Gällivare between local culture and the fells

Gällivare combines local culture with nature and outdoor activities. If you are looking for a hotel in Gällivare, Kulturstigen, the churches and outdoor activities can help shape your travel plans: Kulturstigen offers a specified route length and estimated duration, while hikes, the fells and water provide other themes. This makes it easier to work out before booking which features of the area suit the days you have planned.

Churches and Kulturstigen

Gällivare gamla kyrka, also known as Ettöreskyrkan, stands by the Vassara River in a wooded area on the edge of the town that later grew around it. Gällivare kyrka, by contrast, is centrally located in Gällivare. Every year, the old church is used for baptisms, weddings and devotions during three summer months. Its location and recurring seasonal use make it a distinctive point of reference for church visits.

Kulturstigen is a nature-oriented, easily accessible walking trail along the Vassara through central parts of Gällivare. The total route is 4.2 kilometres; the estimated duration is about 55 minutes. The length and time estimate provide a concrete reference for planning your day. Day hikes, by contrast, can take you through forests, across bogs and up into the fells. This offers two different options: a specified route and a wider variety of landscapes.

Hiking, fells and water

Dundret is a fell accessible year-round and a particularly popular excursion destination just minutes from the centre of Gällivare. It adds a specific fell destination to the landscapes available on day hikes. Together with Kulturstigen and hikes through forests, bogs and fells, it offers different ways to plan your days around a route, a landscape or an excursion destination.

In summer, kayaking and canoeing are possible in Gällivare. You can fish in forest lakes, mountain lakes, rivers and flowing waters. The two water activities also differ in how you plan for them: paddling is listed as a summer activity, while local fishing regulations vary depending on the body of water. So before fishing, check the regulations for the water you have chosen.

Forest landscape and local history

East of Gällivare lies Ekopark Leipipir, a large, roadless forest area close to the fells. There are natural forests in the north and fire-influenced pine forests in the south. Unlike the riverside setting of the Vassara, this area is defined by a forest with different types of woodland.

The Welcome House offers another cultural connection. Many of the earlier film and VR experiences about social changes in Gällivare can still be experienced at the Welcome House. For travellers interested in these changes, the experiences complement the churches as points of reference with film and virtual formats.

Continuing your journey to Naturum Laponia

Gällivare is a starting point for travelling to Naturum Laponia. One option is to travel by train to Gällivare and then continue to Naturum by bus or car. If Naturum Laponia is part of your trip, you can plan these two legs together.

Discover more destinations: Koskullskulle, Puoltikasvaara, Ritsem, Nattavaara, Malmberget, Skaulo.

Return to the main travel overview: Gällivare.