Step back in time at the wartime air-raid shelters and experience the sights and sounds of Britain’s Home Front. Visitors can walk through original tunnels, carefully re-equipped to show what daily life was like during the 1940s, and follow the stories of locals through clear, well-curated displays and an audio guide. First opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air-raid shelters in the country, originally designed for 3,850 people and later expanded during 1940–41 to hold up to 6,500. Cut directly into the sandstone cliffs beneath the town centre, the mile-long network offers a rare look at wartime engineering and civilian life. The site reopened in 1996 as a visitor attraction after restoration by Stockport Council and has since become one of the town’s most important museums. Today, it works as both a memorial and an educational space, giving a direct sense of how communities lived through the air raids.

A trip with a dog team, wrapped up in warm blankets under the northern lights, is a superb way of experiencing the countryside of Norrland. There's a good chance you’ll encounter an elk or a reindeer, too. There are four companies that offer dog sledding tours: Hedlunda Husky (www.hedlundahusky.se), Granö Beckasin (granobeckasin.com), River Lake Huskies (www.teamissa.se) and Aurora Borealis Adventures (auroraborealis.nu).

GSA Gallery (Gallery Andersson / Sandström) is situated in the old hospital area of Umedalen and specializes in displaying international contemporary art, with a particular emphasis on sculpture. For more information about the current exhibitions, take a look at their website.

Norrbyskär is an archipelago with a fascinating history, located 40 km south of Umeå. At the turn of the century, Europe's largest steam sawmill was located here. Today, it's an idyllic spot offering experiences for the whole family. Enjoy delicious food and stay in a manor-like setting at Hotel Norrbyskär. A passenger ferry, with multiple trips daily during the summer, connects the island to Norrbyn.