Tornedalen forever

Why is Tornedalen the best place in the world? Because here the sky is always highest. This is what a displaced Tornedalin says, who goes to her holiday home by the border river in the north as often as she can. When she talks about her old homes, the river is the common thread and nature is what everything revolves around.

The Swedish Tornedalen consists of the municipalities along the Torneälven and a part of the eastern Malmfälten. The river forms a natural border between two countries but is not something that separates people, on the contrary. On the other side of the water live the best friends and with them you share both bright summer evenings and an unartistic approach to life. There is no point in pretending.

Salmon fishing and sauna
Life in the northeast has always been defined by the river. Dramatic ice breakup and a violent spring flood are recurring scenes at Torneälven. Exciting and spectacular but can also cause it, with flooding and destruction in low-lying areas.

Traditionally, fishing has been of great importance in Tornedalen. In older times, food was included in the wages of maids and servants, and there was a lot of fish on the plate. Maybe a little too much. Therefore, there were fish restrictions in the terms of employment. Otherwise, salmon would have been on the table morning, noon and night.

Another important ingredient in tornedal life is saunas. Anyone who lives by the river has a good chance of becoming a good swimmer, because after a sauna there is always a dip in the raging river. But you have to watch out. Swim skillfully against the current or ascend in a completely different village than you stepped into!

Unique art and craft

Tornedalen's nature and rich flower meadows have also inspired a completely unique art craft. The traditional folk painting with its colorful plant splendor, the silversmithing and the Sami pewter embroidery have their roots far back in time. The revival movement during the 19th century was strict and contributed to much of the beauty being hidden away. Fortunately, the skills lived on, arts and crafts from the area have been revived and are more popular than ever. 

Take a look at Shop in Lapland's online store and see a large selection of unique jewelry, Tornedal silver and many other genuine and well-made crafts from the north. To our webshop >>