Hemavan

Naturum Vindelfjällen in Hemavan Vindelfjällen Naturum Visitors’ Centre opened in summer 2004, in the Alpine Park (‘Fjällparken’). The Naturum Centre houses an exhibition of the nature reserve and its geology, flora, fauna and climate. You can watch films, take part in guided tours or attend lectures. In the Alpine Park you can buy books, maps, postcards etc, or visit the café. From the Naturum Centre you can embark on a hike along the Kungsleden Trail and continue all the way to Abisko. In Vindelfjällen there are two Naturum Centres; in Hemavan and Ammarnäs, the gateways to the nature reserve. The Naturum Centre in Hemavan is easily reached from the E12 highway.   Location: In the Alpine Park (‘Fjällparken’), near Hemavan Högfjällhotell. Habitat type: (nearby) meadow birch forest, mountain village with alluvial delta landscape and mountain pasture.

Alpine botanical garden The botanical garden was founded by Dr Olof Rune, who was inspired by his many journeys to the Alps. The garden was inaugurated in 1989. One hundred metres of paths, all wheelchair-friendly, wind their way around the ridge on which the garden has been built. Thirty-one cultivated plots lie in timber chests alongside the paths. The large difference in climate between the eastern and western sides of the ridge mean allow the cultivation of a variety of plants that require both milder and colder conditions. There are also natural history trails within the botanical garden. Location: near the Alpine Park and Naturum. Habitat type: meadow birch forest

Kungsleden – The King’s Trail The Kungsleden Trail begins (or ends, depending on your point of view) in Hemavan. There are several cabins where you can spend the night on a hike to Ammarnäs. The first cabin after Hemavan is Viterskalsstugan, followed by Syterstugan, Tärnasjöstugan, Servestugan and Aigertstugan, before the trail reaches Ammarnäs. In Ammarnäs village you can visit the other Naturum Centre. If you continue north along the Kungsleden Trail, then Rävfallsstugan would be a suitable place in which to spend the first night. The Kungsleden Trail is managed by the County Administration, and is financed by state funding. Habitat type: meadow birch forest, mossy birch heath, mesic shrub heath, dry shrub heath, low herb meadow, grassy heath

Drottningleden – The Queen’s Trail The Drottningleden Trail is a national hiking and skiing trail between Laisliden and Hemavan. It was inaugurated in 2003 by Queen Sylvia of Sweden. The Drottningleden Trail is managed by the County Administration, and is financed by state funding. Habitat type: meadow birch forest, mossy birch heath, mesic shrub heath, dry shrub heath

Atoklinten – Sámi sacred hill Atoklinten, or Aatoeklhpievaajja, as it is called in Sámi, has long been an important place for the region’s Sámi people. ‘Aaato’ means ‘that’ in Sámi, and indicates that the hill was so sacred that it could not be mentioned by name. Ancient sites for sacrifice and reindeer herding have been found here. The geology makes the hill interesting to botanists as well. The serpentine bedrock means that only the most tolerant plants can grow here. The hill sits like a big lump in the landscape, to the south of Joeström, 20 km from Hemavan. Habitat type: mesic shrub heath, dry shrub heath

Gieravardo – mountain of flowers Gieravardo is an accessible, low mountain that is good for day-trips. The mountain can be reached from several directions, but the most popular path starts from Portbron, 5 km south of Hemavan, along the E12. The bedrock of Gieravardo consists largely of limestone, favouring an exciting flora including several orchid species. Purple, drooping, tufted and yellow saxifrages, Arctic sandwort and rock speedwell grow on the low southern summit and its steep slopes. Alpine gentian and alpine speedwell grow at sites nearby. Habitat type: low herb meadow, mesic shrub heath