Activities to do in Swedish Lapland
Northern part of Sweden, the Swedish Lapland is the land of contrasts. Also known as the land of eight seasons, midnight sun and the northern lights, the Swedish Lapland is the home to Europe's last wilderness. Snow covered forests, magical dancing northern lights, ancient mountains, frozen lakes, and deep silence are some of the highlights of this country of the Arctic Circle. Listed below are some of the activities which you should not miss when you are in the Swedish Lapland.
Get a Glimpse of the Magical Aurora Borealis
As the electrically charged particles from the Sun entering the Earth's atmosphere collide with each other, a magical phenomenon of colourful dancing ribbons of light are created in the sky. The phenomenon is most prominent near the North and South poles. Swedish Lapland's proximity to the magnetic North Pole makes it an apt region for Northern Lights viewing on cold winter nights when the sky is clear, dark and there is no moonlight.
The prime location for viewing the Northern Lights is 'The Aurora Sky Station' located inside the 'Abisko National Park'.
The Ice Hotel also organizes for the Aurora watching wilderness camps on cold and dark winter nights. You can dine inside the camp and enjoy viewing the Aurora Borealis. If you want to get more closer to these Northern Lights, you can also ask the Ice Hotel staff to arrange for the Northern Light flights wherein you can experience the ultimate viewing of these Northern Lights from the window of an aeroplane.
Several tour operators also organize for overnight husky and dog-sledding tours to get a glimpse of the beautiful light show.
Experience a Stay in the World Famous Ice Hotel
When you are in the Swedish Lapland, you cannot miss a stay in the very first Ice Hotel of the world that is located in Jukkasjarvi, around 200 kilometre north of the Arctic Circle. Everything in the hotel is made of ice and snow ranging from the hotel beds, dazzling ice sculptures, ice-carved chandeliers to the glasses in which you are served with wine and cocktails. The hotel is built every year from scratch with a new design and structure. Lots of ice and snow artists gather each year in winter months to display their works of art which are created using mammoth size ice blocks from the frozen Torne River.
The hotel also organizes for the guided Northern Lights tours - they also have special Northern Light viewing ice suites. Snowmobile safari, husky sleighing and ice fishing are some of the other activities which you can indulge into during your stay at the Ice Hotel.
Staying is this hotel can be truly a unique and unforgettable experience of your lifetime.
Visit the Church village of Gammelstad
Located in north of Luleå (part of the Swedish Lapland), the Church village of Gammelstad is a well preserved church village that was set in the 15th century. The concept of church towns is a speciality of Sweden and your trip would remain incomplete without visiting one such church town.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, this village is definitely worth a visit. Red coloured houses with snow covered rooftops, roads and trees give you a feeling as if you have entered a town set in a fairytale.
According to the history, the church of Gammelstad was visited by lots of farmers and merchants living in the neighbouring towns in the past centuries. Due to long distances and harsh weather conditions, it was difficult for the churchgoers to return to their towns the same day. Keeping this in mind, the church town was set-up comprising of many houses surrounding the church. These houses were used by visitors for overnight stays on Sundays and during religious festivals. Since then the concept of church towns grew and became common in the Northern Scandinavia.
To soak yourself in the history of the bygone era, you must take a guided tour of the church and the surrounding wooden houses when in Gammelstad.
Visit the Winter Market at Jokkmokk
The Winter Market that is being held every year at Jokkmokk for the past 400 years is a must visit destination when you are in Swedish Lapland in the month of February. The market spans three days opening on the first Thursday of February and is the largest winter fair in the Northern Europe. Lots of cultural events like folk dances, reindeer races, and reindeer caravan processions take place during this time frame. Stalls of indigenous food, natural products like cheese,honey and jams made of Lapland berries, and other products like traditional Sámi shoes, reindeer fur jackets etc. line the streets of Jokkmokk at the winter fair.
Visitors to the fair can also enjoy taking a dog or husky sledge tours of the surrounding area.
Spend a Night in of the Tree Houses at the Tree Hotel
The Tree Hotel in Sweden is one of its kind in the whole world. Its uniquely designed tree houses built in harmony with nature and ecological values are worth spending a night during your visit to the Swedish Lapland. This hotel has six differently designed tree top accommodations fully equipped with all the modern day amenities.
Some of the most interesting tree houses in the hotel are the Bird's Nest (resembling a huge bird's nest from outside), UFO (resembling a spaceship) and the Mirror Cube (the external mirrored walls reflect the surroundings which nicely camouflage the tree house inside the thick forest).
Do stay here if you get a chance.
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