Ájtte, Svenskt fjäll- och samemuseum

About the museum

Ájtte, Svenskt fjäll- och samemuseum (Ájtte, Swedish Mountain and Sámi Museum), is in Jokkmokk and is the main museum for Sámi culture in Sweden. The name refers to ájtte, a storehouse-like building in Lule Sámi. The museum is run by a foundation formed in 1983 by the state, Norrbotten County Council, Jokkmokk Municipality, the Svenska Samernas Riksförbund (Swedish Sámi National Association) and Same Ätnam. It opened in June 1989.

The permanent exhibition Här i Sápmi – om landet och folket (Here in Sápmi – About the Land and the People) tells of living and surviving in a demanding landscape, in the bogs, in the forest and on the mountain. The exhibition is built like a reindeer corral, with a long passage leading into a round room in the centre. From there openings lead to sections such as Tidens gång (The Passing of Time), Nybyggarliv (Pioneer Life), Samisk dräkt och silver (Sámi Costume and Silver), Trumtid (Drum Time), Laponia and Duodje.

The museum is also the information centre for the mountain world and has a children's exhibition, a library, an archive and a mountain garden a few hundred metres away at Kvarnbäcken. The museum works on research and collections on Sámi culture and the mountain environment, and travelling exhibitions tour the country.

Highlights

• The permanent exhibition Här i Sápmi – om landet och folket
• Sámi costumes, silver and drums
• The exhibition on the Laponia World Heritage site
• The children's exhibition Sarredievvá, Blåbärsbacken
• Duodje – Sámi handicraft
• Ájtte Mountain Garden with mountain plants

Permanent exhibitions

• Här i Sápmi – om landet och folket – The permanent exhibition tells of living and surviving in Sápmi, in the bogs, in the forest and on the mountain, with sections such as Tidens gång, Nybyggarliv, Samisk dräkt och silver, Trumtid, Laponia and Duodje.
• Sarredievvá, Blåbärsbacken – A children's exhibition where children can fish, throw a lasso, milk a reindeer, bake and carve wood.
• Ájtte Fjällträdgård – A garden with mountain plants planted along marked paths, an information house and a reconstruction of Axel Hamberg's research cabin from Sarek. Open from mid-June to mid-August.

Founded

1989

Operated by

Stiftelsen Ájtte, Svenskt fjäll- och samemuseum

Admission & discounts

Prices 2026. Guided tours must be booked in advance.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

All exhibitions can be reached by wheelchair. There is a disabled parking space next to the main entrance. An induction loop is in the lecture hall. Strong scents, for example from perfumed soaps, may be present in the museum shop, and reindeer hides and furs appear in the exhibitions.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

In the children's exhibition Sarredievvá, Blåbärsbacken, children can fish in the stream, throw a lasso, milk a reindeer, bake in an oven, shop on a market street and carve wood. In LaponiaMania children can carry out missions and collect points. School groups can book tours and film screenings in the lecture hall.

Getting there & parking

The mountain garden is a few hundred metres from the museum, at Kvarnbäcken.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Árran Bistro in the museum is open when the museum is open and serves food and fika made with local ingredients. Museum shop and web shop.

Events & venue rental

The museum has a lecture hall.

Plan your visit