Kiruna, the northernmost city in Sweden is situated in the Lapland province and is 145 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. This makes it an ideal location to experience the natural light displays of the Northern Lights that dance in the sky above, also know as the  Aurora Borealis. They were named after the roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas and are also known as the Northern Polar Lights, as it is only visible in the sky from the Northern Hemisphere.

Kiruna’s guaranteed winter snow makes it ideal for snowmobile riding, dog sledding, alpine and cross-country skiing, ice climbing in the mountains and sometimes ice skating on the lakes and rivers can be experienced. You can also just chill out at the world famous Ice Hotel in the ‘Absolut Icebar’ or take a wander around its Ice Art Gallery and Chapel. Now that is COOL.

SEE:

• Icehotel - In the village of Jukkasjärvi  the Ice hotel is reconstructed every year. The walls, fixtures, and fittings are made entirely of ice, and are held together using a substance known as snice, which takes the place of mortar. Their lobbies are often filled with ice sculptures, and food and beverages are specially chosen for the circumstances.
• The church in Kiruna - The church is one of Sweden's largest wooden buildings. The church exterior is built in an Neo Gothic style, while the altar is in Art Nouveau.
• Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) - Between the months of May 30 and July 15  the sun never sets, the daylight lasting from early May to early August. However the sun doesn't rise from early December to early January. The lights happen all year round but in the darker winter months the Northern Lights are more visible and are just stunning.

EXPERIENCE:

• The Christmas Lapland Tour - If you love Christmas then it doesn’t get more Christmas than this. Over the Christmas period you’ll enjoy visits to Santa’s secret hideaway, guided coach tours, you’ll even  get to meet and help Santa’s helpers find Christmas trees plus much much more.
• The Kiruna festival - The Kiruna festival is organised each summer, a music festival in the midnight sun. Also in the summer months many come to hike up the highest mountain in Sweden, Kebnekaise, or to walk on trails such as Kungsleden  and Nordkalottruta, or to hike in the national parks such as Abisko National Park.
• The Snow festival - The Snow festival is organised each winter and includes scooter jumping, reindeer racing, an ice sculpture contest.

SECRETS OF THE CITY:

• Sami peoples are the arctic indigenous people and have inhabited the northern arctic and sub-arctic regions of Fenno-Scandinavia and Russia for at least 5000 years.