Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt
Province: Lappland
Municipalities: Kiruna, Gällivare, Jokkmokk, Arvidsjaur, Arjeplog, Sorsele, Storuman, Vilhelmina
Wednesday 1st of July
07.23 A new month has begun. We have woken up in our beds at Hotel Kebne (https://www.hotellkebne.com) in Kiruna, Lapland. We're up and running a little earlier today. I don't know if the weather is much better than yesterday. There are still clouds, low temperatures, rain and strong winds here in the northernmost part of Sweden.
08.31 The monotonous sound of what we assume is from the mine continues out there. Now we have almost become accustomed to it. Our stay here is almost over. The time has come to get rid of what the bodies do not need. The time has come for us and our possessions to travel on.
09.14 The car is back on the E10. We have smoothly left the hotel and are heading north to Sweden's sixth largest lake. Mist, bushes and drizzle dampen the views we hoped to enjoy. The traffic is sparse.
09.27 A mountain with patches of snow rises before us. Hopefully, despite the weather, we will see some beautiful views anyway.
10.04 The wind is cold and the rain is wet. We look at and have photographed Sweden's sixth largest lake, Torneträsk. The surrounding landscape is wild and beautiful.
10.34 Due to the weather, we have given up our plans to drive all the way to Björkliden and Riksgränsen, the border to Norway. It's simply not worth it. The clouds hide and cover the most beautiful views and we don't want to be outside the car for too long because of the rain and wind. We might probably turn back in Abisko.
10.49 We have terminated our journey west here in Abisko. It's time to turn and steer back along the E10. It is after all 212 kilometres to the next sleeping place, Gällivare.
11.21 The journey south towards Gällivare has been paused. We'll have a little delayed eleven coffee break. Outside is the wind and drizzle.
12.32 With the help of our lady friend in Google Maps as a navigator, we have now made our way through the roundabouts of Kiruna. A rebuild of the E10 makes it a little too complicated. Now we are heading south on the same road that we came here on two days ago. Now we hope for a brightening in the weather. It should get warmer south, right?
18.35 We walk quietly along Malmbergsvägen towards Gällivare city centre. The city has recently had an outbreak with Covid 19 and also the range of restaurants is limited in the evening. Therefore, we will cook our own dinner later tonight.
21.49 Another microwave cooked dinner has been enjoyed this summer. We had our dinner in the kitchen upstairs. It's wonderfully bright evenings so it does not feel like the time is as much as it is. Now we finish the dinner with the last instant coffee. It's okay though. A new jar is already purchased.
Thursday 2nd of July
We are leaving Kiruna and travel north.
Road E10 to Norway.
The lake Torneträsk.
The rainy trip continues.
Beautiful views near Abisko.
A quick hot dog lunch in the rain.
Restored buildings of the village which was the start of Malmberget.
Kåkstan, Malmberget.
The mine in Malmberget.
Gällivare Bed & Breakfast.
A nice view from the kitchen.
Behind Gällivare town center you can find the hill Dundret with lots of skiing opportunities.
Gällivare railway station, the start (or the end) of the Inlandsbanan railway.
Buildings between Vassara River and the hill Dundret.
Beautiful near Gällivare old church.
This belfry from 1768 is the entrance to the church.
Peter is writing in his journal in front of the old church building.
07.56 The clouds they are so few that the sky is blue. We slept well under the sheets and soon go down and eats. This morning poetry is created here in our room at Gällivare Bed & Breakfast.
08.58 Downstairs from the floor where we slept we have enjoyed a good breakfast. Our hostess Marita was there and we got another chat with her about our upcoming travel plans, the Corona virus and little else. Breakfast was the same class as in a hotel even though we are only three guests here. We can only warmly recommend staying here if someone has a trip to Gällivare. 09.55 Marita informed us about a road up to Dundret where you have nice views of the town. However, we have a pretty tough schedule today so we chose to depart from Gällivare at once. It is sparse with cars today. Unfortunately, it's raining again. 10.05 We are, according to a brown road sign, now inside the World Heritage Area of Laponia. Laponia is Europe's largest contiguous natural landscape with virtually untouched nature. The name comes from the Latin name for Lapland. Laponia covers 9 400 square kilometres and includes four national parks (Sarek, Muddus, Padjelanta and Stora Sjöfallet) and two nature reserves (Sjaunja and Stubba) and is located in Arjeplog municipality, Gällivare municipality and Jokkmokk municipality in Norrbotten county. Laponia was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996. 10.12 Odlingsgränsen, the cultivation border was now signposted. The landscape is flat with forest. A mountain rises on the horizon. The license plate of the car that just overtook us says UMM 298. 10.41 We have just made a stop to photograph and document at the Porjus power plant in Lule River. Here electricity is produced. Porjus is owned by Vattenfall and is Sweden's third largest power plant with a normal year of production of 1.2 TWh. Construction here began as early as 1910. Soon it's time to travel further south. 11.16 We have travelled a bit downstream the Lule River and now sit in the middle of the waterfall Harsprånget's dry river bed. Here there are information signs and a viewing platform, a very nice excursion destination. Harsprånget is Sweden's largest hydroelectric power station. The yearly production is about 2 TWh a normal year, which corresponds to about 1.5% of Sweden's electricity production. Before the dam began to be built, there was one of Sweden's most powerful rapids with a 75 meter high waterfall.
Beautiful morning weather in Gällivare.
Porjus power station.
The monument Kraft in Porjus.
Memory stone for those who mlost their lives when building Harsprånget power station.
Important warning at Harsprånget power station.
Christer in front of the dry riverbed.
11.53 Just as we sat there in the dry river bed, drinking rosehip soup and eating biscuits, the water came. It was thankfully not in the river bed but from above in the form of rain. At least we had time for a wonderful nature experience here at Harsprånget. It is easy and convenient to walk from the parking lot at the E45.
12.07 Today's journey goes on towards the next nature experience here in Jokkmokk municipality. We have now swung off the E45 and replaced asphalt with a gravel road. 12.35 We just heard a ping or was it a pong to from Christer's phone. Otherwise, it is completely quiet in here in Muddus National Park. We have parked the car and start with a single cup of coffee before we head out and wander along the forest paths here. We are at the main entrance to the park, in Skájdde. Besides us there are both Swedish and German tourists here. Most seem to prepare for a significantly longer stay than we do. We'll just stay a few hours. 13.38 In the lovely insect free forest we have walked a little more than a kilometre before we decided to stop. It is beautiful here at the rest place Muttosädno. We sit on wooden benches near a bridge. We are surrounded by forest and a small watercourse passes. This is good for the soul and body. You just want to lie down and listen to the sounds of nature. In addition, the sun is back again. 14.03 After consuming baguettes and coffee, we mostly let nature treat us for a while in this beautiful place. Here you should have time to stay longer and walk more than the few kilometres we have time for in our impractical shoes. 14.29 Amazed is just the beginning. It's incredibly beautiful here. I cannot fully describe it. We have just walked along a path down to a beautiful bay of Lule River. Unfortunately, we'll have to turn back to the car in a moment. There are still many kilometres left on today's stage. 15.00 We are back at the starting point Skájdde. Time to sum up the experiences, Think and travel further.
A map of Muddus National Park.
Here in Skájdde you can choose which trail you want to walk.
Many choices.
Cloudberries along the trail.
We are resting at the beautiful Muttosädno spot.
Coffee in the wilderness.
15.15 Goodbye mighty and beautiful Muddus. Let's move on. So far we have travelled 1980 kilometres this summer. More it will be.
15.56 We have continued south along the E45. Here we are in Jokkmokk. If all goes well, we can park where we stand without paying anything. This place is associated with the singer Jokkmokks-Jokke who was actually named Bengt Djupbäck and grew up near Vuollerim. 16.14 Our first effort in Jokkmokk will be to have dinner at Lilla Paradiset (https://www.lillaparadiset.se), a restaurant/pizzeria along the main street Storgatan. For me it will be hamburger plate while Christer eats pizza. Speaking of dining options, Maradona's Sports Bar is also available here in Jokkmokk. Jokkmokk is home to 2,759 people. 16.51 With food in the stomachs we will continue on road 97. No parking guard has patched the car. Maybe there aren't even parking guards in Jokkmokk? 17.01 It was a short trip on the 97. After a short time on the familiar E45, we again passed the Arctic Circle. So tonight it is sunset again. We had planned to stop at the site adjacent to the Arctic Circle but it was well visited and was prioritized away. 18.00 Just after we passed over Telebäcken south of Kåbdalis we have found a suitable rest area/parking space. It's time for some evening coffee. 18.31 After a nice break out in the wilderness we are on our way again. Our helpful friend in Google Maps is enabled and ready.
A beautiful bay along Stora Luleälven river in Muddus National Park.
The town hall in Jokkmokk municipality.
Peter is having dinner at Lilla Paradiset (Little Paradise).
A coffee stop between Jokkmokk and Arvidsjaur.
Lapland Lodge, Arvidsjaur.
Peter is resting in room 34.
19.40 Easily we made it to Lapland Lodge (https://www.laplandlodge.se) in Arvidsjaur. There was no available parking. After a little spin past the church, however, we found one. It seems to have become vacant during the short time we went away and drove around. Once at the hotel we were told that it was double booked. For this reason, we were upgraded to another room for the same price. Now we're in room 34. This is not entirely wrong. As far as the name of the place is concerned, there is no Arvid who gave name to it. It is simply a name in the Ume Sami language. Arvies means giving, the one who gives abundantly. Jávrrie means lake. In other words, Arvidsjaur means the lake that gives abundant. Arvidsjaur has a population of 4,507 people.
20.27 Soon there will be sightseeing in this locality and the purchase of various goods at COOP or ICA supermarkets. 21.35 After seeing a bit of each around main street in central Arvidsjaur we bought what we needed at COOP. Now we are at home in the room for peace and quiet. 22.37 With joint forces we figured out how the room coffee machine from Krups works. In with capsule, press button for start and stop. 23.36 The day and evening ended with each evening beer with different snacks, for Christer's part, grapes. For me it became mixed nuts. Let's get some sleep.
Christer among a group of moose in Arvidsjaur.
Friday 3rd of July
08.30 It's a lazy start on this day. Outside the Lapland Lodge, rain falls in large quantities. The TV news talks about a suspected murder that has taken place here in Arvidsjaur. Two men have been detained in connection with this. We have an alibi. It happened before we arrived yesterday.
09.21 We are back in room 34 after a Corona accustomed "package breakfast". It was not offered any self-picking. Everything was prepared on plates and wrapped. The staff here are essentially English speaking. This applies to both the regular staff and also summer workers who started today and are being instructed this morning. 10.04 The rain patters on the car roof. The heat and the sun are gone for now. Soon Christer will put in reverse and we are about to leave Lapland Lodge's parking. 10.11 New petrol has found its way to the car's tank with the help of OKQ8 here in Arvidsjaur. The rain it continues to fall. 10.25 Good bye E45, we have said hello to road 95. We just crossed the Svärdälven river. Arjeplog is 75 kilometres away. This road is also known as the Silver Road. The name refers to the transport of silver ore and lead ore that went from Nasafjäll to a port at Bothnian Bay. Most often it was Piteå or Kåge that was used as a port. During winter time the ore was transported over mainly lakes and marshes. The transport was mainly done by Sami with reindeer towed sleds. 11.24 We are soon in Arjeplog. The weather is unchanged, rainy and cold. We have made a short stop at an information sign just before Arjeplog. It has become time for planning. 11.30 We have now parked next to the church in Arjeplog. Next door are the lakes Hornavan and Uddjaur. They are some of the country's major lakes. Hornavan with its 221 meters is even the deepest. Here is also the colourful so-called Mimmi goahti/Sami tent, painted on by the artist Bengt Lindström. 12.04 Almond cookies and ice cream were purchased at the local COOP shop. The horror of Corona has set the claws in the elderly inhabitants of Arjeplog. An older lady who would pay at the counter was close to panic when another older woman reached for a plastic bag and came a little too close. Here in Arjeplog there are 1,752 inhabitants. Arjeplog municipality is one of the Swedish municipalities with a population density that is so low that it is well under 1 inhabitant per square kilometre. 12.16 The two of us passed the yellow Silver Museum before we are on our way again.
Breakfast at Lapland Lodge.
Mimmikåtan and Arjeplog church.
Wooden buildings from the Sami people.
The Silver Museum in Arjeplog.
Through the rain heading to Slagnäs.
A light meal in Sorsele.
12.42 A group of reindeer or is it called a flock of reindeer has just slowed us down along Slagnäsvägen south from Arjeplog but now we continue and also the rain.
13.09 We have reached Slagnäs and are back on E45. Soon we are back in Västerbotten County and in a new municipality, Sorsele. Unfortunately, it remains rainy. Due to inadequate signage, we first drove wrong and were on our way to Malå. That visit will be another time. 13.42 For some variation in the rain we stop at a parking place for coffee and almond cookies. 14.16 Raindrops keep falling on the car. We now made a stop in Sorsele. Is there anything more we can do here than just stop? 14.41 We sat under a roof for a while and drank juice and ate biscuits. Now the next phase of today's trip should be planned. 15.15 Once again we are on our way. We've crossed another river. This time it was the Vindelälven river. So we're at another national river. However, there is some regulation in it. 15.35 In the area of Lomselenäs we have made a short stop and asked the friend Ruth in Google Maps to lead us to ICA Supermarket in Storuman. 15.56 Now we have parked along Skolgatan in Storuman. The time has come to find food for today in the form of a restaurant and even buy breakfast for tomorrow. Storuman locality derives its name from Lake Storuman. Historically, the parish and district are called Stensele. It currently has 2,135 inhabitants. 16.38 It is not so certain that the planned dinner place is open. It looked pretty dark there. Sure is that ICA was open and that it was raining again. 16.49 The pizzeria Tre Kronor was closed despite other information online and their door. Restaurant 3 was open but there it was too crowded. A man behind the counter waved away new customers to avoid more people in the premises. For now, we're waiting for customers to leave restaurant 3 and make room for us. There are honestly not many eateries to choose from here in Storuman. 17.06 We lost patience and left the centre. Third time's a charm. It will be dinner at the hamburger chain Frasses (http://frasses.se) at the northern entrance to Storuman.
A short stop in Sorsele.
Christer is walking through Storuman.
The town hall in Storuman.
Marshlands south of Skarvsjöby.
We have parked in the big silence. We can only hear a bird.
Time for coffee!
18.17 Time to make a final stop before we reach the final goal of the day. Today it has become many kilometres on the roads. The cuckoo calls and a white bird just flew by. Other flying creatures are the mosquitoes that we still have with us to some extent. We have stopped near a marshland area between Skarvsjöby and Storseleby. We are also in Vilhelmina municipality since a few minutes.
18.37 Places like this are wonderful. Everything is completely quiet, hardly any cars on the road and the sun has again begun to shine on us. Far away we still hear a cuckoo. However, we must move on. Goodbye flies and mosquitoes, let's go. 19.15 We arrived in Storsele village, on Järjavägen 5 and at Järjagården (https://jarjagarden.se), a hostel focused on hunting, fishing and wilderness experiences. The property is owned and operated by active hunters. Our room upstairs is called Orren, the black grouse. In the old days the house was used as a home maker school and student home. 20.27 At hostels you are usually supposed to make your own beds with your own bed linen. This has now been done inside our room. It has become time to get acquainted with the neighbourhood around us. We're going for a walk through the village. 21.03 A short walk in the village has shown us a dirt road, flowers, a football field and old abandoned cars. We were also attacked by blood-sucking mosquitoes in large quantities and returned to the hostel. Here at home we found the shower in the basement. Good to know in the morning. 23.00 Small baguettes, roast beef and beverages. See how easy a supper can be arranged. Maybe one or two glasses of red wine are missing, but we can't have it all.
Järjagården in Storsele village.
We are preparing the beds in our room called "Orren".
Christer at the Storsele road sign.
The asphalt starts here.
You can see 71 photos from July 1 in this photoalbum.
You can see 81 photos from July 2 in this photoalbum.
You can see 46 photos from July 3 in this photoalbum.