Robertsfors between River Nature and Industrial History

Robertsfors’ natural side can be seen in the Klubben Nature Reserve at the mouth of the Rickleån: Nettingforsen is an unusual rapid located close to the river mouth and has remained untouched by log-driving clearance. In the Klubben Nature Reserve, visitors can also observe all stages of development of the forests formed by land uplift.

Nature and Water

The Åströmsforsen Nature Reserve preserves a section of the Rickleån that has not been altered by log-driving clearance, with changing rapids and calmer stretches of river. The river provides a habitat for sea trout, salmon, bullheads and otters. It is also home to a rare natural site for the yellow iris in northern Norrland.

Ratan has short hiking trails. Storsand havsbad in Ratan is a sandy beach with changing rooms, toilets and barbecue areas. The Rickleån offers sea-trout fishing in a varied flowing-water environment and is well suited to fly fishing.

Culture and History

The Robertsfors Bruk Museum presents the development of industrialisation from 1758 to the mid-20th century. Its collections include objects from everyday and working life at the works, as well as objects and history from Robertsfors’ diamond era. Around 700 metres of track remain at the museum today; restored locomotives and carriages are displayed in a restored engine shed.

The Bruksjärnvägen was electrified in 1900 and was then the northernmost electrified narrow-gauge railway in the world. Its track gauge is 750 millimetres. Robertsfors Bruk preserves older industrial buildings as well as remains of the narrow-gauge railway that transported goods between the works and the harbour at Sikeå. The Barnens Bruk playground is located immediately beside the Robertsfors Bruk Museum and was designed with inspiration from the surroundings and the history of the works.

The exhibition at Kulturrum Ratan is organised around three themes: land uplift, the harbour era and the events of the 1809 war. After the abolition of the Gulf of Bothnia trade restriction in 1765, Ratan was an entrepôt harbour on the Gulf of Bothnia and remained a functioning harbour until the mid-20th century. Local handicrafts are displayed and sold in an old harbour warehouse on the quay; from there, visitors can look out over the sea and Rataskär.

The church setting in Bygdeå has been classified as being of particular cultural and historical importance and includes a late-medieval grey-stone church, a cemetery and a bell tower. Nysätra kyrka is a characteristic wooden church from the early 18th century with a detached bell tower and a cruciform floor plan that was unusual for its time; it too has been classified as being of particular cultural and historical importance.

Dalkarlså Herrgård preserves a historic manor setting. The oldest manor house contains a museum of rural trade and several period-furnished living rooms. In Ånäset, the two seven-metre-high, one-tonne, turned cheese slicers known as Osthyveln stand clearly visible beside the E4.

Activities

The municipality of Robertsfors has almost 300 kilometres of prepared and signposted snowmobile trails. Rest huts and several barbecue areas are located along the trails. Hedlunda Husky offers guided dog-sledding tours and allows visitors to learn to drive a dog sled themselves through snowy forests and landscapes in the Rickleå Valley.

Hakatjärn is an eight-hectare forest lake stocked with rainbow trout. It has barbecue areas, toilets, casting piers and an accessible jetty near the car park. At Jomarkstjärn there is a barbecue hut, two wind shelters, an accessible jetty, several casting piers and an accessible toilet.

The Flottarstigen hiking trail runs from Överklinten to Robertsfors Bruk and includes architecturally designed weather shelters in Åknät and Räveln. At Ratan’s guest harbour there are two small jetties with rowing boats available for hire. The harbour also has a 95-metre-long and 4.5-metre-wide jetty intended mainly for leisure boats.

Food and Drink

Café Malin i Ratan serves homemade bread with vegetarian spreads and cookies. It uses plant-based and organic ingredients, which are also used in soap making.

Places and Getting There

The direct local subdivisions of Robertsfors include Djäkneboda, Robertsfors Ö, Flarken, Ånäset and Robertsfors. Buses operated by the regional public transport service run from Umeå to Robertsfors on routes 12, 17 and 20.

For the higher-level travel overview: Västerbotten.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Nordmaling, Sorsele.