Umeå is an urban area in Västerbotten. Umeå is the central town in Umeå municipality, a city of residence in Västerbotten County and since 1965 a university town-Umeå University is the fifth in the country with approximately 16,000 full-time study places.
Housing
The Housing Office (HO) at Umeå University can assist tuition fee-paying students and exchange students who have been nominated by their home universities with accommodation for a maximum period of two academic terms.
The University offers single-occupancy student room accommodation in student corridors. Its accommodation is off-campus but within walking distance of the campus.
For exchange students: Should there be a large number of applicants, students registered for at least 15 ECTS per term are prioritized.
You may get more information about housing from the University on this webpage.
Register with the municipal housing company – Bostaden – as early as possible. It’s free to sign up and you will improve your chances of finding an apartment. See a tutorial on how to register a personal page at Bostaden.
Bostaden offers both regular housing and student housing. The only difference between them is that we only offer student housing to students admitted to Umeå University or SLU in Umeå. If you want to apply for student housing you have to confirm that you are admitted and are studying at least 15 credits per term. It has two types of student housing: single rooms in dorms and apartments. Single rooms are most common. As a student, you are also able to rent some of our other regular apartments.
Transportation
Within Umeå city centre most places are within walking distance. Travel to the different city districts is provided by the local bus service, Ultra. Communications in the county are well developed, a necessity in a region where there is mile after mile of deep forests, rushing rivers and wilderness separating towns and villages from each other. Länstrafiken i Västerbotten is the principal provider of all public bus transport in Västerbotten and its routes run between the villages.
The centre of Umeå is about 4 kilometres from the airport. Airport busses depart from the front of the station building about 10 minutes after arrival from Stockholm. Inquiries about the times of the airport bus can also be made at 090-16 22 50. There are taxis waiting outside the station hall on arrival and it takes only 10 minutes to travel to the city centre. If there are no cars there are direct telephones to the taxis between the entrance doors. To book a flight taxi, phone: 020-97 97 97.
Shopping
Central Umeå offers many possibilities for making those finds of high-quality antiques.
The shopping mall along the pedestrian street in central Umeå is built on three floors. From McDonald’s, which lies at the street level, to Clas Ohlsson on the top floor. Besides them, there are plenty more well-known stores for you to visit at MVG.
Umeå is truly a crafts and handicrafts city. It boasts many well-known designers and artisans. Visit some of them in their studios, try out various crafts yourself or invest in a work of art!
Sagagallerian – a mall located in the central of Umeå. Here you will find a nice mixture of fashion, toys, haircare, crafts and interior design.
Strömpilens shopping centre – beautifully situated on the shore of the Ume River. Here you can find everything from food and fashion to jewellery and interior design.
IKEA and Avion shopping – welcome to Umeås newest shopping area with IKEA opening the shopping centre Avion shopping. You reach the area quickly and easily with the bus from Vasaplan. There is also plenty of both bicycle parking and parking for cars.
Utopia – the fabulous shopping centre in Umeå. Northern Sweden’s hottest city mall has something for all the senses and tastes and with a little extra of everything. Here are all the shops needed for an enchanting shopping experience.
Life in Umeå
In Umeå, with the forests, the sea and the river, lots of exciting outdoor experiences await you just around the corner.
Lake Nydala – close to the university and the city you find the lake of Nydala. Here you can do most things that are fun – swimming, fishing, exercising or just hanging out. Around the lake, there’s a 9-km loop in varied terrain, perfect for running and mountain biking. In the lake’s northern part you can go for a swim at the beach or try the heated outdoor pools, hot tubs and water slides. At the lake, you can also rent boats and windsurfing boards.
Brännboll is a typical Swedish sport, similar to rounders. Every summer in Umeå, there is a combined tournament and music festival.
Stadsliden or Gammlia as it’s called by locals is a large green area in central Umeå. Here you find several good tracks for running and cross country skiing – “SM-milen” is a hilly trail loop considered one of the toughest in Sweden. In wintertime, you can go skiing or snowboarding at Bräntberget in Gammlia.
Starting from the old regiment in Umeå, the Tavelsjö trail extend 39 km north all the way to Vännfors. The trail offers many fine nature experiences and exciting detours. Here you find caves, the nice climbing facility at Vallsberget, streams, lakes and unusual flowers. Take the opportunity to walk up to Tavelsjö mountaintop 284 meters above sea level, and find yourself on one of Umeå municipality’s highest points. A tip is to walk in one direction and take the bus home.
