Umea

This is a tender port for larger ships.

The Umea harbor is not exactly located in Umea, but in a nearby town, named "Holmsund". When you arrive to Holmsund, you'll need to take a bus to go to Umea. The bus company is called "Länstrafiken Västerbotten". The bus number is "124: Umea - Homsund - Umea". It will take you 40 minutes to get to the Umea city center.

We look back 5,000 years to when the first people of Umea were hunting and fishing. You can still see stone carvings from this time just outside the town. The local community starts developing in the 14th century with a church, marketplace and harbor.

The city was founded in 1622 by King Gustav II Adolf. The last war on Swedish ground 1808-1809 reaches the region around Umea which is ravaged by fire several times.

1888 almost all 3,000 inhabitants are left homeless after the fire. Several thousand birch trees are planted to form a fire barrier.

Umea today is a town that is full of life, well-being and fun. A town that, under the waving tops of its birch trees and along its ever rolling river is growing, changing and boiling over with confidence in its future. Umea is the most densely populated municipality in northern Sweden. It is also one of Sweden's largest university towns.

1. Gammlia During the summer the lush green surroundings at Gammlia are transformed into a lively open-air museum. You can acquaint yourself with woodwork and handicrafts, taste newly baked Swedish thin bread and join the guides dressed in period costumes to learn about the historical buildings. Here you will find Västerbotten's County Museum, fishing and maritime exhibitions, and the Swedish Ski Museum. The museum's permanent exhibitions at the Museum depict prehistoric times in the region and explore the life of the settlers and the culture of the Sami people.

2. Bildmuseet Museum of Contemporary Art and Visual Culture The Bildmuseet Museum of Contemporary Art and Visual Culture is one of Sweden's foremost art museums, which showcases both contemporary and historical art exhibitions of international standing. The forms of artistic expression featured include photography, film, installation and painting.

3. The Elk House Petting a live elk is truly an unforgettable experience for most people. At the Elk House you can do just that and much more. See how an elk cow is milked and sample elk cheese, a delicacy produced from the milk of the elk.

4. The Sculpture Park at Umedalen The Umedalen district of the city is home to a unique cultural environment where northern Europe's most important collection of sculptures has evolved. Visitors can view more than 40 works of art in a captivating outdoor setting. The Sculpture Park attracts over 200,000 visitors each summer and is open round the clock.

5. Olofsfors Ironworks Museum The Olofsfors Ironworks Museum is one of Sweden's most genuine and well-preserved ironworks milieus. Step back in time - almost all the buildings that make up the museum date from the ironworks' glory days in the 1700s. Not only are the manor house and the workers' dwellings well preserved, the blast furnace and foundry and finery forges also remain as a lasting legacy.

6. Guided tour Umea is a relatively young city with a fascinating history. Take a guided city tour and learn how Umea became the City of the Birches. See buildings that survived the great fire of 1888, and find out why the old Town Hall has two front sides. There are also some excellent shopping tips along the way.

7. Umeleden/Ume Trail and salmon ladder The Ume Trail follows the valley of the River Umeälven and offers many pleasant experiences and interesting sights to visit. The salmon ladder at Norrfors is one of them. Each summer, thousands of salmon pass through the salmon ladder on their way to the spawning grounds in the River Vindelälven. You are almost certain to see them.

8. Vindelälven's nature reserve Take the scenic road to Vindeln through authentic Swedish farming countryside, and see and experience the majestic Vindeln rapids. Enjoy a stroll through the scenic beauty and marvel at the dramatic stretches of rapids that make up this fascinating nature reserve. You can also visit the Nature Room, where the nature and culture of the River Vindelälven are presented and brought alive.

The national currency is the Swedish krona (SEK, plural kronor). 1 USD is about 5.91 SEK, 1 EUR is about 9.43 SEK and 1 GBP is about 12.28 SEK.

Automatic teller machines take major credit cards. Most stores, restaurants and bars accept all major credit cards, although in some cases there is a SEK 5 fee or a lowest purchase limit (between 50 - 100 SEK).

The centrally-located library (Umeå Stadsbibliotek) has internet PCs for public use (10 minute limit)

Swedish is the national language of Sweden, but you will find that people, especially those below the age of 70, also speak English very well - an estimated 89% of Swedes can speak English.

112 is the phone number to dial in case of fire, medical or criminal emergency.

Most shops, at least downtown, are open all week, even on Sundays.