holidays in Sweden, Abisko national park and Gammelstad church town (part 5)

The northernmost point of our journey this year was Abisko National Park, established all the way back in 1909. Thanks to its easy access by both road and rail, Abisko is a popular destination. We spent several days in the area, starting with some exploring around the village. 

The area has been used by the Sami people for centuries, and their cultural presence is still very much felt here. Alongside the Abiskojokk River, we visited traditional Sami dwellings — replicas of the shelters once used by Sami nomads, who have traditionally lived as reindeer herders. Each hut had a brief explanation of its historical use, offering a fascinating glimpse into Sami life.

Najbolj severna točka najinega letošnjega potovanja je nacionalni park Abisko. Ta je bil ustanovljen že leta 1909. Abisko je lahko dostopen, tako po cesti kot po železnici, in zato tudi precej obiskan. Midva sva tu ostala več dni in najprej raziskala območje ob vasi. 

Nacionalni park Abisko je območje, ki so ga že stoletja uporabljali Samiji. Poleg reke Abiskojokk, tu lahko vidimo tudi bivališča, kot so jih nekoč uporabljali Samiji, ki so nekoč živeli kot nomadi. Ob vsaki hišici je bilo na kratko napisano čemu je bila namenjena.

The famous Kungsleden (The King’s Trail) passes through Abisko and stretches all the way from northern Sweden to the town of Hemavan, 460 km to the south. The trail connects several national parks and winds through the stunning landscapes of Lapland. Hiking the entire route takes about four weeks.

We hiked the first stage of the trail, from Abisko to the mountain hut at Abiskojaure, where most hikers spend the night before continuing on. It was definitely one of the most beautiful hikes we've done, even though we had to return to our starting point the same day to get back to our van.At first glance, hikes like this may seem fairly easy, but the distances can be quite long. This time, we ended up walking around 30 km in a single day.

Skozi Abisko poteka znamenita Kungdleden (kraljeva pot), ki poteka vse od severa Švedske do kraja Hemavan 460 km južneje. Pot združuje več nacionalnih parkov in vodi skozi osupljivo pokrajino Laponske. Za celotno pot je potrebnih približno 4 tedne hoje. 

Midva sva prehodila prvo etapo te poti in sicer iz Abiska do Abiskojaurestugorna, gorske koče, kjer pohodniki prespijo in naslednji dan nadaljujejo po znameniti poti. Pohod je bil zagotovo eden najlepših, čeprav sva se midva morala še isti dan vrniti na izhodišče do najinega kombija. 

Včasih je videti, da so ti pohodi zelo nezahtevni, vendar so razdalje kar precejšnje. Recimo tokrat sva prehodila okoli 30 km v enem dnevu.

The trail follows the river, crosses open meadows and suspension bridges, and eventually leads to the STF Abiskojaure hut, located beside the crystal-clear waters of Lake Abiskojaure. Despite being a little tired, we were completely blown away by the scenery, the gorgeous autumn day, the mirror-like reflections in the lake, and the warm hospitality of the hut staff.

Pot poteka on reki, preko travnikov, čez viseče mostove do postojanke STF Abiskojaure, ki leži ob kristalno čistem gorskem jezeru Abiskojaure. Čeprav nekoliko utrujena sva bila čisto navdušena nad pokrajino, čudovitim jesenskim dnevom, prekrasnimi odsevi v jezeru in prijaznostjo domačinov v koči.

We also hiked up Mount Nuolja, although the weather was a bit overcast. Part of the trail can be done by chairlift, but we preferred to walk the whole way — and we were glad we did. The slopes were covered with wild blueberries, perfectly ripe at that time of year. After a cozy coffee break at the mountain hut, we continued to the summit and were rewarded with stunning views.

As September wore on, we were really hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights. Abisko is known for clear skies and frequent aurora sightings in winter, but unfortunately, every evening during our stay ended with cloud cover.

Med pohodom na hrib Nuolja je bilo vreme precej oblačno. Del poti se je mogoče sicer peljati s sedežnico in potem nadaljevati peš. Ampak v tem primeru bi izpustila celo pobočje polno borovnic, ki so bile v tem času ravno prav zrele. Po kavi v gorski koči sva nadaljevala še do vrha in uživala v razgledih. 

September se je prevešal v drugo polovico in midva sva močno upala, da bova videla avroro. Ta je menda v zimskih jasnih nočeh tu sicer precej pogosta. Med najinim obiskom pa se je žal vsak večer pooblačilo.

For the journey back through Sweden, we planned a route along the Baltic Sea. The first major town we passed was Kiruna, where we witnessed something quite unusual — entire houses being moved! Kiruna is built above a large mine, and due to the unstable ground, relocating buildings is a regular occurrence. This summer, they even moved an entire church.

Vračanje po Švedski proti domu sva si zamislila ob Baltskem morju. Prvo večje mesto ma najini poti je Kiruna, kjer naju je zmotil tale prizor. Kiruna leži nad rudnikom, zato so tla tu precej nestabilna. Premikanje domov ni tako redko. Poleti so premikali celo cerkev.

Further along the way, we stopped in Luleå to visit Gammelstad, the town’s old center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At its heart stands a stone church built in 1492. Around it are hundreds of small wooden cottages, originally built to accommodate churchgoers who traveled from faraway villages. Over 400 of these historic houses still stand today, beautifully preserved.

V mestu Luleå sva obiskala staro mestno jedro Gammelstaden, ki je pod Unescovo zaščito. Središče takratne vasi je bila kamnita cerkev zgrajena leta 1492. V njeni bližini so zgradili lesene hiške, v katerih so obiskovalci cerkve iz daljnih krajev lahko prenočili. Danes je še vedno ohranjenih več kot 400 hišk.