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Norrbottens län · 65.6° N

Luleå

In Swedish

Luleå is the capital of Norrbotten, on the Bothnian Bay, with an archipelago of 1,312 islands. It is home to Luleå University of Technology, and in winter the frozen sea becomes both a skating rink and a road.

Aerial view of central Luleå in autumn, surrounded by blue water, with a marina and the Bergnäs bridge in the background
Central Luleå and Norra hamn from the airPhoto: Tortap, CC BY-SA 3.0

Now in Luleå

Time

Weather

–°

Today's light

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Things to do in Luleå

  1. Gammelstad Church Town

    More than 400 wooden church cottages cluster around the church, on the spot where Luleå's centre stood until 1649. Guided tours run in English.

  2. Skating on the sea

    Between late December and mid-January a 10 to 11 km ice track opens around the city centre, with access from Norra hamn and Södra hamn. You can hire long-distance skates at Äventyrsbutiken, Storgatan 26.

  3. Archipelago by boat

    In summer and autumn, ferries leave Södra hamn for islands including Sandön, Hindersön, Brändöskär and Junkön.

  4. Ice roads

    When the ice is thick enough, roads are ploughed across the sea, with a 30 km/h limit. The one from Hindersöstallarna to Hindersön is about 15 km and usually runs from January to April.

Official tourism guide
Narrow street lined with red wooden cottages with white windows, in summer
A street in Gammelstad Church TownPhoto: Kola Adebayo, CC BY-SA 4.0

When to go

Best timeJanuary and February

That is when the ice track and the ice roads are usually open. In summer, the light nights and the archipelago ferries are the other big draw.

The light of the year The longest and the shortest day of the year here.

21 June
23 h 09 min
21 December
3 h 10 min

From Santiago

As the crow flies
13,500 km
Time difference today
4 hours ahead of Chile
County
Norrbottens län

The city

Population
79,645 (municipality, SCB 2024)
Known for
For Gammelstad Church Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
To study
Luleå tekniska universitet