Green holidays: a week in Swedish Lapland

If you like them trips in the middle of nature, if you miss that wonder you feel in front of spectacular landscapes, the adrenaline at the sight of an animal in the wild, the satisfaction of setting foot in a boundless place, where there is no one else, it’s time to organize a trip to the Swedish Lapland: the region in the northwest of the country full of forests, mountains, tundra, archipelagos, rivers and thousands of lakes. It is one of the most pristine areas of Sweden, one of the least inhabited (just 320,000 inhabitants per 115,000 km2) but it is also among the lesser known destinations because mass tourism has not yet arrived. Especially in the eastern part, theHeart of Lapland, on the border of Finland: it is marked by the Torne River, which divides the Swedish city Haparanda from the Finnish Tornio, which have the same town hall but two different time zones.

Few crowds and so much beauty, it is the place that offers all the freedom we need after months of pandemic indoors and then, now that it’s summer and the sun is up until midnight, Swedish Lapland shows its sweetest side and offers everyone the chance to experience their own journey.

Do you like the vactive holidays? Among the places around the Gulf of Bothnia (south of Haparanda) and its myriad islets you can choose, for example, whether to cycle through the forests or paddle at night with the sky full of light, go rafting or fish for whitefish. (from which the precious caviar is obtained) or the mighty Baltic salmon. And if you just want to relax, you can also simply lie down on the patio of a log cabin on the water to enjoy the view, perhaps after a sauna (a must for Lapps, they have one everywhere) or a walk in the middle of the greenery and silence.

The landscape becomes even wilder further north of the Arctic Circle, where we go to the discovery of villages where Swedes, Finns and Sami they have lived side by side for centuries. Now they welcome visitors in search of authenticity by showing their culture: you can cook with them, meet their huskies and their reindeer, be accompanied during silent night excursions to spot bears and beavers. With a bit of luck, when the days begin to get shorter in mid-August, you can experience in the northern part of Swedish Lapland. the magic of the Northern Lights.

In the gallery above you will find some ideas to start organizing a trip with all the best there is to try in the area with directions for excursions and addresses for sleeping. These are ideas for a trip that make a trip to Lapland unique, to be organized on your own, booking a flight – to Luleå or Kiruna – and then renting a car, or traveling by train, starting from Stockholm to Haparanda via Luleå and continuing by bus and ferry. Browse the gallery above

Some examples of organized trips to leave:

Le Vie del Nord proposes a fly & drive trip that starts on the coast in Haparanda to continue north along the Torne river and reach the hinterland. You can also visit the ICEHOTEL (from 1640 euros for 11 days, www.leviedelnord.com).

North West footprints has a program that includes the sighting of animals in the most pristine areas (from 1,470 euros for 8 days www.impronteviaggi.com)

Norama offers 5 days in the middle of nature with raft tours on the river, evening hiking and other activities with the last stop near Luleå, at the Treehotel, a famous hotel among the trees (8 days, from 1075 euros, www.norama.it)

Foto cover Michael Törnkvist, Explore the north