Spectators

Gällivare is located above the arctic circle in Sweden.

Places to watch the race
The swim start is always interesting to visit since you can watch both the athletes preparing for start, the actual swim and the transition to bike. On the bike you can pretty much watch the race anywhere along the course but  the 8k climb up to Tjautjas is something extra. Be careful driving along the road to Tjautjas since cyclists will be coming in both directions and very fast downhill.

It is not allowed to drive along cyclists or runners in order to support or pace the athletes. It is however allowed to park the car and cheer on the athletes as they pass. Athletes are not allowed to get any outside assistance other than fluids or energy. Athletes are not allowed to get other assistance such as help with bike mechanics.

T2 and finish (Sandviken beach) is of course a good spot to be at during the run where the speaker will announce intermediate results from the course.

Getting around
Sandviken (1 km) is within walking distance from the center of Gällivare.

Things to do and places to visit
Stora Sjöfallet and Ritsem are popular starting places for hiking in the Swedish mountains and are strategically located in-between the Sarek and Kebnekaise mountains. Daily busses with FlixBus take you the 140-190 km from Gällivare to Stora Sjöfallet and Ritsem. We can store your bike in Gällivare if you want to spend some days hiking after the Laponia Triathlon.

Learn more about the Laponia world heritage by visiting Naturum Laponia which is located in Stora Sjöfallet.

Saltoluokta Mountain station is located on the other side of the lake in Stora Sjöfallet. You get there with the daily ferry transfer.

The LKAB underground iron mine in Koskullskulle/Malmberget is located as deep as 1250 m. Access to land is decisive for all mining operations, and LKAB’s future is dependent on central parts of Malmberget being successively moved to Gällivare. This urban transformation is a result of the location of the ore bodies and the expansion of mining operations.

The Aitik copper mine is the largest open pit mine in Sweden with a depth of 450 meter. Here you can see the world’s largest machines in operation. Trucks weighing 570 tons and the excavators have scoops that can hold 45 cubic meters.

The Dundret mountain offers a variety of activities. You can hike or bike along the marked routes. Take the ski lift up to the top of Dundret from where you can see all the way to the Akka and Kebnekaise mountain peaks. Make photo excursions at midnight under the midnight sun. Check out the Dundret website for up to date info about what is going on.

Most information about visiting Gällivare can be found on the Gällivare Tourist Center.

Eating and drinking
Gällivare offers some nice coffee shops where you can have a traditional Swedish ”fika”. Alla tiders café, Grand hotel, Café Vetehatten and Café Nyfiket are some good choices in central Gällivare. Most spectacular view is without doubt from the Fjällstugan café located on the top of Dundret. Fjällstugan café is open past midnight so you can watch the midnight sun while having a fika. You get there by car or by ski lift.

There are several places to have lunch or dinner but if you are looking for a more proper restaurant environment then you should try Istappen, Fat Tony’s, Vassara Steakhouse, Glada Kocken, Nittaya Thai or Peking Palace.

More information about eating and drinking is found on the Gällivare Tourist Center webpage.

Car parking
Finding places to park your car is never a problem in Gällivare. Generally speaking, space is something we have got a lot of up here. Locals typically drive around waiting until they find a parking place within 50 meters from their destination. It is the long and freezing winter up here making us unwilling to walk longer distances away from the safety and comfort of our cars.

Photos
Since Dundret mountain is located just nearby the Gällivare city center you can get quite spectacular photos in from the swim start at Sandviken beach. From the top of Dundret you can see as far as Kebnekaise (highest mountain in Sweden) and the midnight sun view from Dundret is magnificent.

How to support
Join us at the swim start and finish at Sandviken beach! The athletes will really appreciate the support from the crowd before and after the swim. Support will of course also be appreciated during the bike segment but it is especially during the latter part of the run that the athletes need all the support they can get. So line up along the run course and cheer on all athletes.

The finish line at Sandviken beach is also a good place to follow the race. Athletes will be finishing from about 09:30 until 18:00 on Saturday and the speaker will provide live updates.

Getting here
The most convenient and environmentally friendly way of getting to Gällivare is by train. The train station is located in the city center and just next to Grand Hotel Lapland. So getting off the train you can easily carry your bike-bag the 100 meters to the hotel.

You can travel by night train with Vy from Stockholm. If you fly to Stockholm-Arlanda you can continue by train directly from the Arlanda airport to Gällivare. If you pack your bike in a bike-bag (the ones used for flying airlines) you can bring your bike with you as a normal luggage onboard the train without any additional cost. 

There are daily flights between Stockholm and Gällivare with Nordica. You can also fly between Stockholm and Kiruna with SAS or Norwegian. From Kiruna you can travel by train or regional bus to Gällivare or get a rental car. Gällivare Taxi usually have special offers on flight transfer to and from Kiruna airport.

Places to stay
Good places to stay in central Gällivare are Grand Hotel Lapland, Scandic hotel, Bed & Breakfast Gällivare Lapland and Pensionat Augustin.

Cabins and hostel are available at Gällivare camping located just next to the Laponia sprint triathlon. Dundret Lapland next to the Laponia long distance finish is also a good alternative.

Distances from Gällivare
The table below lists distances to Gällivare by car and if it is possible to travel by train or bus (without awkward intermediate transitions);