Bjorkliden’s Top 5 Art & Culture Spots
Thinking about what to do while you’re up in Sweden’s Bjorkliden region? Beyond its views and ski slopes, the area also hosts a number of pretty interesting spots that show off the region’s personality. If you’re very eager to learn a bit more about the local scene, this guide will highlight five places that will offer a solid dose of both art and culture.
1. The Aurora Sky Station Art Gallery
Yeah, maybe most folks head to the Aurora Sky Station to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, very obviously, but there’s this secret bonus: They’ve also got a neat little art gallery. It’s quite something! It really does have some pretty impressive photos and paintings inspired by the area’s night sky. The pieces tend to highlight the aurora, and a good many other celestial occurrences too, through a local artist’s eyes. So, too it’s almost like you’re seeing the light show twice, first through the art, then through the real thing outside the window!
The vibe is calm and connected, offering you this great spot to contemplate the aurora’s beauty both inside and out. Getting there involves a chairlift ride, adding to the unique feel of the visit; it’s this whole journey into the sky. So, arguably it’s a perfect blend of both the natural beauty and creative expression; this is one art gallery you won’t see just anywhere.
2. Bjorkliden Church: A Cultural Landmark
Bjorkliden Church is, apparently, more than simply a place of worship; very actually it is a focal point in the local community; that provides both history and culture. Unlike many overly ornamented religious places, this church very much keeps things to more basic with what is arguably an interior that reflects the stark but great landscape outside its doors. It also sometimes holds cultural events; that could include concerts or lectures, creating a good, vibrant spot for both locals and those visiting to come together and share experiences.
You can find serenity inside while admiring the simple architecture, and often learn something new if, and only if, you strike it right for one of their cultural events. Its calm provides something of a counterpoint to what are, more or less, the sometimes challenging outdoor adventures offered around Bjorkliden. It also, in a way, offers reflection; that encourages some thought about the intersection between nature, community, and spirituality; that can occur up in the quiet North of Sweden. If you visit, be sure to check the schedule; that, obviously, could lead to enhancing your experience quite significantly.
3. Local Sami Crafts
While visiting Bjorkliden, locating local Sami crafts could offer something of a look into Sweden’s indigenous culture. The Sami people very, very make their unique crafts. These crafts involve traditional skills. That is a huge plus for anybody who is interested in actually understanding more about this culture; the culture itself continues to thrive, even up against modern influence.
The range goes from functional stuff, like knives and clothing, to decor items featuring horn and wood carvings. Looking into it helps support both Sami artisans and keeps their heritage going, it’s nearly almost the truest souvenir that someone can have. So, you can usually spot these handcrafted items in gift shops around Bjorkliden and Abisko, and sometimes straight from the artisans themselves. Anyway, take your time to really find meaning in these items and possibly learn the background and history of each piece that makes this such a rewarding experience. It might be good to support local artisans and respect an older tradition at the same time. So, too, it is also something that brings something authentic to bring home; that reminds someone of their travels.
4. The Ofoten Railway Museum
A brief train ride away, over in Norway, there’s what I’d call a unique spot: the Ofoten Railway Museum in Narvik. It’s one for people; that really finds what is an interesting story. I’m referencing a narrative of an old railway, as well as what would eventually become one of the most northerly rail lines in Europe. The displays feature equipment and archives that shed some light on the history and significance of this railway to the area’s development and industry, because of the iron ore shipping lanes in the north.
Exploring the museum can put a certain amount of things into perspective regarding all of the geographic and technological challenges that that sort of project would encounter and eventually resolve. So, too it highlights how such ventures affected what is now this rural region of northern Scandinavia, because they were huge. Check what are the times for departures and, especially, consider it like what could be an intriguing half-day side trip from Bjorkliden to immerse yourself more into local history. So, to be fair, if transportation history or engineering gets you going, then you won’t regret; that excursion, is that what you think?
5. Abisko National Park Nature Center
Within Abisko National Park, just a little distance away from Bjorkliden, you will find a Nature Center; it actually focuses more on educating its patrons about the unique natural environment, that can range from the geological story behind it to local plant and wild animal ecology. Basically, displays include information, and really, the entire exhibit space offers insight into what kind of wildlife can thrive there and how what would normally be fragile Arctic plants are able to survive.
Going through the center gives you a clearer view of the landscape that, too it’s almost all right outside the doors. Moreover, it puts everything else you can find in the area to into perspective. To get ready for trekking expeditions that educate one concerning sensitive ecosystems; you can easily participate in both guided trips as well as workshops often scheduled; it may actually improve what anyone absorbs during trips outdoors. Check to confirm; this really does open what I believe to be another chapter that would showcase regional depth to your Arctic exploration. What’s key to grasp would certainly entail knowing your ecosystem as part of respecting your environment. That, generally, improves both someone’s understanding and personal impact; on one, so so meaningful, trip.