There are pilgrimage routes with pilgrim hostels, gift shops and waymarked stone paths. Then there is the Präststigen, the 'Priests' trail', a 60km (37-mile) route in north-west Sweden that ends at a tiny 18th-century chapel reachable only on foot, by boat or by helicopter.

The trail runs from the village of Kvikkjokk to Alkavare chapel, perched on a bluff above the glacial blue Alggajavvre lake on the edge of Sarek national park. Built in 1788, the chapel once hosted a summer service performed by priests who hiked in; every last weekend of July, hardy hikers can still attend it. On a recent trip, 11 people including the priest gathered inside dry-stone walls insulated with reindeer hair as Arctic wind whistled through the cracks.

Getting there is an expedition in itself. You cross the Arctic Circle north of Luleå, pass through Jokkmokk (famous for its Sami winter markets each February) and reach Kvikkjokk, where a short boat crosses Sakkat lake to the trailhead. From there, the trail is unmarked — hikers follow a plotted line of cairns described in Hans Fowelin's guidebook, so far published only in Swedish. There are no huts, no campsites and no other marked paths in Sarek, so wild camping with a heavy pack is the only option. Expect switchbacks through birch woodland strewn with blueberries and cloudberries, thigh-deep river wading, reindeer stew cooked beside gin-clear lakes, and the midnight sun peeking around your eye mask.

Sarek holds many of Sweden's highest peaks and was called 'our last great wilderness' by diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld in 1926. But local guides push back on that word. The Sami, Europe's last Indigenous people, have herded reindeer across this land for thousands of years, and the wider Laponia region was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 for its cultural as much as natural value. There's history at every turn: Carl Linnaeus botanised through here on his 1732 expedition (the first stretch of trail is sometimes called Linnaeus's trail), and the chapel itself carries a complicated legacy — built as part of the forced Christianisation of the Sami, its altar cloths today borrow the colours of traditional Sami dress.

One worthwhile detour on the return: Sweden's 'point of inaccessibility', just over the border in Padjelanta national park — roughly 50km from the nearest road or town, and often cited as western Europe's remotest spot. It's marked with nothing but a circle of quartz stones and three reindeer antlers.

For anyone who finds the Alps too groomed and the Kungsleden too busy, this is a genuine challenge with a rare payoff: a Sunday service in one of Europe's emptiest, most beautiful corners. Laponia Adventures is launching a guided small-group trip along the Priest's Path in July 2027, and offers gear rental and advice for independent hikers who'd rather go it alone.