In the summer of 2022, I spent several weeks traveling through northern Sweden. While checking Google Maps near Porjus, I noticed a strange English name in the middle of nowhere: Lancaster, Easy Elsie.
It immediately caught my attention. An English bomber name in the forests of northern Sweden felt out of place. I read a few short reviews, looked at the photos, and knew I wanted to see it for myself. At the time, I was debating whether to stay in the area or head back toward Stockholm, something I wasn’t eager to do. Summer in northern Sweden is short, and this felt like the kind of place you only visit if you’re already there and curious enough to follow a small detour.
That detour turned out to be worth it.
What Is Easy Elsie
Easy Elsie was a British Avro Lancaster bomber that made an emergency landing in 1944 during World War II. The aircraft landed in what is now the Jokkmokk municipality in northern Sweden. Despite often being referred to as a “plane crash site,” it was not a fatal crash. All crew members survived.
What makes this site unusual is that the remains of the plane were never removed. Instead of being transported to a museum, the wreckage was left exactly where it came down. Today, pieces of the aircraft are still scattered across the meadow where it landed, slowly being reclaimed by nature.
There is no entrance fee, no ticket booth, no information center, and no explanatory panels. The site exists quietly, almost unnoticed, unless you deliberately go looking for it.
How to Get There
Reaching the Easy Elsie Lancaster site is straightforward if you have a car.
Before entering the forest, there is a small parking area for three or four cars (see Google maps). You’ll also find a modest sign marking the start of the trail. From there, a long wooden footbridge leads into the forest and continues across marshy ground and meadow.
The footbridge is solid but narrow. If someone approaches from the opposite direction, one of you will need to step aside. This becomes more noticeable if the ground is wet, as there is little room to pass comfortably.
The walk from the parking area to the crash site is about 1.6 kilometers one way. Expect roughly 20 minutes of walking at a relaxed pace. I visited in summer, when the landscape was green, alive, and full of movement. I can imagine the experience being very different in winter, both in atmosphere and accessibility.
The Plane Crash Site
The moment you step off the footbridge and into the open meadow, the wreckage becomes visible. Sheets of metal, fragments of wings, parts of the fuselage, and cockpit elements are spread across the grass. Nothing is staged. Nothing is cordoned off. There are no signs telling you where to stand or what to look at.
The place feels untouched, almost accidental, as if you stumbled upon it rather than arrived at a destination.
When I visited in August 2022, there was only one other person there, an older man quietly walking around the site. That was it. Considering the history and uniqueness of the location, it was surprisingly empty. That silence is part of what makes the place memorable.
Practical Information
Location: Jokkmokk, Sweden
Time needed:
– Around 35–40 minutes for walking there and back
– At least 20 minutes to explore the site itself
Allow about an hour in total, more if you like to walk slowly or take photos.
Easy Elsie is not a polished attraction, and that is exactly its strength. It’s a place where history hasn’t been framed behind glass or turned into an exhibit. The aircraft remains where it landed, surrounded by forest, grass, and silence.
If you’re interested in aviation history, World War II sites, or simply places that feel authentic and undisturbed, this is worth the walk. Even if you’re just passing through northern Sweden, Easy Elsie is the kind of stop that stays with you long after you leave.
