Discover the river valleys, cross the Arctic Circle and speak with locals who have grown up bilingual. This is where the sun never sets in the summer and where the northern lights dance across the dark winter sky. This is where you can taste the forest and drink the sea. This is the beating heart of Swedish Lapland.
During winter, we live in snowy and icy conditions which becomes a natural part of our daily life. Living in a cold climate for generations, one might say has not only formed us as people, but has also had impacts on our cities, villages and experiences to date. We are a small–scale destination with small companies and businesses, enabling us to welcome you to a stress-free winter wonderland.
For those of you who are looking for an extraordinary ice -related experience you can head out on a tour with Polar Explorer – the gigantic ice breaker. Here, you’ll not only be experiencing the process of breaking the ice, but you can also take a cool dip in the Bothnian Bay.
Our Arctic lifestyle with its traditions and culture is in many ways naturally sustainable. Many of us hunt, fish, pick berries and mushrooms, keep our own animals and grow our own vegetables. We want our time spent in nature to leave as few footprints as possible so the next person who visits the place can get the same positive experience.
Nature is often our living room and for many, nature is also a workplace to protect.
What and where
is Heart of Lapland?
– the eastern part of Swedish Lapland
Heart of Lapland is the Eastern part of Swedish Lapland and consists of the five muncipalities Haparanda, Kalix, Pajala, Överkalix and Övertorneå. The destination is made up of several river valleys where Torne Valley and Kalix River valley are the prominent ones. This is where minority languages like meänkieli and the Sámi languages are spoken alongside Swedish, Finnish and local river valley dialects. Heart of Lapland is still a hidden gem, with local family owned businesses and small-scale entrepreneurs – all surrounded by woodlands, lakes, rivers and Europe’s northernmost archipelago.
Find out more
Heart of Lapland in brief numbers
85000
salmon is running annually Torne and Kalix river every year
297
kilometers of border river between Sweden and Finland
16163
square kilometers is the size of Heart of Lapland
1444