Gällivare: the gateway to UNESCO-protected Lapland

In remote Swedish Lapland above the Arctic Circle, Gällivare remains the gateway to the Laponia natural area, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A car is absolutely necessary to explore the surrounding national parks.

The Muddus National Park, part of the UNESCO Laponia area, preserves ancient primary forests and deep river canyons among the wildest in all of northern Sweden.

A few minutes away, the Dundret mountain, a nature reserve with stunning views of the summer midnight sun, remains popular among hikers and winter skiers.

Proceeding to the center, one visits the Sami village of Gällivare, where reindeer herding and traditional craftsmanship are still practiced today.

As evening approaches, local restaurants serve reindeer meat according to the culinary tradition of the Swedish Sami of Lapland.

Laponia, a vast natural area declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1996, combines pristine arctic landscapes with the rich living culture of the Sami people, who have practised reindeer herding there for thousands of years.

Gällivare, situated well above the Arctic Circle, experiences the midnight sun phenomenon for entire weeks in summer and polar night for entire weeks in winter, an extreme cycle typical of Laponia.