Energetic, open and creative – Umeo has several honorary statuses at once. 30,000 students are responsible for “energy replenishment” – every third resident studies at the university. Thousands of immigrants from all over the planet make the city open, bringing goodwill and diversity to the atmosphere of life. And you should look for creativity in numerous fashionable shops, stylish design hotels, first-class restaurants and exciting adventures in nature.
Despite its status as the largest city in Northern Sweden, Umeå has no overly urban scenery. Low buildings predominate here, and the areas free from them are generously planted with birch groves. Check liuxers for customs and traditions of Sweden.
How to get to Umeå
You can conveniently fly from Moscow to Umeå with a transfer in Stockholm by Aeroflot and Scandinavian Airlines, Finnair or Norwegian Air Shuttle flights from Sheremetyevo. The flight takes 5.5-6.5 hours, a round-trip ticket costs 380-480 EUR. The prices on the page are for February 2021.
There are also trains and buses to Umeå from Stockholm. On the way 6-7 hours, ticket price: 550-800 SEK. You can find the timetable at Swedish Railways website. The bus takes 10.5 hours, the ticket costs 470-527 SEK. The schedule can be found at websites of carriers Ybuss (in English) and Flixbus.
From airport to city
Umeå Airport is located 4 km from the city centre. The trip on buses No. 80 or 125 takes 25 minutes, a ticket for 16 SEK can be bought from the driver, payment by card only. The shuttle will take you 8 minutes, but the ticket will cost 50 SEK if purchased at the airport or 75 SEK from the driver. A taxi will take you to the center for 300 SEK and 6-10 minutes.
Transport
Umeå is a compact city where everything of interest is within walking distance. But city and suburban buses also run. In the warm season, it is more convenient to move around the city by bicycle – there are enough rental stations here.
Taxis in Swedish are expensive: 150-200 SEK for a trip within the city.
Umea Hotels
Most of the hotels are located in the Old Town. Almost all options in this location are stylish and expensive 4 * hotels. Average price of a standard room: 1000-1200 SEK per night with breakfast, simpler options will cost 500-800 SEK.
A bed in a hostel costs 400-500 SEK, about the same asking for a room in an apartment. The whole apartment will cost 600-900 SEK per day.
Cuisine and restaurants
Most of the restaurants in the city specialize in dishes made from local ingredients. Almost all top restaurants are located in one block – between the railway station and the Umeelven River.
The main local specialties are red deer steak, cod dishes, salmon char and whitefish. There are also establishments with Italian, Japanese and American cuisines.
Dinner for two in a classy restaurant will cost 700-1000 SEK. You can quickly and cheaply “recharge” with energy in one of the kebab shops: for 100 SEK they will serve a huge plate of meat from a skewer, potatoes and a drink.
Sights in Umea
Umeå cannot boast of an abundance of historical sights. Their lack is fully compensated by interesting museums, a sculpture park, an opera house and a well-maintained urban environment.
The exposition of the Guitar Museum, popular among tourists (off. site in English), consists of a collection of brothers Samuel and Michael Akhden. There are no instruments here that belonged to prominent musicians, but many models are extremely rare and no less valuable. The tour is conducted by the brothers themselves, enthusiastically telling the story of the purchase of each guitar.
The Vestebotten Museum (off. site in English) has a huge exhibition dedicated to the history and culture of the Vestebotten region under the open sky and roof.
Here you can see ancient churches, barns, cellars, mills. And the main exhibit is the oldest skis in the world, older than the Egyptian pyramids.
Umeå is a godsend for contemporary art lovers. The local Biltmuseum regularly hosts exhibitions from famous artists (off. site in English). The theme is also developed by the park “Umedalens” (off. site in English). This is one of the most photographed places in the city – unique objects look very impressive among birches and firs.
Umeå Center for Cultural Life – Norland Opera, off. website in English). In addition to concerts, exhibitions and master classes are regularly held here.
Weather
Umeå has cool and cloudy summers and long frosty and snowy winters. At the same time, the temperatures are quite comfortable, without extreme values. Tourists travel to the region mainly in July-August.
