Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Swedish Lapland
Swedish Lapland, the heartland of the indigenous
Sámi
people, is Europe's
last wilderness, characterized by seemingly endless forests of pine and
spruce, thundering rivers that drain the snow-covered fells and peaceful
lakeside villages high amongst the hills. The irresistible allure of this vast and
sparsely populated region is the opportunity to experience raw nature at
first hand. This unsullied corner of the country is a very long way away for
many Swedes; in terms of distance, Gothenburg, for example, is closer to
Venice than it is to Kiruna. The reputation of the local people for speaking
their mind or, alternatively, not speaking at all, has confirmed the region's
image within Sweden: remote, austere yet still rather fascinating.
One constant reminder of how far north you've come is the omnipresent
reindeer
that
are still fundamental to the livelihood of many families here, but the enduring
Sámi
culture, which once defined much of this land, is now under threat. Centuries of
mistrust between the
Sámi
and the Swedish population have led to today's often tense
standoff;
Sámi
accusing Swede of stealing his land, Swede accusing
Sámi
of scrounging
off the state. Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear accident led to a fundamental change
in
Sámi
living patterns: the fallout affected grazing lands, and even today the lichen (the
reindeer's favourite food) in certain parts of the north is unfit for consumption, a fact
which the
Sámi,
perhaps understandably, are keen to play down. The escalating
problems posed by tourism - principally the erosion of grazing land under the pounding
feet of hikers - have also made the
Sámi'
s traditional existence increasingly uncertain.
The best way to discover more about
Sámi
culture is to drive the 360km-long
Wilderness Way
(Vildmarksvägen) from
Strömsund
, a notable canoeing centre, over the
barren Stekenjokk plateau to isolated
Fatmomakke
, a church town of dozens of
traditional wooden
kåtor
(huts) beside the steely waters of Kultsjön lake. The road
terminates at
Vilhelmina
, another tiny church town which makes an interesting
diversion on the way north.
Storuman
and neighbouring
Sorsele
have handy train and
bus connections that are useful access points for a small handful of charming mountain
villages close to the Norwegian border, where hiking is the main draw. More accessible
Arvidsjaur
, reached by the Inlandsbanan offers a fascinating insight into indigenous
culture at its
lappstad
, a diverting collection of religious dwellings and storehuts.
However, it's
Jokkmokk
, just north of the
Arctic Circle
, that is the real centre of
Sámi
life - not least during its Winter Market when thousands of people brave the chill to
buy and sell everything from reindeer hides to wellington boots. Moving further north,
Lapland, Lappland or Sápmi
p.315
Getting around Swedish Lapland
p.316
Travelling the Wilderness Way by bus
p.317
The Arctic Circle and the midnight sun
p.329
A brief look at the Sámi
p.330
The Laponia World Heritage Area
p.336
That sinking feeling
p.337
Sunrise and sunset in Stockholm and
Kiruna
p.339
Reaching the Kungsleden by public
transport
p.345
Brides of the Arctic Circle
p.348
Laestadius and the demon drink
p.349
Römpäviiko and the Pajala market
p.350
Treriksröset
p.351
Getting to the North Cape
p.351
