Fatmomakke is a locality that grew around the church as both native Sami people and settlers came to the area. Today it is a culture reserve at the shore of Lake Kultsjön, or Gåaltoe, as it is known in the Sami language.
A Short History
The first church in Fatmomakke was built in the 18th century and settlers started to arrive in the area in the 19th century. The church became a meeting point for the settlers as well as the Sami people. A church town was formed around it. At this time there were two annual church weekends. One occurred in June and one for the fall in September. They both coincided with the move between pastures for the reindeer herding Sami people.
The current church was built in 1884. Fatmomakke has today around 80 goahtis and 20 church houses. They are still in use for the church weekends, now three times each year.
Things to do and see
Fatmomakke is in its entirety the main sight, but there are of course a few other activities to consider.
Fatmomakke Cultural Reserve
The church, the goahtis, and the church houses. They are mostly from the 19th and 20th centuries, with remnants of a few older buildings in the area. They are all beautifully located on the slopes with a great view out over the lake.
Marsfjället Nature Reserve
Marsfjället Nature Reserve is located right across the bay from Fatmomakke and there are several hiking trails starting from here. The reserve covers an area of 1020 square kilometers has its highest peak at 1589 meters.
The Wilderness Road / Vildmarksvägen
The Wilderness Road is an alternative route between Strömsund and Vilhelmina instead of the E45. It offers many natural and cultural sights such as many waterfalls and rapids. The most famous sight along the road is the mountain pass Stekenjokk and if you are lucky there is still snow. This is where the road reaches its highest altitude and becomes the paved road with the highest altitude in Sweden. The mountain pass over Stekenjokk is closed during the winter months
In addition to Fatmomakke, you will also find the winter resort at Klimpfjäll and the small village of Gäddede, together with many more places of interest.
You can find more information about the route here >>
How to get to Fatmomakke
- Flights: The closest airport is Vilhelmina Airport (VHM) 128 kilometers away. It connects the area with the Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN) for connections around the globe.
- Car: Fatmomakke is located along the Wilderness Road between Saxnäs and Klimpfjäll.
- Train: The closest train station is in Vilhelmina.
- Bus: There are regional buses connecting Fatmomakke with the surrounding area, but these needs to be ordered in advance.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 782 kilometers (9 h 22 min)
- Gothenburg – 1130 kilometers (13 h 55 min)
- Malmö – 1389 kilometers (15 h 49 min)
- Linköping – 976 kilometers (11 h 22 min)
- Kiruna – 645 kilometers (8 h 19 min)
Find out more about other destinations in Sweden by visiting our page Exploring Sweden
