💎 Hidden gems remaining: 3
Kiruna used to be an industrial city in the north of Sweden. Mostly known for its iron mines, so much underground was removed that the old city became unstable, which required the buildings to be moved. However, it offers many attractions and natural beauties, which invite tourists and nature-lovers to cross the arctic circle.
By crossing the water body to the north (and taking a taxi that's already on their way there anyway 🚕), you will approach an area which seems to be a bit more populated. One attraction, especially during winter, is definitely the Ice Hotel. Built entirely from ice, snow, frozen snow, wood, rubber, plastic, metal and other materials, it is a special feeling to step inside. Admire the incredible sense of details the ice-carvers put into their rooms!
Native peoples residing in these nordic areas. They have a unique culture and folklore. Visit this open air museum to learn more about them. Try their warm lindelberry juice. There's a raindeer farm as a part of the museum – you can observe the raindeers at a close sight and even stroke them.
The spirituality of their religion is also shown through their music. Jojk is thought to be the oldest style of European music. Jojking can be thought of as humming. Without any excessive lyrics (except for setting the theme), this humming melody develops while singing. The improviser expresses their feelings as they jojk.
Raindeers and mooses are an inevitable part of the Sámi culture
Swedes really love the word gamla. They have gamla bibliotheket, gamla city centre, gamla everything. But this adjective simply means "old".
The old city centre was built to provide home and entertainment for numerous workers in the iron Kiruna mine. Miners, truck drivers and everyone else needed for mine to function lived there, as well as their families. However, more than a century of mining ore caused the ground to gain cracks, which could cause the whole town to collapse. That's the reason for moving the entire city!
Walking the city really gives you a feeling of how people lived, what this town meant for the community, and how the mine is an inseparable part of their lives.
The Kiruna Church was a gift from the mining company. Blink twice and it will be on a big truck being moved to a new location
Don't actually do that, it's dangerous! Keep that in mind when planning your hike from accommodation to destination. Try to find snowmobile paths in the snow.
But while we're at it, did you know Kiruna also had a ski slope? And I am pretty sure you can borrow ski equipment from the local instance of Firitsbanken :)
Fritidsbanken is a true gem of northern culture. It is a representation of a community where the goal is not to be angry on everyone you meet, but rather work together towards building an accepting environment.
In Fritidsbanken, students can borrow various sports equipment free of charge. How good is that!? Imagine flying to a country for one semester. Of course you don't bring your skis. Or ice-skaters. Or tents. Or snowboard (because you had never actually tried snowboarding). What could possibly be better than borrowing the equipment there?
Furthermore, they have instances all accross Sweden. Forget about carrying your skis on the train – just borrow them in Kiruna :) The goal of this equipment library is to give unused things a new life.
Why did I mention the calm and positivity-oriented culture? Because no-one steals anything. It is for the well-being of everyone. And in case the equipment accidentally breaks, they will happily repair it, and it will enter a new cycle of joy.
A residential part of Kiruna with a ski slope at the left ⛷
It looks like steam fireworks!
View of the artifitial mountains
As iron mining is in the heart of this area, they offer guided tours through their mines. Keep in mind that you have to reserve the tickets well in advance. (It is not as hard as studying for an exam, so you can do this more than )
I know this is the actual reason why you came here. And it was a good choice! Find a location away from light pollution (this lake is dope! Especially if your cabin is directly at the shore – you can warm up at any time, and run outside once your Aurora Detector notifies you of visible aurora 🤯).
Kiruna lies so far up north that the physics of our lovely planet Earth creates incredible opportunities of seeing the dance of Aurora. Combine that with practically eternal winter night. But keep in mind you get eternal daylight during summer, so no aurora for you.
Colours vary from green to white and even pink! Enjoy the omnidirectional dance accross the whole sky!
We are just as adorable as the nature here! Thanks, Julia 🇩🇪, Peter 🇩🇪 and Tamara 🇩🇪, for sharing 🇸🇮 this trip!
As the sun starts rising, be sure to run outside. Well, you don't need to run. Because the sun angle is so low, it will take half an hour from sun's first peek to being fully above the horizon.
You can always return to sleep if you feel tired. You can also walk around the lake – very much recommended! Wave "hi" to locals passing by using their husky sleighs or modern snowmobiles.
It was mentioned that mooses and raindeers are an inevitable part of the Arctic. Their meat is very tasty. We visited a street food-like van which offered the so-called Stejk-Sub. It might remind you of kebab, but it contains better meat.
For vegans, they are said to offer vegan meals as well. Enjoy eating in a tent along with other tourists and locals.
Stejk-Sub. Big pieces: raindeer. Small pieces: moose.