Nikkaluokta
Encyclopedia
Nikkaluokta is a Swedish
Sami
village in Norrbotten County
. The village belongs to Gällivare Municipality
, bordering Kiruna Municipality
, the closest urban area some 60 kilometers away. In its vicinity lie two other Sami villages, Laevas and Girjas, who still herd semi-domesticated reindeer in the region.
Nikkaluokta has a mountain lodge, complete with a small grocery store and restaurant, a chapel, and, during the summer months, a commercial helicopter base. It is a popular starting point for several hiking and skiing trails in the Kebnekaise
area, including the notable Kungsleden
. On foot, it takes around five hours to travel the 19 kilometer distance between the two mountain lodges in Nikkaluokta and Kebnekaise.
Nikkaluokta is sited in the center of three valleys, where the tarmac road from Kiruna Municipality ends. To travel farther, you have to use trails and mountain paths of varying size and condition. Nikkaluokta Bay in Lake Ladtjojaure is also the starting point for the water route into scenic Vistas Valley.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
village in Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County
Norrbotten County is the northernmost county or län of Sweden. It borders Västerbotten County to the southwest, the Gulf of Bothnia to the southeast. It also borders the counties of Nordland and Troms in Norway to the northwest, and Lapland Province in Finland to the northeast.The name...
. The village belongs to Gällivare Municipality
Gällivare Municipality
Gällivare Municipality is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Gällivare.The municipality is the third largest in Sweden, but it has not been amalgamated with other entities....
, bordering Kiruna Municipality
Kiruna Municipality
Kiruna Municipality is a municipality in Norrbotten County in northernmost Sweden. Its seat is located in Kiruna...
, the closest urban area some 60 kilometers away. In its vicinity lie two other Sami villages, Laevas and Girjas, who still herd semi-domesticated reindeer in the region.
Nikkaluokta has a mountain lodge, complete with a small grocery store and restaurant, a chapel, and, during the summer months, a commercial helicopter base. It is a popular starting point for several hiking and skiing trails in the Kebnekaise
Kebnekaise
Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden and Sápmi. The Kebnekaise massif, which is part of the Scandinavian Mountains, has two peaks, of which the southern, glaciated one is highest at above sea level at the latest time of measurement. The north top is free of ice...
area, including the notable Kungsleden
Kungsleden
Kungsleden is a hiking trail in northern Sweden, approximately long, between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south. It passes through one of Europe's largest remaining wilderness areas.-The trail:...
. On foot, it takes around five hours to travel the 19 kilometer distance between the two mountain lodges in Nikkaluokta and Kebnekaise.
Nikkaluokta is sited in the center of three valleys, where the tarmac road from Kiruna Municipality ends. To travel farther, you have to use trails and mountain paths of varying size and condition. Nikkaluokta Bay in Lake Ladtjojaure is also the starting point for the water route into scenic Vistas Valley.