Luleå

Luleå is a small city on the coast of northern Sweden with 46,607 inhabitants and is the capital of Norrbotten County. It’s known for the UNESCO listed Gammelstad Church Town, a cluster of well-preserved wooden houses and the stone Nederluleå Church from the 1400s. In the city center, Norrbottens Museum showcases local history, art and culture. Offshore, in the Bay of Bothnia, are more than 1,000 islands with beaches, cottages and seals. Junkön Island has a museum and an 18th-century windmill.

Luleå has quite an interesting array of IT achievements and successes - it is quite the technological hub of Sweden and Northern Europe.

Top 5 things to do according to Visit Luleå

The Gammelstad Church Town World Heritage Site

The Gammelstad Church Town is an epic piece of living history, showing what life was like in the Luleå region 400 years ago. The small, red church cottages and the large medieval church at the heart of the old town constitute a unique environment that you simply have to visit. And don’t just take our word for it – in 1996, UNESCO decided to list Gammelstad Church Town as a World Heritage Site, because of its cultural and historical significance. If that is not a good enough argument to persuade you to visit, we don’t know what would be.

The Ice Track

A 17 kilometre ice track surrounds central Luleå, it is publicly accessible, free of charge. Here, you can go for a pleasant walk, go ice skating, or if you so wish, walk your dog. The ice track is the longest of its kind and it is internationally renowned for its high quality. In 2017, an ice skating event, part of the Dutch long distance skating cup KPN Grand Prix, one of the world’s largest ice skating cups, was carried out onto the ice track, to the delight of organisers and spectators alike.

Dogsledding in a magnificent natural environment

Because of Luleå’s location in Arctic Europe, we have learned to master winter. We have a number of ingenious ways of keeping warm, having fun and transporting ourselves swiftly across ice and snow. A clear favourite when it comes to transportation is dogsledding. Stunningly scenic environments, adrenaline and beautiful animals – what more could you possibly ask for?

Hovercraft tours in the wintery archipelago

Luleå’s beautiful archipelago is home to 1,312 islands and visiting it is an absolute must, in winter as well as in summer. During the summer, it is easier to reach the archipelago by boat – when the ice sets on the sea it becomes more difficult, but also more fun. We suggest that you contact Brändön Lodge, offering hovercraft tours across the frozen sea. Take a trip out to the pack ice and watch the awe-inspiring phenomenon that creates large icebergs.

Ice breakers

Ice breakers play a natural part in logistics for the cities by the Gulf of Bothnia. In winter, the sea freezes over and other ships are dependent on the icebreakers to be able to keep operating. However, you can also go on an icebreaker tour yourself. Just one hour from central Luleå you will find two different companies offering icebreaker tours and sea bathing, amongst other things. A unique experience, not found in many other places in the world.