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.
Ruska is a phrase the Finnish uses to describe the changing colours of leaves that occur in Lapland. The word describes the vibrant colours, as well as the very moment of the Autumn. This is a special time in Lapland since there is still plenty of daylight to enjoy and the temperatures are still above freezing. Making the landscape glow, the colours invites one to explore and spend time outside. Autumn is slowly becoming more and more appealing to visitors and there’s plenty of activities here during autumn which are just waiting to be discovered. It’s a heaven for foodies and photographers!
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