The Hajka hiking festival will be held for the third year in a row from 2–4 October. Over three days, around 20 activities will be offered around the Umeå region with the aim of attracting more people to discover the area's nature and hiking trails.

The festival is organized by Visit Umeå together with municipalities, associations and companies in the tourism industry. The focus is on the more than 350 kilometer long trail network in the Umeå region, which stretches through forests, river landscapes and hilly terrain.

Hajka is part of a long-term effort to develop the region's nature tourism and make outdoor activities more accessible.

– In Umeå and the surrounding area there are fantastic opportunities for hiking. Through Hajka we want to encourage more people to get out, for outdoor activities to become something natural in everyday life and at the same time strengthen collaboration within the tourism industry, says Johanna Palmlöf Brus, destination developer at Visit Umeå.

The program includes both new and recurring features. This year's activities include rewilding hikes, secret forest concerts, AW hikes and single hikes. Participants can put together their own program by booking the activities they want to participate in.

The festival has also become a platform for local actors to develop shared experiences. Along the Öreälvsleden, several companies collaborate on hiking packages that combine nature experiences with local food experiences.

Behind Hajka are the municipalities of Umeå, Vindeln, Vännäs, Bjurholm, Nordmaling and Robertsfors, together with non-profit associations and companies in the tourism industry.