Umeå

The City

If you want to understand something about Umeå before visiting the city, you can ponder these figures. 75,000 people live in the densely built-up areas. Of these 35,000 are students at the university — that's over 40 percent. Umeå is one of Sweden’s most important student towns and it influences everything from culture, sport and entertainment to intellectual stimulation. Festivals, lectures, and concerts are almost daily events in Umeå. The challenge often lies in choosing from the myriad of options rather than finding them. The music scene varies widely, encompassing everything from folk and jazz evenings to major rock concerts, with the jazz festival being one of the oldest in Europe. Umeå Open is the country’s largest indoor festival with pop, rock and club music, while the Norrland Opera, which works with the Umeå Symphony Orchestra, satisfies the need for classical music. This vibrant cultural scene, alongside cutting-edge companies in biomedical and IT industries, imbues the City of Birches with a palpable sense of innovation, optimism and confidence. While a significant portion of Sweden's electricity is generated from Västerbotten's rivers, these waterways offer tourists different attractions. The Vindel River, one of the country's largest undeveloped rivers, is just one example of the waters providing opportunities for fishing and paddling. At the same time, the surrounding wilderness is perfect for adventures like beaver safaris and white-water rafting.