Holiday apartment in Kiruna: Nature, Winter and Culture

More than 530,000 hectares of protected areas shape the municipality of Kiruna. These include national parks as well as nature and wildlife reserves. Within the municipal boundaries there are also around 6,000 lakes and six rivers. These dimensions set the scene for a region in which trails, water and protected landscapes are closely interconnected.

Nature

One particularly distinctive route through this landscape is the Kungsleden. It runs through Abisko National Park, follows the Abiskojåkka through Abisko Canyon and leads to its delta in Lake Torneträsk. Abisko National Park is accessible via the E10 and by railway. The tourist station and Naturum are within walking distance of bus and railway stops as well as several hiking trails.

In the national park, Naturum Abisko offers nature guides, exhibitions, a film and lecture hall, and a shop in addition to the tourist station. The exhibition explores the impacts of climate change on sensitive mountain ecosystems as well as the national park’s distinctive geology, flora and fauna. The municipality of Kiruna also has long hiking trails leading to various scenic locations. The summit of Kebnekaise, at around 2,100 metres above sea level, can be reached by ski in winter and hiking boots in summer.

A guided cave excursion leads through narrow passages and water-carved formations. Afterwards, a walk along the Kåppasjåkka River leads to waterfalls and potholes.

Winter

The municipality of Kiruna has around 1,500 kilometres of snowmobile trails. For days of skiing and snowboarding, the Luossavaara ski slope is Kiruna’s central ski area. It has three lifts, four runs, a park with jumps and rails, a run length of 2,500 metres and a vertical drop of 156 metres. Kiruna also offers 63 kilometres of cross-country ski trails, including 28 kilometres of illuminated trails.

There are also clearly defined activity options outside winter sports: A 7.6-kilometre roller-ski track starts at the Matojärvi sports ground, loops around the area and returns to the sports ground. At ICEHOTEL 365, ice creations can be visited year-round in a solar-powered, refrigerated environment with a constant temperature of minus 5 degrees Celsius. ICEHOTEL also offers a guided ice-carving course. Participants work with a block of clear ice taken from the Torne River and are introduced to the use of tools and the basics of ice carving.

Culture

ICEHOTEL in Jukkasjärvi combines a hotel with an art exhibition created from snow and ice. The Arctic Light Film Festival also makes use of unusual venues: it takes place every year in November, with venues at Kiruna Folkets Hus, outdoors, at ICEHOTEL and in the LKAB mine 540 metres underground. The main programme of Snöfestivalen is Kiruna’s international snow sculpture competition, which attracts artists from around the world every year. Kirunafestivalen has been a permanent feature of Kiruna’s cultural summer since it was founded in 2000.

The history of mining can be experienced directly at the LKAB Visitor Centre. The centre offers guided bus tours to a demonstration mine 540 metres underground. The tour includes a 20,000-square-metre visitor facility with exhibitions and mining machinery, as well as a mining museum with historical environments, work tools and photographs from the early 20th century. Kiruna also offers guided tours and a QR city tour, where visitors can learn more about the history, architecture and ongoing relocation of the town. Kiruna Church was inaugurated in 1912 and built in the form of a Sámi kåta.

Karesuando’s visitor heritage includes Laestadius pörte and Laestadiusträdgården. Both are connected with Lars Levi Laestadius’s stay in the village from 1826 to 1849. In Jukkasjärvi, Márkanbáiki is an easily accessible place for a day visit, with a Sámi museum exhibition, encounters with reindeer and a short nature and culture trail. The Márkanbáiki visitor experience also includes traditional Sámi flavours with a modern interpretation at the Ovttas restaurant. The Kin Museum of Contemporary Art is Norrbotten County’s museum of contemporary art and offers exhibitions, guided tours, workshops and other activities.

Getting around

Regional buses connect the town of Kiruna with villages and mountain destinations in the municipality; many of these services operate seasonally. Because of the long distances and seasonal public transport in Kiruna, travellers heading to mountains, villages and border areas should check timetables, book in advance and plan their journey carefully.

Other places

Other places: Kiruna, Vittangi, Abisko, Karesuando, Riksgränsen, Björkliden, Lannavaara.

To the higher-level travel overview: Norrbotten.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Pajala.