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City guide

Luleå, Sweden

Luleå is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core as of 2018 and is the seat of Luleå Municipality with a total population of about 80,000 as of 2025.

Type CityPopulation 48,728

Why go

  • Place in Norrbotten, Sweden.
  • Served by Luleå Airport (LLA).

History

Luleå is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban core as of 2018 and is the seat of Luleå Municipality with a total population of about 80,000 as of 2025. Luleå is Sweden's 25th largest city and Norrbotten County's largest city. Luleå is considered as the world's largest brackish water archipelago with 1,312 islands, several rivers and vast forestland.

Restaurants & places to go

Bastard Burgers
Burger, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 10:00-22:00 Features: takeaway · 40 Skeppsbrogatan · bastardburgers.com
Indoor
Espresso House
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa 09:00-22:00 Features: takeaway, vegan options · 36 Storgatan, Luleå, 972 31 · espressohouse.com
Indoor
Max
Burger, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Su 09:00-22:00 Features: takeaway · 1C Storhedsvägen, Luleå, 97345 · max.se
Indoor
McDonald's
Burger, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 07:00-24:00;Dec 24 10:00-14:00;Dec 25-Dec 26 09:00-24:00;Dec 31 10:00-16:00;Jan 1 11:00-24:00 Features: takeaway,… · mcdonalds.se
Indoor
Wayne's Coffee
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00;Sa 09:00-16:00;Su 12:00-16:00 Features: takeaway · 33 Storgatan, Luleå, 972 32 · strandgalleria.se
Indoor
Arctic Thai & Grill
Thai, Grill, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 10:00-21:00 · 3 Midgårdsvägen, 97334 · arcticthai.se
Indoor
Bistro Norrland
Regional, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Th 11:00-13:30, 17:00-22:00;Fr 11:00-13:30, 16:00-22:30;Sa 16:00-22:30;Su off · 3-7 Norra Strandgatan, Luleå, 97239 · bistronorrland.se
Indoor
Craft n’ Draft
Regional, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 11:00-13:30 · kulturenshus.com
Indoor

107 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Luleå Airport (LLA) 5.9 km to the centre
Luleå, BD, SE — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 3 airlines (Maastricht Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Scandinavian Airlines System) · direct flights to 5 destinations incl. Stockholm, Gallivare, Pajala, Sundsvall, Umea (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 3 airlines, 5 direct destinations
  • Maastricht Airlines W2 (J31) · 1 route: Pajala*
  • Norwegian Air Shuttle DY (737-800) · 1 route: Stockholm
  • Scandinavian Airlines System SK (717, 736, 737-800, 737-700, 737-700) · 1 route: Stockholm

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Piteå Airfield 47 km to the centre
Piteå, BD, SE
Outdoor
Älvsbyn Airfield 51 km to the centre
Älvsbyn, BD, SE
Outdoor
Pålsträsket Airstrip 43 km to the centre
Pålsträsk, BD, SE
Outdoor
Kokhedsfältet Airstrip 80 km to the centre
BD, SE
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Södra hamnplan
Ferry terminal · 1.6 km from the centre
Outdoor
Avanleden
Ferry terminal · 18 km from the centre · Trafikverket Färjerederiet
Outdoor
Luleå Södra Hamnplan
Ferry route · M/S Symfoni, M/S Stella Marina
Outdoor
Klubbviken På Sandön
Ferry route · M/S Symfoni, M/S Stella Marina
Outdoor
Hindersön-Brändöskär-Småskär-Kluntarna-Junkön
Ferry route · M/S Symfoni
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

Luleå, Sweden
Luleå, Sweden
credit: Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons · See source page

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Luleå Airport (LLA); 4 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: LLA has direct flights to 5 destinations on 3 airlines (incl. Stockholm, Gallivare, Pajala, Sundsvall, Umea). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Södra hamnplan, 1.6 km); routes include Luleå Södra Hamnplan, Klubbviken På Sandön, Hindersön-Brändöskär-Småskär-Kluntarna-Junkön.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Luleå, Sweden. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

SJ
National rail

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Jet Aviation
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.