Pajala, Norrbotten | Exploring Sweden
Pajala is a locality in the far north of Sweden in the province of Norrbotten. It is also known by the Northern Sami name Bájil. The locality, with its around 2000 inhabitants, is the seat of the local municipality. It lies on the southern shores of the Torne River and is part of the region Meänmaa or the Torne Valley. This cultural region is not monolingual Swedish speaking. Instead there is also Meänkieli, a recognized minority language in Sweden.
Here north of the Arctic Circle, you can enjoy the midnight sun in the summer. You can also witness the northern lights in the winter. The town is known as the home of Lars Levi Læstadius, even though he lived south in Kengis. He was a pastor who founded the Læstadianism revival movement in the 19th century. Pajala was revived in Swedish culture in the year 2000. This was when the book “Popular Musci from Vittula” written by Mikael Niemi was released.
A Short History of Pajala
The first settlers arrived in Pajala at the end of the 16th century. The first settlers belonged to the group known as Forest Finns. The language in the area was initially monolingual Meänkieli. That changed in the 19th and 20th century during a longer period of Swedification.
During the Second World War the Soviet Union bombed Pajala. this happened in 1940 and has been considered a mistake. This makes Pajala one of only a few Swedish cities to experience bombings during the war. The Soviet Union also bombed Stockholm, Strängnäs, and Södertälje in 1944.
Things to Do and See
Many would probably like to experience the midnight sun or to see the northern lights when visiting Pajala. That is not always possible and there really are no guarantees for success. Luckily there is more to explore when the sun is behind clouds or the Northern Lights are hiding elsewhere.
Pajala is home to one of the world’s largest sundials. It stands at the central square and has a diameter of around 38 meters. It is in the vicinity of the sundial that you will find many of the local shops and services. Most of the locality lies between the Torne River and the Main road – Road 99.
There are a lot of outdoor activities in the area. The Torne River is famous for its fishing possibilities and there are several hiking paths in the surrounding area. Do be aware of the mosquitoes. Even though they don’t carry diseases like mosquitoes in other parts of the world, their sheer number can be a nuisance.
How to Get to Pajala
- Flights: The closest airport is Pajala Airport (PJA) just a few kilometers away. Larger airports are further away in Kiruna and Luleå.
- Car: Pajala lies along Road 99 north of Haparanda. It lies at the intersection with the smaller roads 392 and 395.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 1106 kilometers (12 h)
- Gothenburg – 1453 kilometers (15 h 50 min)
- Malmö – 1716 kilometers (17 h 40 min)
- Linköping – 1303 kilometers (13 h 50 min)
- Kiruna – 184 kilometers (2 h 30 min)
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