Abisko

Abisko National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Lapland, Sweden
Area	77 km²
Established	1909
Governing body	Swedish National Environmental Protection Agency

Abisko is number 2

Abisko is a village in northen Sweden, and is also the name of a national park located 4 km west of the village.

Geographically, Abisko is situated in the Swedish province of Lapland near the Norwegian border (distance approx. 37 railway kms), and belongs to Kiruna Municipality, Sweden's northernmost and largest muncipality. It starts from the shores of Torne träsk, one of Sweden's largest lakes where the village of Abisko is located, and extends some 15 kilometres to the south-west. It is situated about 195 kilometers north of the Arctic circle. The total area is 77 km².

The park was established in 1909, the same year Sweden's first laws on nature conservation were created.

The intentions of the Abisko National Park was to "preserve an area with northern Nordic fell nature in its original condition and as a reminiscence for scientific research". The region has proved to be of much scientific interest, as is evidenced by the Abisko Scientific Research Station which exists to study the area. Furthermore, the national park was intended to be a prominent tourism attraction.

Abisko is also home to the Abisko Scientific Research Station, first established in 1903 near the Abisko village and incorporated with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1935. It is used primarily for environmental, biological, and geological research and contains several on-site laboratories as well as off-site field research stations.

Tourism

Abisko National Park in a winter blanket of snow.

The 425 kilometer-long Kungsleden hiking trail, which follows the Scandinavian mountain range, starts (or ends) at the Abisko Turiststation (consisting of a railway station of the same name and the Abisko Youth Hostel) (approx. 4 km west of the village itself) and follows through the national park. The Nordkalottruta uses trails of the park as part of its longer passage. The Abisko Turiststation, run by the Svenska Turistforeningen (STF), houses many visitors to the park and provides lodging, food, and other amenities, and is one of many similar facilities located periodically along the Kungsleden trail. The national park is known for its skiing opportunities, snowshoeing, and other winter sports. As its location is 195 km north of the Arctic Circle, summer hikers enjoy the midnight sun, while winter visitors may find the light pollution-free location ideal for viewing the aurora borealis.

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Abisko National Park

Transportation

Daily passenger electric trains run by Connex connect Stockholm with the Norwegian city of Narvik, stopping at both the Abisko village (the name of the railway station is Abisko Östra) and the Abisko Turiststation. Additional regional trains provide links within the Kiruna-Narvik stretch. Abisko is also reachable by car via the highway E10 which links Kiruna and Narvik. Other local forms of local transportation include hiking and dog-sledding in winter. A chair-lift provides access to the summit of nearby Mt. Nuolja.

Fauna

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Abisko National Park in Summer

There are many species of birds in the park.

Of the largest mammals , smaller ones like the marten, stoat, squirrel, the fell lemming and similar are common parts of the fauna. Of larger animals, the Moose and reindeer are common, and moose droppings and tracks are found; however, wolverines, arctic foxes, lynx and bears are only seen sporadically.

External links

• Abisko, official site In Swedish, English, Japanese
• Abisko Fauna at the official mountain page of Norrbotten County, www.fjallen.nu
• Abisko Scientific Research Station
• Photos of Abisko National Park

68°18′20″N 18°38′49″E