Kengis, Norrbotten | Exploring Sweden
Kengis, or Kengis Bruk, is a small rural settlement in the province of Norrbotten in Northern Sweden. It lies within Pajala Municipality, just a few kilometers southeast of the locality of Pajala. Here at the shores or the Torne River was once an ironwork that dated back to the 17th century. With its forge, it was actually the world’s northernmost ironwork.
A Short History of Kengis
In 1646, Arendt Grape received the rights to start an ironwork at Kengis. The ironwork had its peak in the mid-18th century. At the time there were around 120 people working at the ironwork and approximately 500 living in the area. The community even had iys own church. The church was visited by the pastor Lars Levi Læstadius. He was the founder of the revival movement that is today known as Laestadianism. The church moved to Pajala in 1869. The church that was moved was actually the third church in the order in Kengis. The production in Kengis was ongoing up until 1879.
Things to Do and See
Kengis is lies on the shores of the Torne River. It is the river that stands as the main attraction in the area and it is a popular destination for fishing. For non-fishermen there is also the possibility to enjoy the view of the river with its rapids.
How to Get to Kengis
- Flights: The closest airport is Pajala Airport (PJA) just to the northwest. Other larger airports nearby are in in Kiruna and Luleå.
- Car: Kengis lies along Road 99, just south of Pajala.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 1112 kilometers (12 h)
- Gothenburg – 1459 kilometers (16 h)
- Malmö – 1722 kilometers (17 h 40 min)
- Linköping – 1309 kilometers (14 h)
- Kiruna – 191 kilometers (2 h 30 min)
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