SWEDISHthe destinations of LAPLAND YOUR ARCTIC DESTINATION winter/early spring A MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE From skiing along the King’s Trail to extreme off-piste ICEHOTEL Natural ice experiences all year round new kiruna The present and the past in harmony Aurora BorealisTHE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD TO SEE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS? Welcome to winter white Kiruna Photo: Tomas Utsi Tomas Photo: HERE IN THE NORTHERNMOST PA RT of Swedish begins with crisp coldness and ends with the Lapland, the contrasts are as beautiful as they are bright rays of the spring sun, waking up the land numerous, almost endless. You will find an infinite by shining both day and night. variety of activities here, winter months with blue, We have clear seasons here. Some people reckon arctic light, and the northern lights crackling and we have four seasons, but the Sámi people have dancing across the skies. Later in the season, there taught us there are actually eight. Winter is divided will even be the midnight sun. Kiruna is home to into three seasons; early winter, true winter and Sweden’s highest mountains and the world’s lar- spring-winter. The climate and seasons are very gest underground iron ore mine. Kiruna is unique, important to the Sámi people for their reindeer with our world-famous ICEHOTEL located here, herding, and as our guest we can offer you all world class skiing and adventure around every cor- kinds of things to do depending on the timing of ner no matter which part of the region you choose your visit. to visit. Expand your range of travel experiences Being 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, and enjoy a true winter with us. A winter filled we enjoy winter sports from October to Mid- with powdery, thick, chalk-white snow, magical summer. Cross-country skiing, alpine ski tours, silence and clear, starry nights. A winter that downhill skiing, snowboarding and hiking on 2 DESTINATIONS OF SWEDISH LAPLAND KIRUNA skis. We drill holes in thick ice on rivers and lakes so that we can fish for char. Silently, close to natu- TOURIST INFORMATION re and all her animals, we head out with teams of eager dogs pulling sleds. Or we take our snowmo- The tourist center is in the centre of Kiruna. Inspiration and information on biles miles out into the wide mountain world, or accommodation, activities and transport to forests of snow covered fir trees. are available here. You can also buy maps, souvenirs and hunting and fishing licences Kiruna is undergoing an exciting transforma- here, as well as storing your luggage. tion. The entire town is about to relocate because Kiruna Lappland Tourist Center the mine and ore deposits are extending beneath Lars Janssonsgatan 17, Kiruna what’s currently the town centre. However, our +46 (0)980-188 80 warm welcome and wild countryside surrounding [email protected] the town will still be here to greet you, just as they For more information, have always done. Welcome to Kiruna, we have the inspiration and opening hours: raw materials, the culture, the experiences. www.kirunalapland.se facebook.com/kirunalapland Come and share our arctic everyday lives, instagram.com/kirunalapland which are far from ordinary. 3 Building a hotel out of ice is hard work, cold and often demanding. However it is also a process filled with love, characterised by playful, magical moments ICEHOTEL, photo: Asaf Kliger Asaf photo: ICEHOTEL, Borrowing a river — A CYCLE OF ADVENTURES AND EXPERIENCES AS THE COLD ARRIVES in the Arctic landscape, the Arne Bergh who has been participating in the river slows down and is transformed. There is no ICEHOTEL project from the very start. time to rest at this time of year, artists from all The awareness that ice is a transient material over the world gather in Jukkasjärvi to create this inspires boldness in trying new ideas and letting winter’s ICEHOTEL. creativity flow. Everything is preserved inside For about six weeks there is fervent activity the walls for a few months and the ice melts and in the small village by the Torne River. Building the water returns back into the river as part of a a hotel out of ice is hard work, cold and often natural cycle. demanding. However it is also a process filled with Jukkasjärvi has a long history as a meeting love, characterised by playful, magical moments, place for people from both near and far. The name such as when creative lighting enhances the comes from a Sami word meaning “meeting place impression of an already immaculate, translucent by the water” and at the ICEHOTEL, encounters ice creation. are at the heart of everything. Visitors meeting “The energy that is let loose when creative locals, man meeting nature, ice meeting creativity people from a wide variety of backgrounds and — a meeting that transforms the ice into art, at places meet the ice is almost tangible”, says least for a short time. 4 DESTINATIONS OF SWEDISH LAPLAND KIRUNA Ice and snow 365 Kliger 365, photo: Asaf ICEHOTEL NATURAL ICE EXPERIENCES ALL YEAR ROUND In 2016, the gates to something new were opened on the shore of the Torne River in Jukkasjärvi. A permanent, all year round, snow and ice experience — ICEHOTEL 365! There had long been a demand for year round visits to the ICEHOTEL and after 27 years as an international attraction following the changing seasons, the dream of a permanent snow and ice hotel came true. ICEHOTEL 365 is powered by a solar facility harnessing the nearly constant daylight in Lapland during the summer. At the height of the midnight sun season, visitors can enjoy and be awestruck by the magic of winter at ICEHOTEL 365. – When we got the idea to run the ICEHOTEL with the help of solar energy, we decided to make it happen right away, to create an ice experience that is available all year round, explains ICEHOTEL founder Yngve Bergqvist. The hotel, open all year, is a complete experience, featuring 9 luxurious suites with bathrooms, 11 art suites; all sculpted by selected artists, an ice gallery with an ice sculpting studio and an ICEBAR, serving champagne and other beverages in glasses made of ice. The elegant exterior combines the iconic, arched architecture of the ICEHOTEL with traditional construction methods, harmonising well with the surrounding environment. During the summer, the roof is covered with grass and as winter settles in Jukkasjärvi, the 2,100 square metre facility becomes part of the classic ICEHOTEL. ICEHOTEL FACTS • ICEHOTEL was founded in 1989 and is the world’s first Sleeping below hotel made of ice and snow. freezing point • ICEHOTEL is open for ice ICEHOTEL, photo: Asaf Kliger photo: Asaf ICEHOTEL, experiences 365 days a year. During winter, you can visit both the classic hotel and the permanent ICEHOTEL 365. • The construction of ICEHOTEL requires approximately 30,000 cubic metres of ‘snice’ and 1,000 tons of ice. • The amount of snow needed to build the rooms would be enough to make 700 million For most guests, the stay at ICEHOTEL checked in to a special warm building snowballs. is an experience they’ll never forget. where their luggage and other equip- Many find it easy to sleep well at ment are stored. • The ICEHOTEL chandeliers temperatures below freezing point, The temperature inside ICEHOTEL alone require 1,000 handmade because the surroundings are so quiet never drops below minus 7 degrees Cel- crystals. and cool. Most guests spend a night in sius, no matter how cold it is outdoors. the cold area of the hotel and then one Before you hit the hay, you should dress • Every winter the ice bar serves or more nights in the warm area. in warm base layers, pull your hat down 29,850 drinks in the rocks, in Staying at ICEHOTEL is an experien- over your ears and slide down into a bed glasses made of ice.* ce quite unlike any other. This is why a made of blocks of ice, a thick mattress survival course is held every evening and reindeer skins. • The ice church hosts just over for new guests, providing them with an In the morning, you’ll be woken with a 100 weddings every year. introduction on how they should dress hot lingonberry drink before you head *Figures from ICEHOTEL#28. and use their sleeping bags. All guests off for a lovely sauna, a delicious break- staying in the cold area of the hotel are fast buffet and a variety of activities. 5 THE FREESKIERS’ FAVOURITE Riksgränsen is not only Sweden’s northernmost ski resort, but also the most legendary. The skiing is incredibly efficient here, making the most of every metre of space there is to use. Much of the skiing takes place off-piste, but by no means all of it. There are lots of great pistes which are undulating and wind- ing. There are also numerous off-piste areas easily accessible alongside the pistes. Quite simply, great skiing. Every spring, freeskiing stars from all over the world make the pilgrimage here to round off their season with a celebra- tion: NM, or the Scandinavian Big Mountain Championships. They come here to compete for the title on Mount Nordalsfjäll, but also because of the informal atmosphere here where no distinction is made between pros and happy amateurs. Do not forget the varied skiing, which means that most people who come here return time after time. The feeling of standing on a mountain peak, with fairytale skiing ahead of you, is unbeatable. To enjoy perfect skiing and give yourself a topic of conversation for the après-ski, take a helicopter or use climbing skins to help you and use the services of a mountain guide who knows where the best snow is located.