Kiruna

If you have never been in Northern Scandinavia during the midsummer period, the bright nights are perhaps the most fascinating and apparent phenomenon. The sun doesn’t set at all. You can get spectacular views of the surroundings from the city mountain, Luossavaara, about 4 km outside Kiruna. The midnight sun can be experienced between 27 May and 14 July in Kiruna.

Between September and April, there is the chance of experiencing the northern lights, provided that it is a starry night. The aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, is a stunning natural light display in the Earth's sky, caused by solar winds disturbing the magnetosphere and ionizing atmospheric particles. You can look up the northern lights forecast online.

Situated 40 kilometres from Kiruna, the Esrange Space Center is Europe's premier civilian space base. It's a hub for high-altitude balloons, aurora borealis studies, rocket launches, and soon, satellite launches. Esrange offers guided tours year-round, where visitors can delve into both its rich heritage and exciting future. Learn about the significance of space exploration and the impending advancements in the industry at the unmanned exhibition outside its gates.

The world-famous Ice Hotel is located in Jukkasjärvi, 17 km from Kiruna. The world’s largest hotel of its kind, made out of thousands of tonnes of snow and ice, is rebuilt every winter. You’ll be nice and cool as you sleep after a drink in the Icebar, beautifully chiselled out of pure blue ice from the River Torne. Open from mid-December to the end of April. In the summer, you can experience ice art in the hotel’s Art Centre.

One in ten of Kiruna’s residents is of Sami origin. The Sami people have their own national anthem, flag and language, one of five national minority languages recognized by Swedish law. Samegården is a Sami cultural centre and museum.

Kiruna Church, a remarkable example of Sweden's largest wooden structures, blends Gothic Revival architecture with an Art Nouveau altar. Designed by Gustaf Wickman and completed in 1912, its unique shape mirrors a Sami hut (lavvú), with coloured glass lower windows and clear upper ones. Dubbed the "sanctuary of the wandering people", it was envisioned as an inclusive space with minimal Christian symbols. Amidst Kiruna's transformation, this architectural gem is set for relocation in 2025, preserving its historic and cultural significance.