Kiruna and Lapland

Swedish Lapland, Lappland, occupies the far north of the country, above the Arctic Circle. It is a region of low mountains, birch forests, wide rivers and lakes that freeze in winter, sparsely populated and with vast open space. It is also part of Sápmi, the land of the sámi people, the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia and Finland, who have lived there for thousands of years and maintain reindeer herding, the language, the joik (traditional singing), and duodji, the handicrafts.

Kiruna, the northernmost town in Sweden, was founded in 1900 around the Kiirunavaara iron mine, one of the largest underground iron mines in the world, which is still in operation. The mine extends beneath the town, and for that reason the center is being moved gradually to the east; historic buildings have been moved whole to the new center. You can visit a mine gallery at 540 meters depth. Seventeen kilometers away, in the village of Jukkasjärvi on the banks of the Torne River, is the Icehotel, the ice hotel rebuilt each winter with blocks taken from the river, and an 18th-century wooden church. In the village, sámi families welcome visitors to show their reindeer and their culture.

About 95 km to the west, Abisko sits on the shore of lake Torneträsk, facing the mountains that border Norway. Abisko National Park has a canyon, trails, the start of the Kungsleden trail and the U-shaped valley view of Lapporten. Being in a low-precipitation area, Abisko often has clear skies more frequently, and the Aurora Sky Station, high on mount Nuolja, is a popular aurora viewing point.

The region is reached by plane from Stockholm or by overnight train.

This destination brings together 2 cities: Kiruna, Abisko.