Holiday apartment in Umeå: Nature, culture and paths along the Umeälven

Umeå combines nature, contemporary art, trails and the history of Västerbotten. The Umeälven delta in the municipality of Umeå is a nature reserve, a Natura 2000 site and a Ramsar site. It is also known for its birdlife: in spring, thousands of migratory birds stop there during their annual migration. Guided birdwatching tours are offered at this time of year; birdwatching towers and other facilities complement the area.

Nature

On Stora Tuvan in the Umeälven delta, a suspension bridge suitable for wheelchairs and prams and an accessible ramp lead from the car park to a birdwatching and resting shelter. The ramp is also accessible to people with visual impairments. This means that views of the delta and its birdwatching opportunities remain connected to specific paths that can be used in different ways.

Near Umeå, the Grössjön nature reserve combines ancient woodland and bogs with a sense of wilderness. A four-kilometre blue-marked circular trail with several rest areas runs through the reserve. In the ancient woodland, you can spot capercaillies, short-eared owls and three-toed woodpeckers. There is also an approximately nine-kilometre illuminated walking and cycling path around Nydalasjön.

Culture

Bildmuseet is an exhibition hall for international contemporary art at the Umeå University Arts Campus. It brings art and science together. The programme includes exhibition openings, guided tours, an open art workshop, artist talks, debates, lectures, as well as film, music and other events; admission is free. Since 2012, the museum has been housed in a building on the banks of the Umeälven.

At Umeå University’s Curiosum science centre, children and adults explore science and technology together. Activities include experiments, programming, creative work and games, as well as a visit to the Wisdome Umeå dome theatre. The Gammlia open-air museum offers an insight into regional history, with around 30 buildings relocated here from various places in Västerbotten. Gammlia presents regional history and, in summer, offers events including Midsummer celebrations and dance evenings.

The Kvinnohistoriskt museum is located in the Väven cultural centre and is considered the first museum of its kind in Sweden. Its exhibitions focus on women in the present, past and future. Guitars – The Museum displays a collection of electric guitars, basses, amplifiers and musical memorabilia assembled by the Åhdén brothers.

Umedalens Skulpturpark is open around the clock all year round, and admission is free. It features around forty works by artists such as Tony Cragg, Louise Bourgeois, Anthony Gormley, Jaume Plensa and Anish Kapoor.

On the move

The Ume Älvdal area is an excursion route through a cultural landscape along the Umeälven. It can be explored by bicycle or on foot; attractions from the fields of history, art and culture are located along the route. Along the Tavelsjöleden, pine heaths, streams, lakes, rare plants, caves and high viewpoints alternate, complemented by rest areas.

The Holmöarna islands offer hiking trails on Ängesön, Kammen and Trappudden. In the nature reserve, you can hike, paddle, cycle and swim; at the same time, the islands preserve traces of former hunting and fishing communities. The Holmö ferry from Norrfjärden, north of Umeå, takes around 45 minutes and is free of charge.

Nydala also offers specific opportunities for active days. The pump track facility in Nydala cykelpark is open and accessible around the clock every day. Two pump tracks are open to everyone and suitable for MTB and BMX bicycles; they are approximately 200 metres and 70 metres long, respectively. Äventyrsstigen in Nydala is an 800-metre forest trail with eleven challenges of varying types and difficulty levels. A wheelchair-accessible ramp leads around the trail approximately 75 metres into the forest.

At Kvarkenfisk restaurant, you can enjoy locally caught fish in a coastal landscape.

Holmsund, Umeå, Tavelsjö, Sävar.

To the main travel overview: Västerbotten.

More destinations

More places in the same destination:

Skellefteå, Vindeln, Malå, Robertsfors.