My name is Per Lundstrom. Welcome to my travel guide on the best adventures in Swedish Lapland in both the summer and winter season.
I grew up in Lulea Norrbotten County and have lived there my entire life. It’s a good city that offers a fantastic starting point towards nature. My grandmother and grandfather used to live in Kiruna and at that time my parents built a small cottage 100 km from there in Abisko.
We took many trips and holidays to Abisko when I was young. It was the nature there that began to inspire me to photograph all the different seasons and lights. In the winter season, the northern lights can be seen in Abisko and if you’re lucky you can see an incredible amount of them.
Why Swedish Lapland should be on your Bucket List
Swedish Lapland is an amazing place. You have a crazy big area with national parks that is basically untouched. Many of the best spots can be reached by train, car, bus or even plane. The roads are fantastic and the accommodation here is some of the most unique in the world.
My favourite places in Swedish Lapland are the forests outside Arvidsjaur in Norrbotten and the mountains in Abisko. Both of these places are rich in wildlife and offer amazing lights that really excite visitors. Seeing the northern lights against the forest or the mountains is simply amazing.
10 Best Things To Do in Swedish Lapland
Many people consider Lapland to be Europe’s last untouched wilderness and it’s easy to see why when you visit. This land is teeming with incredible landscapes, rich wildlife and natural phenomena that blows the mind such as the awesome midnight sun and dazzling northern lights.
Below you will find my Top 10 Adventures of Swedish Lapland:
1. See the Midnight Sun from May to July
As the name suggests, the midnight sun is a natural phenomenon where the sun can be seen in the middle of the night. It’s both a bizarre and awesome experience at the same time. Just imagine being outdoors hiking at midnight! I love to be in Abisko on Mount Nuolja in these months.
2. Experience the Dazzling Northern Lights
Seeing the northern lights is right up there as a travel experience like ticking off the Pyramids of Giza or seeing the Taj Mahal. The Aurora Borealis appears during the start of September until the end of March in the far north of Sweden. It’s particularly of interest to photographers!
3. Stay in the Amazing Treehotel in Harads
The Treehotel is one of the most incredible places to stay overnight in the world. Being up in the trees in North Sweden allows you to look out over the untouched nature and landscape. You can enjoy this hotel year round for northern lights displays and fishing trips in the warmer months.
4. Camp in Nature at Trollforsen Camping
Trollforsen Camping is situated on a small peninsula on the shores of Hemsjo Lake. It’s an ideal summer spot to be immersed in nature where you can enjoy fishing, hiking, swimming and canoeing. This campsite has everything you need including a small grocery store and cafe.
5. Go Skiing at the Dundret Ski Resort
Dundret Ski Resort is a traditional mountain resort in the heart of Swedish Lapland. In the summer season you can see the midnight sun and in winter you can ski the mountains. There are 10 km of slopes to enjoy with six different chair lifts for transporting you and your skis, snowboards, etc.
6. Explore Stora Sjofallet National Park
Stora Sjofallet is a national park in Norrbotten County that offers various mountain landscapes and glaciers – including the massif of Ahkka with 13 summits and 10 glaciers. There are a few fantastic hiking trails to enjoy here such as Kungsleden (King’s Trail) which takes you across 440 km of nature.
7. Spend a Few Nights in the Iconic Icehotel
Icehotel is Sweden’s most iconic and famous hotel. It’s located in the small village of Jukkasjarvi near the city of Kiruna. Everything here is built of ice which is remarkable to see. This is both a hotel and art exhibition with changing art made out of ice and snow. Best enjoyed, obviously, in winter.
8. Visit the Incredible Lulea Archipelago
There are over 1300 islands in the Lulea archipelago which are shaped by the weather, wind, winter cold and magical summertime. The midnight sun shines bright in summer and makes for an incredible experience. Go camping and take in the stunning nature of Lulea.
9. Discover the Highest Mountain Station in Sweden
Laktatjakko is the highest mountain station in Sweden standing at 1228 metres above sea level. Not only that but you can find the highest post office and highest bar in Sweden too. It’s not a fancy mountain station (it’s just a hut) but the service, atmosphere and food is something special.
10. Take Photos in Abisko, Swedish Lapland
My favourite place to take photos is Abisko. Here you can find beautiful scenery in the fall with the colours really blossoming in mid-September. Later in the year, the northern lights begin which are fantastically spectacular. Almost every night when it’s clear you get to see them!
Amazing Sami Culture of Swedish Lapland
The people of Swedish Lapland are exciting. The Sami culture is traditionally strong and since the Sami have lived and worked in northern Sweden for millennia, culture is a large part of our lifestyle in Lapland.
A great way to learn even more about this and the food is to visit Nutti Sami Siida in Jukkasjarvi. Imagine a combination of visiting reindeer, watching the northern lights and listening to Sami fairy tales and stories.
Best Places to Stay in Swedish Lapland
As well as the places mentioned above (Treehotel and Icehotel), I would like to recommend accommodation specifically to experience the midnight sun. Abisko Mountain Lodge, STF Abisko Mountain Station, Aurora Lake Lapland and Stora Sjofallet Mountain Center are all top spots for this.
No matter when you visit Swedish Lapland, one thing is for sure: there is an epic adventure waiting for you. Thanks for reading and enjoy your visit!
