Jokkmokk & Laponia

A Sámi cultural hub on the Arctic Circle and gateway to the Laponia World Heritage Site, famous for its winter market and Sámi museum, with an easy side trip to Dundret mountain in Gällivare.

Jokkmokk lies in Norrbotten county, Sweden, about 7 km north of the Arctic Circle. It is an important centre of Sámi culture and the main gateway to the Laponian Area World Heritage Site. Laponia was inscribed in 1996 as a mixed natural and cultural World Heritage Site, covering four national parks (Sarek, Padjelanta, Stora Sjöfallet and Muddus) plus surrounding nature reserves, about 9,400 km² in all, where Sámi herders still move their reindeer with the seasons. In town, the Ájtte museum is the best starting point for learning about Sámi culture and mountain nature, and nearby are an alpine garden and a red octagonal wooden church; the Jokkmokk Winter Market, held in the first week of February each year, has a history of over 400 years and features reindeer races and Sámi handicrafts. The surroundings are great for a road trip: to the north, the Harsprånget and Porjus hydropower stations and the old-growth forest of Muddus National Park; to the west, Kvikkjokk at the end of the road is the starting point for Sarek and the Kungsleden trail; to the northwest, you can go as far as Naturum Laponia in Stora Sjöfallet National Park; and about 1.5 hours north is Gällivare, where you can climb Dundret mountain for the midnight sun and tour the mine. The best seasons are winter (Dec–Mar for northern lights, sledding and the market) and summer (Jun–Jul for the midnight sun and hiking; watch out for mosquitoes). Getting there: fly to Luleå or Gällivare and transfer by bus, or take the night train to Murjek and change there; in summer the Inland Line railway also passes through. Plan on 3–5 days, and in winter be prepared for temperatures as low as −30°C.

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Itineraries