Practical information for Hemavan

Before you travel

This practical information for Hemavan is worth reading before you leave home. Distances in this part of northern Sweden are long, and the villages have fewer services than a town. A little planning saves you a drive in the middle of your holiday.

• Medicines – bring what you need for the whole stay, and a little extra in case your journey home is delayed.
• Card and some cash – the options for withdrawing cash are limited, and card payment does not always work in the mountain huts along the trails.
• Charger and power bank – the cold drains batteries, and there is nowhere to charge out in the mountains.
• Save the emergency numbers in your phone before you go.

Food and shops

• Supermarkets – there is currently an ICA supermarket in Hemavan and a Coop in Tärnaby.
• Pharmacy – the nearest pharmacy (apotek) is in Tärnaby and is currently run by Kronans Apotek. The supermarkets stock a smaller range of pharmacy products.
• Alcohol – in Sweden, alcohol to take away is sold by Systembolaget, the state-owned retail chain. There is currently a Systembolaget shop in Hemavan. Opening hours are on Systembolaget's website.

If you are planning a week in a cabin or an apartment, the accommodation page has tips on what to check before you book.

Healthcare and emergencies

There is no health centre in Hemavan. Healthcare is in Tärnaby, about 20 km away.

• Tärnaby sjukstuga och hälsocentral (Tärnaby cottage hospital and health centre) is described by 1177, the Swedish healthcare information service, as a well-equipped mini hospital with acute-care beds, X-ray and a laboratory. Phone before you go there – the number is on 1177's website.
• The nearest Swedish hospital is Lycksele lasarett, about 230 km from Tärnaby.
• Emergency dental care is available from Folktandvården, the public dental service, in Tärnaby – phone first.
• 1177 gives healthcare advice around the clock. If life is in danger, call 112.

Emergency numbers and police

• 112 – emergencies: ambulance, fire and rescue, police and mountain rescue. Also call 112 if you hit a reindeer, an elk (moose) or another animal on the road.
• 114 14 – the police when it is not an emergency. From abroad: +46 77 114 14 00.
• 1177 – healthcare advice. If your phone does not have a Swedish subscription or SIM card, call +46 771 11 77 00.

In Sweden the police are responsible for mountain rescue. Before you head out into the mountains, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back – then someone knows where to start looking.

Mobile coverage

Out in the nature reserve, expect mobile coverage to be poor or missing altogether. Coverage varies between networks. Charge your phone fully before you set off, carry a power bank and take a map and compass – a phone is not enough on its own. Read more about safety on the Kungsleden page and the hiking page.

Electric car charging is currently available at Bayhill Center, Hemavan Fjällcenter and the airport, among other places. More about the journey on how to get to Hemavan.

The right of public access

In Sweden, allemansrätten – the right of public access – gives you the right to move freely in nature, to camp temporarily and to pick mushrooms and flowers that are not protected. It comes with a duty to show consideration for nature, wildlife, landowners and other visitors. In short: do not disturb and do not destroy.

• Fires – use a fixed fireplace, or gravel or sand as a base, watch the fire and put it out completely. Do not break living trees or branches, and do not light fires on moss, peat or bare rock.
• Fire bans – the County Administrative Board or the municipality can ban fires, and it is your own responsibility to find out what applies.
• Litter – take everything you brought with you home again.
• Dogs – from 1 March to 20 August dogs must not run loose in the countryside.
• Snowmobiles are not covered by the right of public access.

Rules in Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve

Kungsleden (the King's Trail) runs north from Hemavan through Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, which is managed by the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten. In the reserve it is forbidden to damage fixed natural features and ground formations, to disturb wildlife and reindeer herding and to drive motor vehicles off designated roads and trails. The County Administrative Board advises you to keep your dog on a lead and under supervision at all times. The firewood in the wind shelters is for emergencies only.