Umea Holmsund, Sweden
Sweden

6 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (6 Cruises)

Port of Umeå, Sweden | Cruise Port Guide

Ships dock at Holmsund, an outer harbour on the Gulf of Bothnia, about 18 kilometres south of the city. The drive to the centre passes through the conifer forests typical of northern Sweden, then birches take over as you approach the first streets. These trees are no accident. After the great fire of 1888, Umeå was rebuilt with wide avenues planted with birches, designed as living firebreaks. The city made them its nickname, Björkarnas stad, the city of birches, and its entire visual identity.

Getting to the centre

Most cruise lines offer a shuttle between the Holmsund pier and downtown. Independent passengers can also take a taxi, about twenty-five minutes by road, or the regional bus linking Holmsund to Umeå in about forty minutes. Once there, everything is done on foot: the urban core is concentrated between the Umeälven River and the shopping avenues, in a compact, flat area.

A contagious youthfulness

Umeå is a university town, and you feel it immediately. The cafés overflow with students, bikes zip along the riverbanks and the cultural scene is surprisingly dynamic for a city of this size. European Capital of Culture in 2014, the city invested in bold spaces, including the Väven cultural centre, a contemporary building with undulating façades set facing the river. You can walk in freely to see an exhibition, browse in the library or simply watch local life through the picture windows.

Gammlia, the memory of Västerbotten

About twenty minutes' walk from the shopping districts, Gammlia Park brings together the region's main museums. The Västerbotten Museum traces the history of this province, from prehistoric camps to industrial towns, with a remarkable collection devoted to skiing, a thousand-year-old practice in these lands. Around the main building, an open-air museum gathers old dwellings from all over the region: wooden farmhouses, bell towers, mills. The ensemble can be explored without hurry and gives real depth to the visit, especially for those discovering northern Sweden for the first time.

Guitars by the hundreds

Umeå's surprise is hidden right in the heart of the shopping streets: one of the largest guitar collections in the world, gathered by two brothers from the city, passionate about it since their teens. More than 500 instruments line the display cases, including extremely rare models from the 1950s and 1960s that draw enthusiasts from far away. Even without playing a single note, you get caught up in the enthusiasm of the place and the stories behind each piece. Few cities of this size can claim such a curiosity.

Strolling along the Umeälven

The landscaped promenade along the river shows the city at its most beautiful. Contemporary sculptures dot the route, terraces come alive with the first rays of sun and bridges span wide, calm water. In summer, the light lingers late into the evening at this latitude, and residents make the most of it. It's the ideal place to end the call, coffee in hand, before heading back to Holmsund.

What remains after the call

Umeå doesn't try to dazzle. It offers something else: the portrait of a Nordic Sweden, educated and creative, living far from the classic circuits. Travellers returning on board remember the rows of birches, an unusual collection and a peaceful river. Images unlike any other stop on a Baltic cruise.

Frequently Asked Questions

At Holmsund, an outer port on the Gulf of Bothnia about 18 kilometres south of the city. Central Umeå is therefore not walkable from the ship: you need the shuttle, a taxi or the regional bus.
Most cruise lines run a shuttle. Independent passengers take a taxi, about twenty-five minutes, or the regional bus, which links Holmsund to Umeå in roughly forty minutes. Once there, everything is walkable: the city core is compact and flat, between the Umeälven river and the shopping avenues.
Because after the great fire of 1888 it was rebuilt with wide avenues planted with birch trees, designed as living firebreaks. Björkarnas stad, the city of birches, became its nickname and its entire visual identity.
A contemporary building with undulating façades facing the river, built in the wake of the city’s 2014 European Capital of Culture year. You can walk in freely for an exhibition, to browse the library or simply to watch local life through the glass.
The region’s main museum institutions, about twenty minutes on foot from the shopping streets. The Västerbotten Museum traces the province’s history from prehistoric camps to industrial towns, with a remarkable collection devoted to skiing, a practice thousands of years old here. Around it, an open-air museum gathers wooden farms, bell towers and mills.
Yes, and it is the surprise of the call: one of the largest guitar collections in the world, assembled by two brothers from the city who have been obsessed since their teens. More than 500 instruments, including very rare 1950s and 1960s models, right in the middle of the shopping streets.
Count the transfer from Holmsund in your budget, which leaves three or four usable hours. Gammlia park and the Västerbotten Museum are the main piece; the Umeälven riverside walk, the Väven centre and the guitar collection round out the day.
Along the Umeälven, on the landscaped path following the river: contemporary sculpture, terraces that fill at the first sunshine and bridges over wide, quiet water. In summer the evening light stretches very late at this latitude, and locals make full use of it.
Not really, and that is the appeal. It is a university city whose cafés overflow with students and whose cultural scene is surprising for a place this size. What you see is a northern Sweden that is educated and creative, well off the standard Baltic circuit.
Summer. At this latitude evening light lasts very late, the riverside terraces are running and the Gammlia open-air museum is seen in good conditions. Outside the season, daylight shortens quickly.