Namforsen Rock Carvings

Namforsen is the largest concentration of rock carvings in northern Europe, something like two and a half thousand figures pecked into the smooth rock at a rapid on the Angermanalven, made over a long span in the Stone Age when this was the head of the river's navigable stretch and a gathering place. The figures are mostly elk, boats, human forms, footsoles and tools. A power station built in 1947 diverted most of the water, which exposed the carvings and made them reachable - the rapid that gave the site its meaning is largely gone. Paths and bridges cross to the rock islands, and a museum on the bank explains the site.

What you actually see

• About two and a half thousand figures - the largest group in northern Europe.
• Elk, boats and human forms - the main subjects.
• Rock islands in a drained rapid - reachable since the 1947 dam.
• A museum on the bank - open in season.

When to go

June to September; low light in the evening shows the carvings best. Two hours.

Honest expectations

The carvings are shallow and hard to see in flat midday light. Rocks are slippery when wet. The museum is seasonal. Mosquitoes are bad in early summer.

Nearby

Sollefteå is downstream; the High Coast is east.