Pajala is a small town in Tornedalen in the province of Norrbotten in Norrland, Sweden, by the Finnish border.

Understand

Pajala features in a novel Popular Music from Vittula (Swedish: Populärmusik från Vittula) by Mikael Niemi and the film Popular Music based on the novel. It is a story of growing up in rural Sweden during the early 1960s.

• Pajala Turism och Evenemang, Torgatan 1, ☏ +46 73 823-93-98, visitpajala@pajala.se. M-F 08:00-16:00. Association-run tourist office. 

Get in

By plane

• 1 Pajala Airport (PJA  ^IATA). A small regional airport serving the town. The only regular connection is with Luleå. The two daily flights are timed with the flight coming from Stockholm.  

By bus

There are also buses from Luleå and Gällivare, for example, which cost much less than the plane. The road distance from Luleå is 215 km.

By train

Kolari is across the border river Torne älv, 30 km from Pajala centre, with overnight rail services part of the year to southern Finland.

By car

From Haparanda or any of the border crossings from Finland, use road 99.

From Kiruna, drive east along E10, E45 and (crossroads in Vittangi) road 385. From Gällivare, drive east along E10, turn to road 394 in Leipojärvi and right to road 395 at the T-junction in Antinrova. From Bränna (Överkalix parish village) on E10, drive north along road 392, noting the right turn in Östra Ansvar, or turn right sooner to drive along road 98 to Övertorneå and then along road 99.

See

The sundial in the centre is the biggest sundial in the world. There you can read the history on a board.

• 1 Laestadiusmuseet, Laestadiusvägen 38, ☏ +46 978-75880. Museum dedicated to Lars Levi Laestadius who founded the Laestadian pietist revival movement in the mid-19th century. (updated Feb 2018)
• 2 Jupukka - One of the points on the world heritage listed Struve Geodetic Arc. Follow the highway 99 north of Pajala for a couple kilometers, it will pass near the Jupukka, a hill with an altitude of 277 m ASL, and the middle point of Jupukka Nature reserve. There's a signposted smaller road off the highway to a parking area from where there is a steep path up to the summit.

Sleep

• 1 Hotell Smedjan, Fridhemsvägen 1, ☏ +46 978-10815. (updated Feb 2018)

Connect

• Pajala Internet Café, Kengisgatan 6, ☏ +46 97815463. Internet, computers. They also sell tasty snacks and pizza. (updated Jun 2016)