Västerbotten County · Sweden
Blå Vägen
E12Hemavan to Umeå (Holmsund)
Sweden’s 'Blue Road' follows the Ume River from mountain Lapland to the Bothnian coast through 460 km of lake-threaded wilderness.
The Swedish section of E12 descends roughly 460 km from the mountain village of Hemavan — southern trailhead of the Kungsleden — eastward through Tärnaby, Storuman, and Lycksele to the coastal city of Umeå. The route earns its name from the Ume River, which it follows closely for much of the journey, passing a succession of lakes, forested valleys, and rapids including Vormforsen. The landscape shifts from high sub-alpine terrain in the west to the broad taiga forest and river delta country of the Bothnian coast, making it one of the few drives in Sweden that spans an entire ecological gradient in a single day.
Scenery
Where it runs
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Character
Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%0 – 515 mHazards
- moose and reindeer on road, especially at dusk and dawn
- heavy snowfall and icy surfaces from October to May
- very limited services on western mountain section
- river-fog reducing visibility near Storuman in autumn
Sources: Road geometry © OpenStreetMap contributors
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Blå Vägen.
