Laponia
Padjelanta, Sarek, Stora Sjöfallet and Muddus are names that ring delightfully in the ears of hikers. These four national parks comprise of Laponia, together with the Sjaunja and Stubba Nature Reserves. The area is as large as three Gotlands. Even the culture is attracting.
Here, the Sami people have been making gentle footprints for thousands of years. Several Sami camps are in the area.
The western part of Laponia, Padjelanta, is a rolling mountain plateau with big lakes. A unique plant life makes Padjelanta popular among botanists. Sarek in the central part is home to hundreds of high peaks. Several mountains have glaciers, with deep valleys and rapid streams that wind their way between them. Northern and eastern Laponia have lowland mountains, wetlands and old forests.
Hiking trails and mountain huts surround Sarek, with Padjelanta Trail to the west and Nordkalott Trail to the south. Kungsleden (the Royal Trail) goes along the east side and continue north towards the Kebnekaise mountains. There are even ancient forests of pine, spruce and birch on several tours in Muddus. If you would like to hike without trails, enter into Sarek. Without a protective roof, Sarek is usually called Europe’s largest wilderness.
Saltoluokta, Kvikkjokk, Ritsem and Staloluokta are the best places to start, with mountain stations at Saltoluokta and Kvikkjokk, and during the summer there are regular helicopter transport from Kvikkjokk to Staloluokta.
