Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [246]
Getting There & Around
The small airport (680 00), 7km east of the town, has two to three daily direct flights to Stockholm with SAS, and to Umeå (weekdays only) with Skyways. The airport bus (156 90) operates during peak summer season.
Regional buses to and from the bus station (Hjalmar Lundbohmsvägen), opposite the Stadshus, serve all major settlements around Norrbotten. Bus 10 runs twice daily to Gällivare (Skr134) and Luleå (Skr293), and bus 92 goes two to four times daily to Nikkaluokta (Skr79) for the Kebnekaise trail head. To reach Karesuando and Finland, take bus 50 (Skr179, Sunday to Friday).
Trains between Kiruna and Narvik have earned a reputation as unreliable and often late, so you’ll want to plan around a flexible schedule. SJ connects Kiruna with Luleå (Skr269, four hours), Stockholm (Skr854, overnight) and Narvik (Norway; Skr207, three hours). Trains to Narvik call at Abisko (Skr91, 1½ hours) and Riksgränsen.
Contact Statoil (143 65; Växlaregatan 20) for car hire.
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ABISKO
0980
Spectacular scenery, friendly people, a long tradition of Sami culture and extremely easy access to all of these make Abisko (Abeskovvu) one of the highlights of any trip to Lappland. The 75-sq-km Abisko National Park spreads out from the southern shore of scenic lake Torneträsk. It’s framed by the striking profile of Lapporten, a ‘gate’ formed by neighbouring hills that serves as the legendary gate to Lappland.
Abisko is less rugged than either Sarek or Padjelanta, and easier to get to by train, bus and the scenic mountain motorway between Kiruna to Narvik. This is also the driest part of Sweden, giving the area a completely distinct landscape – it’s wide, open and arid, and consequently has a relatively long (for northern Sweden) hiking season.
Abisko has two train stops – Östra station puts you in the centre of the tiny, tiny village, while Abisko Turiststation is across the highway from the STF lodge.
The STF Turiststation/Abisko Mountain Lodge (402 00; www.abisko.nu; 8am-9pm 22 Dec–3 Jan, 15 Feb–4 May & 6 Jun–21 Sep) provides information on local hikes; guides (8-9am & 7-8pm) are available for consultation, and several thematic tours (8.30pm Thu & Sun, Skr150) and Sami camp tours (per person Skr290-640; 8.40am-5pm) leave from here. There’s a small shop with supplies, snacks and equipment rentals (8am-8pm Jun, 8am-10pm Jul & Aug), as well as a restaurant and hostel (Click here).
Naturum (401 77; 10am-6pm mid-Jun–Sep, until 9pm Wed & Fri) has an office and exhibition space next to STF Abisko Turiststation/Abisko Mountain Lodge; staff can suggest hikes and answer questions about where to hike and what to bring. Various guided tours are available (Skr50 to Skr75 per person), and a simple map offers suggestions based on the amount of time you might have (‘If you have two hours…’).
Sights & Activities
Hiking is the big activity here – trails are varied in both distance and terrain, and they’re easy to reach. Between the STF Turiststation and Naturum, you’ll find all the expertise and equipment you need for everything from a day hike to a month-long trek along the popular Kungsleden.
The Kungsleden trail Click here follows the Abiskojåkka valley, and day trips of 10km to 20km are no problem from Abisko. Kungs-leden extends 450km south from Abisko to Hemavan, with STF huts serving most of the trail; the hut at Alesjaure is 15km from the trailhead.
Other hikes include the overnight trip to the STF hut at Kårsavagge (west of Abisko, 15km each way); the four-hour return trip to rock formations at Kärkevagge, with Rissájávrre the ‘Sulphur Lake’; and a great four-hour return hike to Paddus, a former Sami sacrificial site with awesome views of Lapporten and lake Törnetrask. The staff at Naturum