Sweden

Västerbotten Travel Guide (Swedish Lapland): 29 X hotel tips, food tips and things to do

10 August 2017

this is the ultimate Västerbotten Travel Guide for swedish lapland

If the city just gets too much with all the impulses and you’re in need of some destressing in the nature, Swedish Lapland might just be the destination for you. That’s why we’re lined up some handy information in this Västerbotten Travel Guide for you. Of course Swedish Lapland is breathtaking in the winter (who doesn’t want to have a shot at seeing the Northern light or ride through the forest on a husky sled), but I also got to experience how beautiful it is here in the summer.

If you won’t be able to unwind in the region of  Västerbotten in Swedish Lapland, you won’t be able to do in anywhere! A destination for the real nature lovers who love adventure and like to do something active during their vacation. Or maybe grab a good book and relax while enjoying the view of one of the many lakes and go into the sauna or hot tub every day for a bit. Because Västerbotten in Swedish Lapland is also perfect for that. What I personally think is the best is to make a round trip through the region. Staying in a different town every night and sometimes feel like you’re the only one there! Very special.

To try and give you and image of what you can do there we’ve made an overview in this ultimate Västerbotten Travel Guide with all our blogs that we’ve made after our adventure. All focused on Västerbotten, Swedish Lapland as summer destination! Have fun planning your trip.

5 x reasons to go to västerbotten

The beautiful endless nature: The forests in The Netherlands are nice, but they kind of fall flat with the ones in Västerbotten. They seem to be endless! Rent a car so you can explore the region while on a round trip and hop from village to village in the middle of the nature.

Lots of local, fresh and biological food: At most restaurants in this region the food is freshly caught in the nature and so it’s super local and also biological. And I’ve got to say, it also tastes like it. Want to taste something authentically local? Go for a piece of reindeer, moose or fish. And they also have local cheese here, Vastenbottenost en believe me, you’ll want to take this home with you – so tasty.

The midnight sun: During the winter the sun isn’t really showing except for a couple of hours per day and during the summer the sun doesn’t set at all. The latter might be weird, but also really cool to experience. The possibility of sitting outside at 2AM by a fire drinking a beer like it’s 4 in the afternoon. Tip: bring a mask for sleeping with you!

READ 2 MORE REASONS HERE >>

7 x the nicest hotels to stay in // Västerbotten travel guide

From little cute wooden cabins to esorts with a spa, pool and a gym. There’s something for everyone, but one thing’s for sure and that’s that you’ll wake up surrounded by the beautiful nature with an amazing view of the rivers and forests!

Stiftsgården: At the ends of the town Skellefteå you can find hotel Stiftsgården. Just a little outside the centre and that makes it a lovely remote location. During the summer you can rent bikes here to cycle to the small centre and wander around through the stores or go for some food and drinks. The hotel itself also has a great restaurant where they cook with local and seasonal products. And dinner you can hop in the sauna or jacuzzi for a bit. That also makes it a perfect hotel in the winter!

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Granö Beckasin: If you’d like to stay in the middle of the nature you should book a room at Granö Beckasin. And I’m not just talking about any room, but hotel rooms that hang like cabins in the trees. How cool is that? They call it the Birds nests’ because you have a view just like the birds do. Extra special: if you’re staying here during the winter you also have a chance of seeing the Northern light. Something to put on your bucket list! The hotel is situated by the river Ume and besides the tree houses you can also stay in the eco hotel or in one of their cabins. The hotel also has a cozy restaurant where they work with local products and where you can have dinner outside during the summer with a view of the river.

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Would you also like to go to the town Umeå for a couple of nights or are you looking for nice hotels in different parts of Västerbotten? We’ve collected more tips for you.

5 MORE GREAT HOTELS IN VÄSTERBOTTEN >>

Grano Beckasin

Granö Beckasin 

7 x things to do in Västerbotten, sweden

Nature plays a big part in a vacation to Västerbotten. What you can perhaps do during your vacation in Swedish Lapland? You’ll read it here in the Västerbotten Travel Guide!

Canoeing on one of the many lakes: The lakes in Västerbotten are beautiful (and there are so many!). Via your accomodation you can often arrange a trip to go canoeing or they rent canoes there. Do this during the summer late in the evening! Why? So you can go watch the midnight sun, which can be so beautiful! A sunset that lasts for three hours, beautiful orange/red/pink skies and all of this while you’ll canoeing on a lake.

Go mountainbike through the forests: If you’re with a larger group it’s really fun to do a mountainbike ‘tour’ through the forests. You can do this at the Svansele Wilderness center for example. You’ll cycle on flat bikes (with those thick tires so you don’t fall) across green forest paths and in between you’ll have lunch at an open fire. A great experience in the nature and with a little bit of a luck you’ll spot some wildlife.

Visit the village Umeå: Had enough of the nature? In that case Umeå is a great town to visit. I love how it’s situated by the water and you can find several stores and restaurants there. Did you know that in 2014, it was the cultural capital city of Europe? Don’t forget to bring your camera, because they have amazing beautifully coloured building here, really something else from all the green around you! Fun fact: The Bildmuseet is the building that’s being posted on Instagram the most of all the city, so check it out!

DISCOVER 4 MORE TIPS HERE >>

10 x facts about västerbotten in sweden

Because it’s always convenient to have some knowledge of the destination of your choice beforehand, I’ve lined up ten facts for you so you’ll get to know Västerbotten in Swedish Lapland a little better!

  • The water here is really clean so you can easily drink water out of the tap. And did you know the tap water sometimes comes directly out of the lake? At some rivers you can even fill your bottle with water from the river!
  • Västerbotten is a vast region that’s anything but densely populated. So chances are that you have to drive for a while before getting close to stores or a restaurant. Make sure to bring something to eat during a road trip.
  • Are you going to Västerbotten on vacation you’ll definitely need a car to get from A to B. So rent a car for your round trip at the airport!

7 MORE FACTS ABOUT SWEDISH LAPLAND >>

weetjes over vasterbotten

Nothing as fun as watching pictures of the destination while you’re preparing your trip. Would you like to get even more in the mood for Swedish Lapland? Check out our photo blog with 17 photos of Swedish Lapland during the summer.

I hope the tips from this Västerbotten Travel Guide will be very useful for you. Have fun planning your trip!

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TIP: discover more fun hotspots and travel tips in the books of Yourlbb DE AMSTERDAM CITY GUIDE & WANDERLUST!

LIEFS,

JANNE

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@YOURLBB

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