Pitea
Piteå is a melting-pot, one full of quality of life, and is Swedish Lapland´s most southerly town, and is 209.5 km south of the Arctic Circle.
In the Swedish settlement of Pitea see the 15th century Öjeby Kyrka – Öjeby church – and surrounding Kyrkstaden – quaint wooden overnight cabins for far-flung parishioners.
Meet craftsmen and women in person, for example at Bölebyns Garveri, the only bark tannery in the Nordic region, and purveyor to the Swedish Royal Court.
In terms of climate, Pitea is virtually unrivalled: hot, stable summer periods are balanced by genuine winters with very low temperatures, snow and the calming darkness. Swedish Lapland is a place that enriches and revitalises visitors right down to their inner beings. Mountain hikes, berry-picking, skiing, snow-scooter tours, hunting and fishing are some of the popular activities our county has to offer.
For centuries, the 24-hour summer light has attracted visitors to Swedish Lapland, and it continues to do so today.
The opposite of the Midnight Sun is the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. In Roman mythology, Aurora was the goddess of the dawn. The Northern Lights often appear as a brightly coloured spectacle in shades of green and blue during the evenings in the winter months.
Just south of the Arctic Circle, Pitea is embraced by the warm coast, fed by four mighty rivers. Pite River is one of these, and its mouth is at Pite Havsbad. The great Storforsen falls on the Pite River are Sweden’s biggest unharnessed rapids, and one of the main tourist attractions along the river.
