Malmberget: Mining History in Transition

Malmberget is shaped by iron ore mining and the ongoing transformation of the town. Large-scale industrial mining has been carried out here for more than 100 years. The town’s history, changes to its built environment, and recreational areas offer different points of interest during your stay.

Mining History and Change

Iron ore mining began in 1741 on Mount Illuvaara, later called Malmberget. The history of mining therefore dates back to the 18th century, while the town’s present-day form has also been shaped by later changes.

The expansion of LKAB’s mining operations beneath the town has led to parts of Malmberget being gradually demolished or relocated. The social transformation in Gällivare and Malmberget is directly visible: houses are moved, areas disappear, and new neighborhoods emerge.

Malmberget has been designated a nationally significant cultural landscape. The mining town’s distinctive built environment reflects social development since the late 19th century. Both the town’s built form and its transformation are therefore part of its historical character. Mining began as early as 1741; the distinctive built environment, in contrast, reflects social development since the late 19th century.

Traces in the Townscape

“Malmbergsmodellen” documents the disappearing Malmberget through a scale model of the town’s buildings and topography. Buildings and terrain are shown together, offering a different perspective on change than viewing it solely in terms of demolition and relocation.

The environmental zone park in Malmberget contains information about what the areas looked like before the buildings were demolished. Gropen divides Malmberget into two parts and is another spatial feature of the town’s layout. Together, these subjects offer different perspectives on the former built environment and the town’s current form.

Recreation Areas and Routes

Tippsta Disc Golf Park has 18 baskets along its course. Its outdoor area includes large grassy spaces, nature trails, pine trees, and leafy woodland. Here, the disc golf course sits alongside an environment of open spaces and vegetated terrain.

Most of the activity trail in a park in Malmberget is planned to run along Järnvägsgatan and Gällivarevägen. The plan is to keep it cleared of snow, among other things, for pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders, and roller skiers throughout the year. A park in Malmberget is also intended to be made accessible to the public over the longer term and used as an excursion destination and activity area.

Visiting Conditions During Your Stay

Allhelgonakyrkan is a stone church with a wooden interior, but it is currently closed to visitors. The area around Kåkstan is also fenced off while work is underway, to prevent vandalism. By contrast, the planned long-term public access to a park is a future state. These different details help distinguish current visiting conditions from plans.

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

Go to the main travel overview: Gällivare.