Long Exposure Of A River With Stones In Front Of Mountains While Walking Kungsleden Kings Path Hike In Northern Sweden During Summer
Snowy mountain peaks, gushing rivers, tranquil forests, arctic landscapes, wild moorland and herds of reindeer – just some of the many reasons to tempt you onto Kungsleden (the King’s Trail) this summer.
Here’s all you need to know about tackling Sweden’s longest hiking trail!
What And Where Is Kungsleden?
Kungsleden is a long-distance hiking trail that runs from Abisko in Sweden’s far north to Hemavan, about 325km southeast as the crow flies.
Crossing three national parks on its way, the trial passes through a variety of stunning landscapes from beech and pine forests via Arctic wilderness, glaciers, Alpine valleys and rocky mountain passes.
How Long Is The Kungsleden Trail?
The trail twists and turns, so Kungsleden is actually more like 430 km long. If you add in the popular detour to the summit of the Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain, it’s nearer 500 km in length. Needless to say, you won’t be hiking it in one day.
So How Long Does It Take To Kike Kungsleden?
If you’re planning to walk the entire Kungsleden trail, you should allow about a month. However, the route can be broken down into five more manageable stages.
These can be easily tackled on shorter trips – the most popular of which is the first stage, from Abisko to Kebnekaise.
1. The five Kungsleden ‘stages’
2. Abisko to Kebnekaise (105km; six days)
3. Kebnekaise to Saltoluokta (51km; three days)
4. Saltoluokta to Kvikkjokk (73km; four days)
5. Kvikkjokk to Ammarnäs (166km; eight days)
6. Ammarnäs to Hemavan (78km; four days)
The history of Kungsleden is connected to the Swedish Tourism Association (Svenska Turistföreningen or STF). This association was formed in 1885 by scientists at Uppsala in order to facilitate access to Swedish mountains. From the late nineteenth century, the association had the idea of creating a royal road through the mountains in Swedish Lapland. The proposed route was to link the present-day Abisko to Kvikkjokk.
Construction of the Malmbanan railway line between Kiruna and Narvik in 1902 gave this project the required access. STF bought three officer cabins from the Swedish Railways including one at Abisko. With the very limited funds available, it gradually transformed the cabin at Abisko into a tourism station. It also built chalets: the first ones being those of Abiskojaure and Kebnekaise in 1907. Between Abisko and Abiskojaure, the trail followed an old road used to transport materials. In addition to the cottages, the association brought in boats for the lakes between Abisko and Vakkotavare.
For the section between Vakkotavare and Kvikkjokk, the initial project was to take the trail through the middle of Sarek National Park, with a cottage near the Rapa River, crossing which would require a boat. The plans were later changed, such that the trail runs along the eastern end of park instead.
Initially, the trail was not marked or named. In 1920, in a book on Kebnekaise, the trail appeared under the name Alesvaggeleden. The trail between Abisko and Vakkotavare was finally marked in 1926 and 1927.
In 1928, without any ceremony or inauguration the name Kungsleden appeared for the first time, with the opening of the Kvikkjokk station. The construction of the cottages was slow given the limited economic means of association. There was still no proper path to speak of and the public sentiment for the trail was very limited at first, but it quickly grew in popularity.
The trail was extended in a relatively discrete way. In 1941, the Kungsleden went from Abisko to Jäkkvik and early 1950s, it reached up to Ammarnäs. Some hikers at the time included Kungsleden in all STF trail networks in the mountains, from the three-Country Cairn in the north to Grövelsjön in the south.
In 1975, the trail was officially extended to Hemavan with the creation of the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve. The section further south (between Sälen and Storlien) however, is sometimes called Södra Kungsleden (literally Southern Kungsleden).
Source: Routesnorth.com
Here’s all you need to know about tackling Sweden’s longest hiking trail!
What And Where Is Kungsleden?
Kungsleden is a long-distance hiking trail that runs from Abisko in Sweden’s far north to Hemavan, about 325km southeast as the crow flies.
Crossing three national parks on its way, the trial passes through a variety of stunning landscapes from beech and pine forests via Arctic wilderness, glaciers, Alpine valleys and rocky mountain passes.
How Long Is The Kungsleden Trail?
The trail twists and turns, so Kungsleden is actually more like 430 km long. If you add in the popular detour to the summit of the Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain, it’s nearer 500 km in length. Needless to say, you won’t be hiking it in one day.
So How Long Does It Take To Kike Kungsleden?
If you’re planning to walk the entire Kungsleden trail, you should allow about a month. However, the route can be broken down into five more manageable stages.
These can be easily tackled on shorter trips – the most popular of which is the first stage, from Abisko to Kebnekaise.
1. The five Kungsleden ‘stages’
2. Abisko to Kebnekaise (105km; six days)
3. Kebnekaise to Saltoluokta (51km; three days)
4. Saltoluokta to Kvikkjokk (73km; four days)
5. Kvikkjokk to Ammarnäs (166km; eight days)
6. Ammarnäs to Hemavan (78km; four days)
The history of Kungsleden is connected to the Swedish Tourism Association (Svenska Turistföreningen or STF). This association was formed in 1885 by scientists at Uppsala in order to facilitate access to Swedish mountains. From the late nineteenth century, the association had the idea of creating a royal road through the mountains in Swedish Lapland. The proposed route was to link the present-day Abisko to Kvikkjokk.
Construction of the Malmbanan railway line between Kiruna and Narvik in 1902 gave this project the required access. STF bought three officer cabins from the Swedish Railways including one at Abisko. With the very limited funds available, it gradually transformed the cabin at Abisko into a tourism station. It also built chalets: the first ones being those of Abiskojaure and Kebnekaise in 1907. Between Abisko and Abiskojaure, the trail followed an old road used to transport materials. In addition to the cottages, the association brought in boats for the lakes between Abisko and Vakkotavare.
For the section between Vakkotavare and Kvikkjokk, the initial project was to take the trail through the middle of Sarek National Park, with a cottage near the Rapa River, crossing which would require a boat. The plans were later changed, such that the trail runs along the eastern end of park instead.
Initially, the trail was not marked or named. In 1920, in a book on Kebnekaise, the trail appeared under the name Alesvaggeleden. The trail between Abisko and Vakkotavare was finally marked in 1926 and 1927.
In 1928, without any ceremony or inauguration the name Kungsleden appeared for the first time, with the opening of the Kvikkjokk station. The construction of the cottages was slow given the limited economic means of association. There was still no proper path to speak of and the public sentiment for the trail was very limited at first, but it quickly grew in popularity.
The trail was extended in a relatively discrete way. In 1941, the Kungsleden went from Abisko to Jäkkvik and early 1950s, it reached up to Ammarnäs. Some hikers at the time included Kungsleden in all STF trail networks in the mountains, from the three-Country Cairn in the north to Grövelsjön in the south.
In 1975, the trail was officially extended to Hemavan with the creation of the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve. The section further south (between Sälen and Storlien) however, is sometimes called Södra Kungsleden (literally Southern Kungsleden).
Source: Routesnorth.com
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