Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
LAPLAND, LAPPLAND OR SÁPMI
Whilst Lapland's strong cultural identity is evident in every town and village across the north,
it's a much trickier task to try to pin down the region geographically. The word
Lapland
means different things to different people. Mention it to a Swede (the Swedish spelling is
Lappland
) and they'll immediately think of the northern Swedish province of the same name
which begins just south of Dorotea, runs up to the Norwegian and Finnish borders in the
north, and stretches east towards (but doesn't include) the Bothnian coast. For the original
inhabitants of the north, the
Sámi
, the area they call
Sápmi
(the indigenous name for Lapland)
extends from Norway through Sweden and Finland to the Russian Kola peninsula, an area
where they've traditionally lived a semi-nomadic life, following their reindeer from valley
bottom to fell top. Most foreigners have a hazy idea of where Lapland is; for the sake of this
guide, we've assumed Swedish Lapland (the English spelling) to be located within the borders
of the administrative province of Lappland but have included all of Route 342 - The Wilderness
Way, or Vildmarksvägen - beginning in Strömsund (see below), which crosses into Lappland,
as well as the Torne Valley, which also lies partly within the province.
Strömsund and routes north
Around 7.15am every morning between June and August (exact times at
W
grandnordic.se), the Inlandsbanan sets out from Östersund (see p.303) on its
fifteen-hour journey to Gällivare, north of the Arctic Circle. Just outside Östersund,
the train crosses the Indalsälven River, one of Sweden's greatest natural sources of
power, the first sure sign that civilization is slowly being left behind and only the wilds
of nature lie ahead. Indeed, it's a good hour and a half before the train makes the first
stop of any significance: Ulriksfors, the wayside halt for the small waterside town of
Strömsund
, which is the starting point for Route 342, the
Wilderness Way
(
Vildmarksvägen
), a circular road looping out towards the Norwegian border. The route
passes through stunning scenery more than worthy of its name, rejoining the main
Inlandsvägen in Vilhelmina which, in turn, is directly linked to Strömsund via the
appealing little town of
Dorotea
.
Strömsund and around
Built on a narrow isthmus of land between Russfjärden lake and the extensive
Ströms
Vattudal
network of
waterways
that stretches to the northwest,
STRÖMSUND
is a shy and
retiring sort of place. It consists of no more than a couple of parallel streets sporting the
odd shop or two, and is of interest mainly as a centre for
canoeing
on the surrounding
rivers and lakes. The tourist office (see below) can rent out canoes (around 200kr/day)
and also provide information - walking routes, details of places to stay and maps - on
the road known as the
Wilderness Way
(see p.316), which starts here.
Stone age rock paintings
Strömsund's other claim to fame is its proximity to the impressive
Stone Age rock
paintings
(
hällmålningar
in Swedish) at
Fångsjön
, around 10km southeast along Route
345. The paintings, created by hunter-gatherers around 2500BC, were a plea to their
gods for plentiful game.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
STRÖMSUND
By public transport and taxi
Although there's no
actual train station in Strömsund, you can get off at nearby
Ulriksfors and walk the 4km into town or take a taxi
(pre-
booking essential on
T
020 45 00 45; 100kr). The
Inlandsexpressen bus #45 stops in the town itself.
Tourist o
ce
Storgatan 6 (late June to mid-Aug Mon-Fri
10am-6pm, Sat 10am-3pm; mid-Aug to late June Mon-
Fri 9am-noon & 1-4pm;
T
0670 164 00,
W
stromsund.se).
The office is in the centre of town, and rents bikes for
around 150kr/day.
