Grottor i Umeå

Cave of Umea


Useful Information

Location: Umea.
Open:
Fee: Adults SEK 20.
Classification: SpeleologyNeotectonic Cave
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Address: Umeå Turistbyrå, Storgatan 40, 833 61 Gäddede, Tel: +46-672-105-00. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History


Description

Umeå is one of Sweden's most cave-rich municipalities, there are dozens of tectonic caves in the area. Sweden consists of crystalline rocks, so there is not much karst, but it was covered by 3.5 km of ice shield only 10,000 years ago. After the ice melted and the weight was gone the whole region started to uplift, the melting water created valleys and erosional caves. And the uplift, like any tectonic force, caused rock falls and thus the creation of tectonic caves like boulder caves. There is even a special name for such caves formed as a result of the uplift, they are called Neotectonic Caves. They are found all over Scandinavia, but here around Umeå the geological situation favoured the formation of such caves, hence the great number.

Tectonic caves are mostly rather small, Tourist Office in Gäddede.