Östersund & the Bothnian Coast - Sweden - page 608

Constructed in 1845, Skellefteå is dominated by the impressive Bonnstan (Brännavägen) , a
kyrkstad (church town) consisting of 392 dark log cabins that line several silent streets.
Originally built for the faithful coming from afar, they may not be legally altered in any
way due to their protected status. In spite of their not having electricity (or running water,
or any mod cons whatsoever), many of them are still used as summer houses by locals.
Bonnstan's centrepiece is the striking white neoclassical 19th-century Landskyrka
(Kyrkvägen; 10am-4pm ) ; on the right, behind the altar, is the 13th-century Virgin of
Skellefteå , carved out of walnut - the rarest of the church's medieval sculptures. Nearby,
the riverside Nordanå park is home to the thought-provoking modern-art exhibitions of
Museum Anna Nordlander ( http://man.skelleftea.org ; 10am-7pm Tue, to 4pm Thu-Sun) ,
such as the recent Herstory : installations and paintings by Moncia Sjöö.
Across the road from the church, Stiftsgården ( 0910-72 57 00; www.stiftsgarden.se ;
Brännvägen 25; hostel s/d from Skr290/480, hotel s/d from Skr950/1200; ) is home to a hotel
and Skellefteå's STF hostel. The thimble-size whitewashed rooms are simple yet comfort-
able, while the hotel rooms are all creams and light wood. The grand yellow building hides
an award-winning gourmet restaurant (mains Skr169 to Skr269). In the centre, at Nygatan
57 ( www.nygatan57.se ; Nygatan 57; lunch mains Skr99-110, dinner mains Skr175-295;
11am-1.30pm Mon-Fri, 5-10pm Mon-Sat) you may be treated to bouillabasse and homemade
burgers at lunchtime, while evenings bring savoury goat's-cheese pie and halibut with hot-
smoked pork.
The tourist office ( 0910-73 60 20; www.skelleftea.se ; Trädgårdsgatan 7; 10am-6pm Mon-
Fri, to 3pm Sat, noon-3pm Sun) is on the corner of the pedestrianised Nygatan and the central
square.
Buses 20 and 100 depart for Luleå (Skr158, 2½ hours, five to eight daily) and Umeå
(Skr177, two to 2½ hours, six daily).