We are leaving Vidsel after grueling test stages. After a journey of approximately 130 km, we reach Brando. This settlement on the shores of the Baltic Sea has about four people per square kilometer. The facility here, named Brandö Konferens, offers two different experiences in the same place in summer and winter.. We learn that the place where we go to use snowmobiles is a nice beach alternative for Scandinavians in the summer. In February, you can tour the island with snowmobiles on the Baltic Sea, where Scandinavians swim in summer.. You have to dress very tightly before going on the 37km tour with snowmobiles.. When we talk about special snowsuits, underwear, Eskimo socks worn on top of snow pants, special masks and helmets, we understand why Scandinavians are bigger than us.. You feel like Robocop with all these outfits.
However, when you hit the road with snowmobiles, all this fuss you realize it’s worth the preparation. You also learn to ice fishing during one of the breaks along the way.. However, when you start carving the Baltic Sea for fishing, on which you use a snowmobile at 90 km speed, one gets a little startled. We didn’t want to be late because it was dark, so we couldn’t spare more than half an hour for ice fishing.. It is a fact that this much time is not enough for fishing.. For those who want to do this tour, it may be much better to come during the daytime. Of course, it should not be forgotten that the day does not last very long in the region during the winter period.. In February, the sun rises at around 08.30 and sets at 15.30. In other words, if you take this tour around 13.00, if you have a chance at the end of the tour, you can have the opportunity to see the famous northern lights.. It is a good idea not to leave Sweden without seeing these natural radiations seen in the sky in the polar regions, resulting from the interaction of the earth’s magnetic field with the charged particles from the Sun.
After this interesting experience, our stop for dinner is Sami Tent , built on the Baltic Sea, at Brandö Konferens. Sami, also called Lapps, are an ethnic group that has been living in Norway and Sweden within the Arctic Circle since 4000 BC.. The number of Lapps today is about 60,000, and 70 percent of them speak Sami, a Sami language belonging to the Uralic language family.. A kitchen based on deer and salmon awaits you in this tent.
Frankly, it would be unfair to expect the Semites to farm in such a geography.. It benefits from everything especially deer in the region.. While clothes and covers are made from its hide, its meat is constantly placed on plates in different ways.
After the interesting dinner experience in the Sami tent, we first get rid of some of our Robocop clothes.. Then we move on to our next stop, Lulea.. About 40 km from Brandö, Luleå is a city in northeastern Sweden on the northern coast of the Baltic Sea, just south of the Arctic Line.. 13 and 15. The ruins of the old city of Lulea, which was established as a very important Scandinavian port between the centuries, are located in the region today called Gammelstad.. Gammelstad Church Village was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
Gammelstad Church Village
After visiting this northern port city, you can take a long journey back to Istanbul.. However, it is good to be warned. During this time, you get used to the cold so much like winter tires that you can attract reactions by walking around in Istanbul with a t-shirt in places where people are wearing sweaters for a while.
Notes on Brandö and Lulea
- About four people per square kilometer in Brandö, located on the coast of the Baltic Sea.
- You tour on the sea with a snowmobile in winter in a place that is a beach in summer and fish on ice
- The sun rises at around 08.30 in February and sets at 15.30 in February.. In other words, if you take this tour around 13.00 at the end of the tour, if you have the chance, you will have the opportunity to see the famous northern lights.
- Don’t forget to taste the Lapp deer and salmon menu at Sami Tent.
- It is worth seeing. Another place, Gammelstad Church Village, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.
Note: One day before this article, “The Secret of Vidsel, which has a Hotel with a Population of 600 People,” was written about Vidsel. You can also read our “What” article.
