Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city, has a lot to offer. This is where to see the Northern Lights and experience the Midnight Sun. Nestling some 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle in the Norrbotten province, Kiruna is a gem of a city that forms part of Swedish Lapland. This vast area covers about a quarter of Sweden and stretches across the very north of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

An outdoor enthusiast’s dream destination, Kiruna is surrounded by varied and vast terrain. Kiruna is surrounded by deep forests, expansive marshes, beautiful lakes, rivers and mountains, including Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain.  These landscapes are ideal for activities such as hiking, fly fishing, skiing, snowshoe walking and dog sledding. The city of Kiruna is celebrated as the best place to see the Northern Lights and soak up the Midnight Sun.

Kiruna puts on two natural light shows, the Midnight Sun and the Northern Lights. The Aurora Sky Station in Abisko, an hour’s drive from Kiruna, is known as one of the best places in the world to admire this kaleidoscopic display. The spot benefits from relatively low levels of precipitation and cloud cover, and although the electromagnetic interplay between sun and earth , the trigger behind this otherworldly effect, occurs constantly, you’ll only be able to see it when it’s dark from August to April.

If you’re instead keen to experience the Midnight Sun, the 24/7 sunlight you get in the summertime north of the Arctic Circle, make sure to plan your trip between May and mid-July. 

Kiruna truly is a magical place!