Uitzichten over Kobåset vanaf de Drottingleden
Sweden,  We12hike

Drottningleden in Hemavan: an amazing day hike in Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve

Are you looking for a nice day hike in the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve in Sweden? Then the Drottningleden is an excellent option. This 8 kilometer long walk between Hemavan and Laisaliden is also known as the little sister of the famous Kungsleden (King’s Trail) as “drottning” means queen in Swedish.

Fun fact: the Drottningleden was opened in 2002 by Queen Silvia of Sweden. Because the section at Laisaliden is very steep, a series of stairs were constructed especially for her so that she did not have to climb.

The Drottningleden is a relatively easy mountain hike between the village of Hemavan and the abandoned lodge at Laisaliden. You are walking on the ridge of the mountains most of the time, which gives you beautiful views of the peaks of the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, the mountains of Jöfjället and even the snow-capped peaks of Norway in the distance.

Due to its location on the “favourable” side of the Hemavan mountains, the Drottningleden is usually one of the first passable hiking trails in the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve of the season. From the end of May you can usually walk the full trail without any problems, but you can still encounter a number of small snow fields.

In winter you can do part of it (from Laisaliden) with snowshoes, but this depends on the amount of snow and the temperature. I last walked it in mid-April and was able to walk a large part of the trail with my regular boots, and I still walked part with my snowshoes.

If you are not sure whether you can do it yet due to snow, inquire at Naturum Vindelfjällen in Hemavan about the status of the trail.

Drottningleden in  april
Drottningleden in April
Drottningleden begin september
Drottningleden early September

Distance, transport and markers

The length of the Drottningleden in Hemavan is 8 kilometers one way, it will take you about three hours each way. The Drottningleden is a linear trail between Naturum Vindelfjällen and Laisaliden. Unfortunately, there is no public transport to Laisaliden so if you don’t want to walk the same route twice, you will have to use two cars or use a taxi to get back to your car.

The route is well marked with orange paintings. Above the tree line this is on stones, between the trees on the trees. Note that the red crosses indicate the winter trail, which is a ski trail and not suitable for walking when there is no more snow.

Start van Drottningleden
Start of Drottningleden
Op de Drottningleden met uitzicht over de bergen
Mountain views

What to expect along the way

The Drottningleden is a beautiful trail through one of the most beautiful nature reserves in Sweden. Although the trail is still relatively unknown to foreigners, you will mainly find many Swedes and Norwegians who have a holiday home in Hemavan doing this hike in the summer.

Depending on whether you walk from east to west or vice versa, you will mostly walk over a mountain ridge. Sometimes the trail is wide and flat, sometimes narrow and stony, but the Drottningleden will not be a problem for anyone in decent shape.

Just before Hemavan the descent starts and the trail crosses a beautiful gorge with waterfalls. Here the path is often steep and rocky. If you start from Laisaliden, you will see the mountains of Vindelfjällen on the right and Jöfjället on the left. The trail sometimes passes behind some peaks, which are easy to climb instead. I usually walk over these peaks instead of on the trail, simply because of the beautiful views.

Vindelfjällen Naturreservaat
Waterfalls and mountains

How to get to Hemavan

Hemavan is located on the E12 between Umeå and the Norwegain town of Mo i Rana. From Storuman, the last big village, it’s about a two-hour drive. If you travel by public transport, there are several buses per day from Umeå to Hemavan. It’s best to buy your ticket in advance in the app of Länstrafiken Västerbotten. Hemavan also has an airport, PopulAir has flights between Stockholm Arlanda and Hemavan six days a week (not on Saturdays).

Herfst in Vindelfjällen
A reindeer in the fall

Also good to know

There is no campsite in Hemavan (only a bad winter campsite) but you can easily spend the night at Hemavan Fjällhotel, where they have both multi-bed rooms and private rooms. If you have a slightly larger budget, Tunet is a great option. There is a large supermarket in Hemavan and an outdoor shop in the same shopping center. You can buy all the small necessities for your adventure here. For a good lunch or a cup of coffee you can go to FICA. Good burgers you can find at Fjällkitchen.

Conclusion and further reading

Hopefully you found all you want to know about Drottningleden in Hemavan in this post. Do you have any questions? Please feel free to leave a comment. Would you like to read more? Then the following blogs may also be of interest:

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