Ferry from Umea to Vaasa

Umea Guide

The Swedish town of Umea is located in the north of the country and lies on the Ume River. It is the largest city in the Norrland region and Sweden's 12th largest. The establishment of the city's university in the 1960's helped the city's development which led to the city's housing stock doubling over the next 30 years. Today, Umea has two universities and is a centre for education and technical and medical research. In 2014 the city was chosen to be the European City of Culture perhaps in recognition of the city's vibrant cultural scene and entertainment venues. The city has given culture a high priority in its planning decisions over recent decades as it firmly believes that culture has a positive impact in promoting growth in the city. Due to the large numbers of students in the city, bicycles are commonplace and accommodates them by providing bike friendly and bike only roads. It is, therefore, often quicker to get around the city on bicycle than by car of public transport.

From the town's port there are 8 sailing a week to Vaasa with a crossing time of around 4 hours.

Vaasa Guide

The Finnish city of Vaasa is located just 45 nautical miles from Sweden and has very much embraced the culture of Sweden, which is visible across the Gulf of Bothnia. Around 25% of the town's residents speak Swedish as a first language and tourists in the town will frequently hear conversations that switch effortlessly between Finnish and Swedish. The town, which dates back to the 17th century, was named after Swedish royalty, the noble Wasa family, but just 200 years later it had fallen under the control of Russia. The Great Fire of 1852, which was caused by a careless drunk trying to light his pipe, saw the Old Town destroyed. The new town was then built from scratch and is around 7 km from the site of the destruction. Nature lovers know Vaasa for Terranova, which introduces the wonderful Kvarken Archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and will love the Nature Trail at Ojberget which takes in the Ojbergsmossen bog, a giant's pot hole, a 'devil's field' and a dwarf pine-covered meteorite crater.

There are 8 sailings each week from the town's port to Umea with a crossing time of around 4 hours.