail takes about an hour to walk around the reserve, following both banks of the river and leading to several resting places. Vindelforsarna also includes a mill dating from 1888, summer art exhibitions called “Konst i Kvarn” and a café in the miller’s residence that is open during the summer. Vindelforsarna is located near the Vindeln travel centre, which can be reached by bus and train.

Coast and islands

At Bjuröklubb, you can hike across rock slabs and through sand dunes, stop at the lighthouse keeper’s house and reach the lighthouse via an easily accessible ramp. An eight-kilometre trail leads across Svarthällorna. Near Grundskatan, Storsandsbankarna are home to Västerbotten’s longest sand dunes.

Holmöarnas Nature Reserve can be reached by ferry and offers several hiking trails. On Holmön and Ängesön, the quiet gravel roads are suitable for cycling tours; in summer, bicycles can be rented in Byviken.

Culture

Atoklimpen is a Sami cultural landscape. It shows how the nomadic reindeer-herding society used the landscape from prehistoric times to the present day. A trail just under nine kilometres long leads around Atoklimpen and is marked with several information boards. The summit consists of the highly weather-resistant volcanic rock peridotite, which is transformed into serpentine rock, among other things. Because of the heavy metals in the serpentine rock and the nutrient-poor surroundings, only a few plant species can survive there.

Västerbottens museum is one of 24 Swedish county museums, operates throughout Västerbottens län and communicates the region’s cultural heritage through exhibitions, programmes and educational activities. The Gammlia open-air museum comprises around 30 buildings that were relocated there from various parts of Västerbotten. It documents what Västerbotten looked like in the past and how people lived at that time. In summer, Gammlia offers various activities, including Midsummer celebrations and dance evenings.

Art and winter

Västerbottens museum at Gammlia in Umeå can be reached by public transport, car, bicycle or on foot. Every year in February or March, Umeå hosts Sámi Week, also known as “Ubmejen Biejvieh”, with activities such as tastings and joik singing competitions.

The Umedalen Sculpture Park is open year-round and admission is free. Kittelfjäll offers several ski slopes for snowboarding and alpine skiing. In Skellefteå lies Bonnstan, a well-preserved collection of wooden houses that has remained largely unchanged since it was built in the first half of the 19th century.

Other places

Other places in Västerbotten: Dorotea, Storuman, Vindeln, Sorsele, Lycksele, Malå, Nordmaling, Bjurholm, Norsjö, Vilhelmina, Vännäs, Robertsfors, Åsele, Svansele.

For the overarching travel overview: Sweden.