Lycksele: Trails, River and Cultural History

The Ume River flows right through Lycksele and shapes the town’s character. Among the area’s distinctive features are the history of Gammplatsen, hiking trails bearing traces of the past, and nature along the river. You can tailor your stay to whether you would rather spend time outdoors or explore the region’s cultural history.

Gammplatsen: Meeting Place and Trading Post

For several centuries, Gammplatsen was an important meeting place and trading post. In the past, Sámi, settlers and traders, among others, gathered there. Markets, court sessions and church festival weeks held several times a year were part of this historic meeting place. Its history is also visible in the buildings: The church at Gammplatsen is a copy of Lycksele’s second church, built in 1736. Brudstugan dates from 1760 and was returned to Gammplatsen in the mid-1990s.

The Sameviste next to Samegården includes a Sámi forest hut, a South Sámi turf hut and three storage huts. The Buerie stands on one post, the Luovve on four posts; there is also a Härbre. Samegården, also known as Mamsell Lovisas skola, is now used by Lycksele’s Sameförening. Those interested in building styles and the use of historic buildings will find several different examples at Gammplatsen.

Karlbergsgården is a parstuga house typical of Västerbotten, dating from 1850; it was moved to Gammplatsen in 1982. The bowling alley there dates from the late 19th century. At the time, only about twenty similar buildings were built in Sweden. The Margaretakyrkan at Gammplatsen is used mainly for weddings, baptisms and other celebrations.

Culture, Plants and Little Breaks

You can discover other aspects of local culture beyond the historic buildings. Skogs- och samemuseet features exhibitions about the forest and Sámi culture. In the cultural botanical garden Kulturbotan, old cultivated plants are preserved and arranged with inspiration from Sámi and settler culture. These two themes offer distinct perspectives on the area’s history and landscape.

For a Swedish coffee break, Budhas Kafferosteri offers coffee tastings and coffee beans to take home. The Diversehandel at Gammplatsen mainly sells caramel and sweets in summer. This information applies specifically to the summer season and adds a small opportunity for a break or a sweet treat to the cultural sites.

Nature and Hiking Trails

The Gammplatsen nature reserve lies near Lycksele, by the Ume River. A forest trail winds among pine trees that are 400 to 500 years old; almost 500 different insect species have also been recorded in the reserve. The Gammplatsen recreation area is about one kilometre from the centre. There is a large car park there. Check access information before your visit, as it may change.

The hiking trails vary in length, terrain and historic stops. Magdalenastigen is about 2.5 kilometres long, easy to walk and family-friendly; it follows an old church path. Along the route are a historic croft site, a log bridge and the remains of a water-powered mill. The trail ends at the stone dam crest of Sodomsdammet, dating from the first half of the 19th century. This short walk therefore combines exercise with several tangible traces of the past.

Kyrkstigen, also called Lillskogsstigen, is a roughly six-kilometre hike on the outskirts of town through easy terrain. The best access is from Tannbergsskolan in Lycksele; check access information before setting out. Grivetjärnsrundan is mostly dry and easy to walk, and up to 6.6 kilometres long. Where sections are wet, boardwalks cross the ground. Poastigen is about 3.5 kilometres long in total, mostly easy to walk, and starts by passing through a system of pitfall traps. The different routes therefore offer a range of lengths and trail features, but no walking time can be inferred from this information.

You can plan your visit around the experiences that interest you most in Lycksele.

Discover more destinations: Örträsk, Lycksele, Vormsele, Nordmaling, Bjurholm, Robertsfors, Malå, Vindeln.

Back to the main travel overview: Västerbotten.