Sweden · Västerbotten County · Umeå
Öbacka, Umeå — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Öbacka is a residential area of Umeå, in north-eastern Sweden, stretching along the northern shore of the Umeälven within the Öst på stan district.
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Where to stay in Öbacka
Where the beds are, and what that means for the visit.
Öbacka makes a riverside base in Umeå. Its streets run along the Umeälven, with Umeå Östra station at the Öbacka strand end, and Umeå University and Norrlands universitetssjukhus, the large workplaces nearby, within reach.
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Things to do in and around Umeå
Ranked by global recognition; descriptions from Wikidata (CC0).
Museums & Galleries
3- Guitars – the Museum Guitars Museum
- Bildmuseet contemporary art museum
- Västerbottens medicinhistoriska museum working life museum
Churches & Religious Sites
3- Ålidhemskyrkan Heritage
- Helena Elisabeth Church
- Umeå Pentecostal Church
Castles & Historic Sites
1- Monumentet över Georg Carl Von Döbeln
Stadiums & Sports
2- Umeå Energi Arena Sports ground
- Gammliahallen sports hall
worth knowingacross 4 categories in and around Umeå
About Öbacka
What are the main landmarks in Öbacka?
Öbacka's own sights lie by the river. The Strandpromenaden runs along the shore past the Djupbäcksterassen park, laid out beside the uncovered Djupbäcken stream, and past Öbacka strandpark, added in 2016-2017. At the Arts Campus end stands the Bildmuseet, and the Västerbottens medicinhistoriska museum is close by.
The Gammlia open-air museum, Västerbottens museum and the Helena Elisabeth kyrka lie to the north.
What is the history of Öbacka?
In the first half of the 1900s this riverbank was industrial, from the Umeå träsliperi in the west to the Bowaters sawmill in the east, before it became part of Öbackaparken. The town plan follows Ralph Erskine's proposal. It had won an ideas competition in 1979, and Öbacka strand, with more than 700 flats, followed mainly between 2009 and 2015.
Where is Öbacka?
Öbacka runs along the northern bank of the Umeälven, from Kyrkbron and the Arts Campus to the hospital area. It belongs to Öst på stan. Its south-eastern part, Öbacka strand, sits on a narrow strip between the river and Holmsundsvägen and the railway, next to Umeå Östra station, which opened in 2010.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Öbacka?
Öbacka: visitors who want the Umeälven riverbank and Umeå Östra station a walk from their room.
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Updated October 2026