Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arjeplog
Stretching northwest of Arvidsjaur out towards the Norwegian border, the
municipality of
Arjeplog
, roughly the size of Belgium, supports a population of just
three thousand - two-thirds of whom live in the eponymous lakeside town, 85km
from Arvidsjaur. It's one of the most beautiful parts of Sweden, with nearly nine
thousand lakes and vast expanses of mountains and virgin forests. The air is clear
and crisp, the rivers clean and deep and the winters mighty cold - in 1989 a
temperature of -52°C was recorded here. January and February, in particular, are
bitter, dark and silent months, but it's during winter that Arjeplog is at its busiest:
hundreds of test drivers from across the world descend on the town to put cars
through their paces in the freezing conditions, with brakes and road-holding being
given a thorough examination on the frozen lakes; the ABS braking system, for
example, was developed here. In summer, Arjeplog is a likeable little place away
from the main inland road and rail routes, where
hiking
,
canoeing
and
fishing
are
all popular activities, each offering the chance of blissful isolation, be it by the side
of a secluded mountain tarn or in a clearing deep in the pine forest. In late July you
can go
cloudberry picking
in the surrounding marshland, and in the autumn you
can hunt for lingonberries, blueberries and wild mushrooms.
9
Silvermuséet
Silver Museum • Mon-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 10am-2pm • 60kr •
W
silvermuseet.arjeplog.se
Arjeplog town
itself is a tiny, unassuming sort of place, barely one main street leading
to what passes as a main square, but is really only a car park between the tourist office
and the
Silvermuséet
, the only sight in town. Housed in a yellow wooden building
opposite the tourist office, it's home to fascinating collections of over 700 pieces of
Sámi
silver, including several ornate silver collars that were handed down from mother
to daughter; if a mother had several daughters she would divide her chain amongst
them. Whilst in the museum, make sure to visit the Scinema in the basement, where
you can see a
slide show
about the surrounding countryside and nature and how people
in this remote part of Sweden learnt to adapt to the harsh climate.
Galtispuoda mountain
15km north of Arjeplog; take Route 95 towards Arvidsjaur then turn left where Galtispuoda is signposted
If you're in Arjeplog with your own transport, it's worth making every effort to see
the jaw-dropping panoramic vistas from the top of
Galtispuoda mountain
(808m),
which lies 15km north of the village. On a clear day from the peak, you can see over
130km in all directions across the surrounding marshland and forest with views
extending even into Norway. From this amazing vantage point, you start to realize
just how sparsely populated this remote part of Sweden is: if Stockholm, for
example, had the same population density as Arjeplog it would have just fifty
inhabitants.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
ARJEPLOG
By bus
There are daily buses to Arjeplog from Arvidsjaur.
They arrive and depart from the bus station on
Storgatan.
Tourist o
ce
In the main square (mid-June to mid-Aug
Mon-Fri 8am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm;
mid-Aug to mid-June Mon-Fri 8am-5pm;
T
0961 145 20,
W
polcirkeln.nu). Can help with local hiking trails, fishing
and bike rental.
ACCOMMODATION
Bear in mind that in winter (Dec-May), accommodation hereabouts is often booked months in advance by the major car
manufacturers and on-demand prices apply.
