Exploring Lappland

Exploring Lappland usually means heading out to discover the most remote areas of Sweden. This is a landmass larger than either Hungary or Portugal but with a very sparse population. This is where you will find large national parks, snow-clad mountains, never-ending forests, very cold lakes, and the origins of some of Sweden’s largest rivers. Do remember, that a large part of the province is located above the Arctic Circle, resulting in this being the home of the midnight sun and in the winter a popular destination to see the Aurora. As this is a part of Sápmi, the cultural lands of the Sámi people, do expect the occasional encounter with a reindeer.

About Lappland

Lappland is the largest province in Sweden, covering nearly a quarter of the whole country’s area. That is a larger area than Hungary or Portugal. The population is, however, only around 91.000.

Lappland is the land of the Sami people and was for a long time wilderness outside of Sweden’s control. The province was split between Swedish and Finnish Lapland when Sweden lost Finland to Russia. The area is also known by its Sami name Sápmi, a region that actually covers land in four countries.

Several of the largest national parks in Sweden is located in Lappland. Here you will find Abisko, Muddus, and Sarek, together with a few more. The sparsely populated province has nature within easy reach everywhere. It is also the resources in nature that give the province its main income. The large iron ore mines of Kiruna and Malmberget are well-known and an important income for the whole of Sweden. Not to be forgotten is the large hydroelectric power plants along a few of the major rivers, providing a big part of Sweden’s electricity.

Largest City: Kiruna
Province Flower: “Fjällsippa”, mountain avens (Dryas octopetala)
Province Animal: Arctic fox