High up on Sweden's eastern coast, the town of Skellefteå stands at the head of a fjord leading to the Gulf of Bothnia. The E4 major trunk road heading to Finland passes through the town. it's a city founded on mining and industry, and which has its own airport, five miles south of the town. Hiring a car is a good idea amid such interesting landscapes. The best attractions of the area include the fjord itself and the Baltic coast but also look out for the boat museum at Stackgronnan, which can be reached by a public raft trip from Älvsnabben, and the impressive nature reserves at Bjuröklubb and Vitbergen.
Visitors with a hire car in Skellefteå can easily visit the highlights of the town. These include the acclaimed art and history collection of Skellefteå Museum in a restored country mansion standing in the riverside Nordanå Park. The park is a popular destination in its own right. It includes open-air displays, performance space, a restaurant and playgrounds. Look out for the enormous neo-classical Assembly Church too - it's Sweden's biggest country church. Another must-see attraction is the old quarter of Bonnstan, with quaint rows of more than a hundred 19th-century wooden homes around a historic church.