Umeå

Being the regional capital of Västerbotten, Umeå is also the educational and economic capital city of the region, with no Swedish city of similar size further north. With its strategic location along the E4 national highway, most transportation to the northern part of Sweden goes through here. Umeå has the largest hospital in Northern Sweden as well as the largest university. Situated on top of a small hill overseeing the Ume river and downtown Umeå, they are by far the largest employers in the region. Due to the university, Umeå has one of the lowest average ages in the entire country with a lively night life and creative scene. Umeå was awarded the title "European Capital of Culture 2014". History Umeå is near the maximum of the Nordic post-glacial rebound, with the land rising at a rate near 1 centimetre per year. Sami peoples have lived in the Västerbotten area since prehistoric times. The area was also settled by Germanic peoples, including Swedes during the Viking era. Umeå, however, is first mentioned in written sources in the early 14th century. The area remained a small parish until the late 16th century when the locals asked for and were granted city privileges. The proposed site for the new city was in "Backen", some 5 km west of modern day Umeå. However, building the city proved difficult and it didn't attract many settlers. New attempts to build a city were made in the 17th century by the Swedish king Gustav II Adolphus, this time at the site where Umeå is today. In 1647 Umeå, with its 40 inhabitants, became the seat of Västerbotten county.

By plane SAS has seven flights on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, five flights on Thursdays and Fridays, two flights on Saturdays and three flights on Sundays from Stockholm-Arlanda. The flight from Kiruna has been rerouted and goes through Luleå now. Malmö Aviation has five flights Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday and six flights Thursday and Friday from Stockholm-Bromma, some of them continuing on from Göteborg. On Saturdays there are two flights. Norwegian has four flights Monday to Friday from Stockholm-Arlanda. On Saturdays there is one flight and on Sundays there are three flights. Transport options to and from the airport include a special airport shuttle bus (40 kr) which goes to Vasaplan in the city center. Shuttle tickets can only be bought using credit/debit cards or a smartphone. The ticket includes a two hours transfer time within the city buses. Taxis operate fixed prices to destinations within the city and charge from 120 kr and up. By train Railway connections to Umeå improved greatly as Botniabanan, the coastal railway, opened in 2010. SJ offers direct high-speed services from Stockholm, four on weekdays and two to three on weekends. Journey time is just over six hours with regular prices from 195 kr. Several more services are available that requires a quick change in Sundsvall. There's also the more traditional overnight service, departing Stockholm 22:12, arriving next morning 06:45. Couchettes and regular sleeping carriages are available. Prices starts at 600 kr one-way for a berth. It's possible to travel cheaper if booking a seat.

By bike Umeå has a lot of students and bikes are common. The city offers a wide variety of bike-friendly roads and bike-only bridges. It is often both easier and faster to get around by bike rather than by car or bus. Bikes can be rented at Cykel & Mopedhandlaren (Kungsgatan 101, +46 90-140170) or Umeå Camping If you plan on staying longer, buying a used bike is a good investment - with a bit of effort you can find a good used bike for as low as 400 kr. By bus If you prefer to use public transport, the local bus system (run by Västerbottens Lokaltrafik) has Vasaplan as its hub in central Umeå and costs 23 kr per ride for adults, 17 kr for youth below 26 and 12 kr for children below 18 (including one hour of free transfer). Buses tend to be very infrequent in summertime and as a general rule it is advisable to check the timetable before getting to the bus stop during all seasons - waiting for 10 or 20 minutes in a bus stop at -20 °C is a potential health risk. Night buses are available on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets on the busses can no longer be paid with cash. All tickets have to be paid using credit/debit cards or using mobile phone. By taxi Smartphone apps: Uber

Sports Björklöven is the local ice hockey team playing in Division 1 (Third Division). The season ranges typically September - March. Tickets cost 60-100 kr depending on visibility. Football: the Swedish soccer season is April-Nov. Umeå FC is the men's team. They were relegated in 2025 and now play in Ettan, the third tier. Their Gammliavallen stadium (aka Energi Arena Vind, capacity 10,000) is 1 km east of the railway station. Umeå IK the women's team play in Elitettan, their second tier, at Gammliavallen. IBK Dalen floorball team plays steadily in Superligan, the highest league. Home games are played in Gammliahallen and prices 40-65 kr. IKSU Sport centre is the largest sport and leisure centre in Scandinavia. There is a large gym, beach volleyball, squash, swimming pool, martial arts centre, spa and a lot more. Located at the campus area close to the university, this is an incredibly popular workout spot for locals. Annual events

Most shops are downtown (along Kungsgatan and Storgatan), in a fairly small area. Each neighbourhood will have a small shopping centre, with one or two supermarkets (ICA or Konsum/coop) and a few kiosks and fast food outlets. Two large shopping centres and hypermarkets are at the outskirts - one, Strömpilen (with a shopping gallery, an electronics hypermarket and an ICA hypermarket), at the end of Sofiehem and the other one (with a Willy's supermarket, and a Coop supermarket) in Ersboda.

Budget Mid-range Splurge

Nightlife is relatively good. Clubs and pubs are either on campus or in a cluster downtown. The campus clubs are either student-only (admittance based on student-card) or offer entry fees discounts, whereas downtown clubs and pubs usually have a higher age limit for admittance. All pubs and nightclubs close at 02:00 on weekends and usually at 01:00 on weekdays. Admittance fees range between 25 and 100 kr for a regular night (100 kr and up for concerts, etc.) Additionally, a number of events occur on a regular basis, with a traditional venue being the Plaza, Universum (on campus) or Norrlands Operan (the Opera House). Downtown: On campus pubs:

Camping Budget Mid-range Splurge

Umeå Tourist Centre (See section Tourist office) is open all year round, and is situated at Renmarkstorget in the centre of Umeå.

All parts of Umeå are very safe; there is no reason to be worried walking around at night. Beware of cold weather during the winter; several drunk students have frozen to death after falling asleep in the soft snow.

Lycksele - Some 126 km northwest of Umeå lies the scenically beautiful town of Lycksele. If you are heading to Mo i Rana or the skiresort of Tärnaby/Hemavan you might consider a lunch break here. There is a forestry museum (50 kr) and a zoo (95-135 kr). Norrbyskär - Norrbyskär is an island group with a fascinating history, in the archipelago of Västerbotten 40 km south of Umeå. This is a popular hang out place for families and kids, especially in the summer months. There is a museum (40 kr), a hotel, a kiosk, a church and a YMCA camp. A ferry with many trips each day during the summer will take you to the island from Norrbyn. Vindel - The town of Vindeln 55 km northwest of Umeå is a perfect day excursion spot. Rafting trips in the Vindel river are a very rewarding experience during nice summer days. A half day rafting trip with tea/coffee and a nice sandwich will set you back some 450 kr and there are longer excursions up to 2 days as well. It is also possible to rent a hot tub and just chill out with a beer. If you happen to be in Umeå during winter, the nearest skiing resort, Buberget is also in Vindeln. It has got one ski-lift and 5 slopes to ride down. Well worth a day excursion if you want to get out of the city. 120 kr for a day. There are regular ski-buses departing from Umeå to Buberget in winter.