Just down the hill from the church is a collection of old buildings known as a kyrkstad – church town. These were used to house visitors who had travelled long distances in order to take part in religious festivals, visit markets etc. Vilhelmina has two of these “towns”, the other is located in Fatmomakke. Today the now-renovated buildings house Sami handcrafts, small shops, a handicraft workshop and a gallery. By visiting the local heritage museum you can discover what it was like to live in one of these towns.
Other available activities include: cycling, hiking and fishing trips on ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles) and if you come during the second week, you can take your pick from the packed programme of concerts and cultural events and the historical market which go to make up the Nybyggarvecka (Pioneer Week) celebration.
Activities
The Sagavägen road runs alongside the Vilhemina Municipality’s two main rivers, Ångermanälven and Vojmån. Follow this road and journey you take you past Meselefors, Rönnäs, Stalon and Gränssjöarna, each with its own particular history and character. Dikanäs is the little village with a big summer programme. Try your hand at baking traditional flat bread, carve your own wooden cup, hike along one of the many trails and pathways or visit the Motorcyle Museum which has a fascinating collection of veteran bikes. In Henriksfjäll is another museum which is home to a collection of recordings describing what life was like here in the not too distant past. One of the sites that you must not miss is the Sami kyrkstad (church town) of Fatmomakke, which dates from the 1600s and contains over 80 Sami huts and 20 pioneer cabins.
Unbelievably tasty!
Klimpfjäll in Vilhelmina is Sweden’s tastiest centre – official. Millions watched in 2013 as, mentored by a professional renowned chef, three amateurs from Klimpfjäll cooked their way to victory against others similarly mentored from towns across the country in a national television show. Locals, however, are not surprised at their success as they’re proud of the fact that it already has many award-winning producers who use local ingredients to create mouth-watering food. Helens Gårdsbutik, Pralineriet, EG:s Vilt and Samiska apoteket are just a few who lead the way. If you are visiting, you must not miss the opportunity to call in at Martin Bergman’s Vilhelmina Gårdsbutik where you should try the SM-tallriken, a dish containing the 5 award winning creations. Delicious!
Winterland
With 42 slopes (37 off piste), Kittelfjäll is a paradise for skiers. Opportunities abound for heliskiing, catskiing, summit tours and, of course, after ski. Alternatively you can put your skis to one side to enjoy a whole host of other exciting activities. Why not try your hand at ice fishing or take a snowmobile ride up to a mountain top? Vilhelmina has more than 1,700 km of snowmobile trails! If you prefer to hear the sounds of the natural world while having fun, you could always go on a dog-sledding trip or cross-country ski tour. For something a little more sedate, simply visit our restaurants and cafés to sample some of the the excellent food that’s available. Or why not come in February for WWW – Wilhelmina Winter Weekend, complete with its unique competition in which entrants battle to sit on a 2m column of ice for 48 hours.
