Meet the Sami people and the high mountains!

Ájtte Museum in Jokkmokk – the Sami centre
Jokkmokk, just north of the Arctic Circle, has always been an obvious meeting place for trade, gatherings, festivals and meetings between friends from far and near. This is the site of Ájtte, Swedish Mountain and Sami Museum, a gateway to the high mountains, to Laponia and to the Sami culture. Here, we tell the
story of Sápmi, the land and the people, of life and survival in a
demanding climate and environment. It is a story set in the
wetlands, forests and mountains.

Sápmi, the land of the Sami – extends without bounds across the territory of four nations, encompassing a vast area of mountainous and forested country, tundra and wetlands. Here, we have hunted and fished for thousands of years, we have wandered endless paths and given names to mountaintops and streams. We have raised our children, sung praises of the land and appeased the gods for good hunting. We have followed the reindeer, driven our herds to better grazing and watched over the new-borns.

Laponia – Lapland’s world heritage area, covers an area of 9,400km² in the mountains and forests of Norrbotten and has been the home of nomadic hunters and reindeer herders since time immemorial. This is the site of four national parks and several nature preserves. In 1996 Laponia was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The museum’s Laponia exhibit gives an insight into its cultural and natural significance for all of humanity.

Exhibits
Costume and Silver: From hides and leather to festive dress of cloth. The Sami silver and its mediaeval design.
Drum Time: Religion and mythology.
Life of the settlers: A settler family in the early 1900s.
Getting by: The nomadic life and selfsubsistence with reindeer up to modern times.
On the Move: How people have adapted to life in a land without roads, and the migration of animals.
The River: From the springs to the sea. River landscapes then and now.
Laponia – my Heritage as well as that of the World. World Heritage site with cultural and natural significance for all humanity.

A lot more than just exhibits
• Library, archives and study room. • Fjällinformation: Norrbotten’s national parks and Laponia.
• Museum shop: genuine handicrafts of the finest quality, maps, books, music, etc. • Restaurang Ájtte, serving both Sami dishes and specials of the day.

Jokkmokk’s Alpine Garden – a growing part of Ájtte
Open during the summer, this alpine garden is an oasis on the shores of Talvatis Lake. Lightly trodden paths take us through various natural milieus hosting the flora of the region. One of mountain researcher Axel Hamberg’s field research huts has been moved here from Sarek National Park.