Things to do in Skellefteå - 15 sights and experiences

What to do in Skellefteå? This northern city offers both culture and history, as well as a lot of beautiful nature. Here are all our top tips for things to see and do in Skellefteå.

Skellefteå

Skellefteå is a northern city on the Skellefteån river. Today, it's a growing place, and in recent years you've heard about the big company Northvolt, as well as The Wood Hotel by Elite and Sara Kulturhus, in one of the world's tallest wooden buildings.

We visited Skellefteå during our campervan trip around the Gulf of Bothnia, and here are our top tips for things to see and do in Skellefteå.

Skellefteå is located on the coast of Västerbotten, about 137 kilometres north of Umeå.

What can you do in Skellefteå?

So what can you do in Skellefteå? There are a number of interesting places to discover in the city centre, as well as being surrounded by many beautiful natural areas. Here are our top tips for things to do in Skellefteå and the surrounding area.

1. Fascinated by the Sara Cultural Centre

The most special building in Skellefteå is the Sara Cultural Centre, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world. The building houses the Västerbotten Theatre, Skellefteå Art Gallery, Skellefteå City Library and Museum Anna Nordlander. The building also contains The Wood Hotel and three restaurants and a spa on the 20th floor.

The building is really cool, and it's definitely worth checking out. If you don't want to eat or see art, you can just sit on the stairs for a while and admire the architecture.

2. peek into the Anna Nordlander Museum

MAN (Museum Anna Nordlander) is named after the artist Anna Nordlander (1843-1879), who was born in Skellefteå and was one of the first women to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. The museum, located upstairs in Sara Kulturhus, aims to "provoke, engage and make art visible in society".

3. Discover Skellefteå by bike

We thought it was perfect to discover Skellefteå by bike. We cycled along the Skellefteälven river, over Lejonströmsbron and then into the city centre. If you are looking for a little bigger cycling adventure, there are cycle paths at Lövånger and at Kalvträsk and Vitbergen's nature reserve. There is also Skellefteå Bike Arena and Bygdsiljum Bike Park.

4. Check out Lejonströmsbron

Lejonströmsbron crosses the Skellefteälven river, right next to the Landskyrkan church, and is Sweden's oldest preserved wooden bridge. The bridge was first completed in 1737, but was destroyed by the spring flood of 1772 and had to be rebuilt. As the bridge required constant maintenance, people paid a fee, known as bridge money, to cross the bridge.

Incidentally, the bridge was at the centre of the 'Battle of Lejonströmsbron', which took place during the Finnish War of 1808-1809. On 15 May 1809, a Russian force of around 3000 men stormed the church, and the Swedish troops of 650 men had to retreat across the bridge. After a few hours of fighting, the Russians crossed the ice and the Swedes were driven to Yttervik, where they were forced to surrender. Around 130 Swedes were killed or wounded that day.

5. Visit the Nordanå Open Air Museum

Nordanå Park in Skellefteå is home to the Nordanå Open Air Museum. Here you will find a number of historical buildings, such as a pavilion, carriage house, farm shop, smithy and salt mill. You can stroll around the buildings outdoors all year round. Various events and activities are also organised here at certain times.

6. Stroll around Bonnstan

Bonnstan in Skellefteå dates back to the 17th century, and is a church town that was used as a place to stay by parishioners who lived far from the church. As in other church towns, the place became a gathering point for everything from trade and family reunions to marriage proposals.

Today, the houses are still privately owned and in the summer, markets and other events are organised. Overall, this is a wonderfully charming environment, with lots of history in the walls.

7. Visit Skellefteå Museum

Skellefteå Museum has an exhibition called 'Storsia' which tells the history of the region, and 'Barnsia' where younger children can play and learn about life in the past. There are also other temporary exhibitions.

8. admire the National Church

Skellefteå village parish church, or "Landskyrkan" as it is usually called, is a late medieval church built around 1500. At the end of the 18th century, the church was rebuilt as a cross church in neoclassical style, after drawings by the architect Jacob Rijf. A very beautiful church!

Right next to the church you will also find a nice little bridge to a small island in the Skellefteälven river.

9. Kayaking in Skellefteå, Sweden

One thing you can do in Skellefteå, if you want to experience nature, is kayaking. There are many different places that rent out kayaks, and there are many different places where you can paddle. You can paddle in the Skellefteälven river, in the sea or in lakes such as Burträsket.

10. Exercise on Vitberget

Vitberget is located right next to the centre of Skellefteå and is suitable for exercise and adventure, both in summer and winter. In winter you can go cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. In the summer, you can hike or mountain bike, for example in the bike park, which is Scandinavia's largest cycling facility. There are also outdoor gyms and obstacle courses for both children and adults.

11. Discover Byske church and church town

In Byske, just north of Skellefteå, is the beautiful Byske Church. The church, which was inaugurated in 1872, is located on a hill called Kyrkberget. Take a look inside, because this church is beautiful inside!

Next to the church is Byske kyrkstad, built in 1867 and one of the last church towns built in Sweden. Originally, 89 cottages were planned but only nine were built, of which eight remain.

12. Holidaying at Byske sea baths

Byske Havsbad is partly a beach and partly a five-star campsite. The sandy beach is really nice, with soft, fine-grained sand, and there is also a jetty, barbecue huts and a restaurant, café and kiosk.

The campsite is a family-friendly holiday resort with plenty of activities. There's a temperate pool area with water slides, adventure golf and bike and pedal boat hire.

13. Hiking at Bjuröklubb

Bjuröklubb nature reserve is located south of Skellefteå, and is a popular destination. The nature reserve is the easternmost point of Västerbotten and is surrounded by sea in three directions.

There are several different hiking trails and places to discover. For example, you can walk to the yellow lighthouse from 1859, where you will also find nice viewpoints and Café Fyren. It is also popular to hike to Sillhällorna, past various ancient monuments or to the statue "The Mermaid".

In the nature reserve you will also find Storsanden, which is Västerbotten's longest sea beach. When we were here it was overcast, with fresh winds and some rain in the air, but on sunny days this is a popular beach.

14. see Lövånger church town

Lövånger kyrkstad is located in Lövånger just south of Skellefteå, and is a fantastically beautiful and well-preserved church town, where there are also a number of preserved church stables. Most of these church cottages are owned by Lövånger's local community association, and here you have the unique opportunity to book a night or two in a church cottage.

Right next to the church town is Lövånger Church, built in grey stone in the early 16th century.

15. Gluttony in Västerbotten cheese

Who doesn't like Västerbotten cheese? The recipe came about by chance in 1872 and is now kept secret by the manufacturers. The cheese is made by Norrmejerier, at their small dairy in the town of Burträsk, south-west of Skellefteå.

There is also a farm dairy in Skellefteå called Svedjan Ost, which makes several types of cheese. Certainly interesting to try!

More things to do in Skellefteå for culture and history lovers

Of course, there is even more to see and do in Skellefteå than our tips. Here are some more suggestions for those who like culture and history.

• Shopping can be done in the city centre, or in shopping centres such as Citycomapaniet or Vintergatan.
• Skellefteå Summertime is a regular music festival organised in the summer.
• The Woodstock Festival is an annual music festival in Skellefteå with free admission, founded in 1991.
• The Västerbotten Theatre is the regional theatre in the county of Västerbotten, based in Skellefteå.

More things to do in Skellefteå for nature lovers

There is of course even more to see and do in Skellefteå. Here are some more suggestions for those who enjoy nature.

• Burträsket is a lake with swimming areas and the possibility of kayaking or pedal boating.
• Fishing can be done, for example in Burträsket or in any of the rivers.
• Birdwatching can be done in different places, such as at Bjuröklubb, Ostträsket or Gärdefjärden.
• Svansele Wilderness Centre offers for example snowmobile safaris with moose tracking, fishing and sauna (Svansele 11, Boliden).
• Hiking trails there are many, such as Furuögrundsleden, Gruvstigen, Kraftleden, Nasaleden and Linnéstigen.

More to do in Skellefteå with children or teenagers

Travelling with children or teenagers? Then you can find even more tips on things to do in Skellefteå here.

• Bygdsiljum slope is a ski slope in winter, and in summer the ski centre is transformed into a bike park. (Bygdsiljum)
• Boda Borg is a place where you form teams and face different challenges (Vitberget 10).
• The Exploratorium Science Centre has interactive exhibitions (Ernst Westerlund's allé Nordanå).
• Lilleputtlandet is a summer park with activities for children such as traffic city and Indian trail. (Granbackavägen 102)
• Skellefteå Adventure Park has a high-altitude course, wilderness mine and paintball. (Varuträsk 1)
• Skellefteå Bike Arena is a modern bike park with a pump track, skills loop, dirt track and three great MTB trails.
• Trampoline house is an indoor trampoline park (Nöppelbergsvägen 16I).

Things to do in Skellefteå in winter

We visited Skellefteå in the summer, which was nice, but this is also a place you can visit in the winter. Here are suggestions for things to do in Skellefteå during the snowy season.

• Cross-country skiing you can ride in many places and there are more than 40 kilometres of tracks.
• Storklinta Ski Centre is located in Jörn and has seven slopes and three children's slopes. (Storklinta 15, Jörn)
• Winter bathing can be done, for example at Stackgrönnan.
• Winter Promenade is a forest path that is driven up by snowmobile, so that you can walk in winter as well.
• White Mountain is a place for downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing.

Where can you stay in Skellefteå, or park your campervan?

Skellefteå has many different hotels and other accommodation options, such as The Wood Hotel by Elite in the centre of town. If you, like us, are travelling with a campervan, there are also a bunch of different options in and around Skellefteå. We stayed a few nights in a car park near the Landskyrkan church and one night in a site right next to Lövånger church town.

• Byske Sea Baths, Bäckgatan 40, Byske
• Burträsk Camping & Stugby, Långåkersgatan 16, Burträsk
• Lövångergården car park, at Lövånger church town
• Parking near Landskyrkan, Brännavägen 23
• The Abbey's car park, Brännavägen 25

More things to see and do around Skellefteå

From Skellefteå, it is not so far to Piteå, where you will find beautiful sandy beaches and the lovely church town of Öjebyn. If you continue even further north, you can discover Luleå. If you head south, you can go to Umeå, which has a student atmosphere and several interesting museums.

More tips for things to do in Skellefteå?

Have you visited Skellefteå? Do you have even more suggestions on what to see and do in Skellefteå? Let us know!