Why is Swedish Lapland Special
08/10/22 14:46 Filed in: Helpful information
Nature Luleå
The northern region of Sweden has a very small human population with vast tracks of forest and mountain areas. With are wild rivers, Europes largest rapids, amazing scenery and much more. The oldest and largest national parks in Sweden are to be found in the northern county which is also known internationally as Swedish Lapland. Eight of Sweden's twenty-six national parks are here. With the exception of Muddus and the Haparanda archipelago, the national parks in the province are in the mountain region. Together they cover over 6000 km², which means that the national parks count for 95% of the area dedicated to national parks in Sweden.
Artic Circle
66°33'39" north is the circle of latitude which is the southern point of the polar day. 24 hour sunlight days in summer (known as the midnight sun). Winter brings long hours of twilight and the chance to see the northern lights. When Galileo Galilei gave the northern lights their Latin name he named it after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god Borea, the unruly North Wind. A wonderful name.
The northern lights, or rather: the polar light, is a phenomenon experienced near the earths magnetic poles. Particles, mostly electrons, move inside the Earth’s magnetosphere and then crash into its atmosphere. Different colours signify particles colliding with other components of the atmosphere at different distances from the Earth’s surface.
Sami Culture
The Sami people are one of the indigenous people of northern Europe, inhabiting what swedes once called Lapland, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.
What is Sápmi?
Sápmi is the Sámi name for the region where the Sámi people have their land.
Sápmi spans across four countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula, on the Russian side. In Sweden, Sápmi covers the northern half of the country.
Sápmi is a nation without national borders, but within the area there is a common language, history and culture. The reindeer is intertwined with people and nature, and the roots of Sámi culture go back very far in time.
The word Sápmi is taken from the Sámi language, with the same origin as the word Sámi itself. You could say that Sápmi means Sámi land as well as Sámi people.
The question ’What is Sápmi?’ is multi-dimensional. Due to the general lack of knowledge about it, there are many things that need explaining to place it in a context that can be easily understood. It’s almost impossible to answer the question ’What is Sápmi?’ in just a few sentences.
Sápmi is the land and the people, the nature and the reindeer, the animals and the light. The midnight sun and the northern lights. The heat from the fire on a sparkling winter’s day and the coolness of a moun- tain stream after a long day’s hike. Sápmi is the food and the produce. But also human rights and Sámi names. Duodji (handicraft), fishing, and Sámi tourism. The flag and the Sámi colours. The wanderlust and respect for all we see around us. Young and old. And everything in between.
Unique Experiences
On many peoples list of wonderful things should be: A night at the Ice Hotel or Treehotel, Dog Sledding across a frozen tundra, Fly fishing for salmon a days hike from anywhere. All these and many others are waiting for you in Swedish Lapland.
Wildlife
A wide range of exotic wildlife including reindeer, moose, bear, wolf, wolverine and lynx on land. Salmon, Pike, Trout in the waters and many species of arctic bird.
Snow and Ice
Winters in Swedish Lapland are long, dry and cold and this makes for some excellent conditions for activities such as snow mobiles and cross country skiing, dog sledding and ice fishing. You might even try driving a car across a frozen river or lake.
Summer
A beautiful time in Swedish Lapland with long warm days where the range of activities are almost endless. Hiking, picking berries, swimming, fishing, boating, camping, hunting are but to name a few.
Every mans right "Allemansrätt"
The Swedish right to roam, or everyman's right is public's right to access certain public or privately owned land for recreation. The Swedish right to roam comes with an equal emphasis being placed upon the responsibility to look after the countryside; the maxim is "Do not disturb, do not destroy". Allemansrätt gives a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land - with the exception of private gardens, the immediate vicinity of a dwelling house and land under cultivation, and with restrictions for nature reserves and other protected areas. It also gives the right to pick wildflowers, mushrooms and berries provided one knows they are not legally protected. You will however often need a local licence for fishing.
The northern region of Sweden has a very small human population with vast tracks of forest and mountain areas. With are wild rivers, Europes largest rapids, amazing scenery and much more. The oldest and largest national parks in Sweden are to be found in the northern county which is also known internationally as Swedish Lapland. Eight of Sweden's twenty-six national parks are here. With the exception of Muddus and the Haparanda archipelago, the national parks in the province are in the mountain region. Together they cover over 6000 km², which means that the national parks count for 95% of the area dedicated to national parks in Sweden.
Artic Circle
66°33'39" north is the circle of latitude which is the southern point of the polar day. 24 hour sunlight days in summer (known as the midnight sun). Winter brings long hours of twilight and the chance to see the northern lights. When Galileo Galilei gave the northern lights their Latin name he named it after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god Borea, the unruly North Wind. A wonderful name.
The northern lights, or rather: the polar light, is a phenomenon experienced near the earths magnetic poles. Particles, mostly electrons, move inside the Earth’s magnetosphere and then crash into its atmosphere. Different colours signify particles colliding with other components of the atmosphere at different distances from the Earth’s surface.
Sami Culture
The Sami people are one of the indigenous people of northern Europe, inhabiting what swedes once called Lapland, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.
What is Sápmi?
Sápmi is the Sámi name for the region where the Sámi people have their land.
Sápmi spans across four countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula, on the Russian side. In Sweden, Sápmi covers the northern half of the country.
Sápmi is a nation without national borders, but within the area there is a common language, history and culture. The reindeer is intertwined with people and nature, and the roots of Sámi culture go back very far in time.
The word Sápmi is taken from the Sámi language, with the same origin as the word Sámi itself. You could say that Sápmi means Sámi land as well as Sámi people.
The question ’What is Sápmi?’ is multi-dimensional. Due to the general lack of knowledge about it, there are many things that need explaining to place it in a context that can be easily understood. It’s almost impossible to answer the question ’What is Sápmi?’ in just a few sentences.
Sápmi is the land and the people, the nature and the reindeer, the animals and the light. The midnight sun and the northern lights. The heat from the fire on a sparkling winter’s day and the coolness of a moun- tain stream after a long day’s hike. Sápmi is the food and the produce. But also human rights and Sámi names. Duodji (handicraft), fishing, and Sámi tourism. The flag and the Sámi colours. The wanderlust and respect for all we see around us. Young and old. And everything in between.
Unique Experiences
On many peoples list of wonderful things should be: A night at the Ice Hotel or Treehotel, Dog Sledding across a frozen tundra, Fly fishing for salmon a days hike from anywhere. All these and many others are waiting for you in Swedish Lapland.
Wildlife
A wide range of exotic wildlife including reindeer, moose, bear, wolf, wolverine and lynx on land. Salmon, Pike, Trout in the waters and many species of arctic bird.
Snow and Ice
Winters in Swedish Lapland are long, dry and cold and this makes for some excellent conditions for activities such as snow mobiles and cross country skiing, dog sledding and ice fishing. You might even try driving a car across a frozen river or lake.
Summer
A beautiful time in Swedish Lapland with long warm days where the range of activities are almost endless. Hiking, picking berries, swimming, fishing, boating, camping, hunting are but to name a few.
Every mans right "Allemansrätt"
The Swedish right to roam, or everyman's right is public's right to access certain public or privately owned land for recreation. The Swedish right to roam comes with an equal emphasis being placed upon the responsibility to look after the countryside; the maxim is "Do not disturb, do not destroy". Allemansrätt gives a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land - with the exception of private gardens, the immediate vicinity of a dwelling house and land under cultivation, and with restrictions for nature reserves and other protected areas. It also gives the right to pick wildflowers, mushrooms and berries provided one knows they are not legally protected. You will however often need a local licence for fishing.