After a 14 hour bus-ride north from Stockholm, we successfully crossed the arctic circle and several hours later arrived in the Iron Ore Mining town of Kiruna.
Upon immediate arrival in Kiruna we headed to the outskirts of the small arctic town for a dog-sledding and snow-mobiling combi tour!
Here is a picture of myself with two of our sled-dogs. The one closest to me is named Robert De Niro and the one on the right is named Michael Jackson.
Another picture of myself standing on the back of a sled.
Once those tough, little huskies got moving, they could pull the sled hard and fast.
Halfway through the combi-tour we stopped in a Sami tent for some warm coffee and tea.
After drinking some coffee and warming up in the Sami tent we hopped on some snow-mobiles for another tour around the outskirts of Kiruna.
Later in the afternoon after the combi-tour we headed to the LKAB Iron Ore Mine in Kiruna for a guided tour 500 meters below the earth.
The LKAB Mine has 260 miles of roads underneath the mine and descends to a depth of 932 miles.
The city of Kiruna, population approximately 18,000, is currently in the process of being fully moved further away from the mine. The continuous mining has caused large sinkholes to form beneath Kiruna, jeopardizing the safety of the buildings and the people living there.
Our second day in Kiruna we made a visit to the famous Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, just a 30 minute drive from Kiruna.
Here is a picture of the main lobby within the Ice Hotel.
The Ice Bar in Jukkasjärvi was the first and mothership of all the Ice Bars around the world. Other Ice Bars now exist in Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, Oslo, and Stockholm. All of these Ice Bars use ice mugs cut from the Jukkasjärvi river.
The drinks served within the Ice Bar offer a very colorful contrast. They are served in ice mugs carved from the Jukkasjärvi river just minutes outside the bar.
Here is one of the 4 main hallways within the Ice Hotel. There are 3 different types of guest rooms within the Ice Hotel; standard ice rooms, snow rooms, and artist designed ice rooms.
One of the many artistically designed ice rooms within the hotel.
Another picture from within one of the artist designed ice rooms.
A picture taken from within the Ice Church. 40+ weddings are held here each year.
A picture of myself in front of the Ice Hotel. You can see the big slabs of ice behind me, cut from the Jukkasjärvi river.
After leaving the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, we drove 1 hour northwest towards Abisko and stopped at a Sami Reindeer Farm where we met two Sami Indians. We had a chance to feed the reindeer and learn what it is like to live as a Sami Indian in the 21st century.
A picture of me feeding a reindeer some moss.
We left the Sami Reindeer Farm at dusk just as the sun began to set upon the horizon.
After an hour and a half bus ride from the Sami Reindeer Farm we reached Abisko, Sweden. Abisko is an extremely small village north of Kiruna and close to the Norwegian border. This small village offers the best chance to spot the Aurora Borealis. Upon arriving in Abisko, we spent the evening drinking gløgg, and roasting hot dogs within a Sami tent while looking for the northern lights. Unfortunately, we only saw a few faint lights, but nothing spectacular.
This wasn't the most spectacular northern lights show, but the pictures still turned out quite well.
Here's another picture.
After a long night of wishing and waiting for the mysterious northern lights, we awoke early the next day and departed for Narvik, Norway. The 2 hour trip to Narvik was a beautiful drive through rolling snow mountains illuminated by crystal clear skies.
More scenic shots from the drive to Narvik, Norway.
Narvik, Norway is located among the Lofoten Islands and situated on the Narvik Fjord.
Another picture of one of the many fjords surrounding Narvik.
Narvik is most famously known for the Naval Battles of Narvik in 1940 between the British Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine during WWII. Narvik provided an ice-free harbor in the North Atlantic for iron ore transported by the railway from Kiruna in Sweden. Both sides in the war had an interest in securing this iron supply for themselves and denying it to the enemy, setting the stage for one of the first large-scale battles during the Second World War since the invasion of Poland.
Another picture of the Narvik mountainside.
Hundreds of French soldiers were in the city of Narvik while we were there. The harsh arctic climate makes it an ideal spot for training. They also visited the Battles of Narvik museum and reenacted the battle through war games.
After spending the afternoon in Narvik we returned to Abisko to spend some time in the sauna and go for an arctic swim in the glacier lake called Torneträsk.
On our last day in Abisko we went for hike to get a good view of the the U-shaped valley called Lapporten. The valley was carved out by a glacier thousands of years ago.
Leaving the arctic north and heading back home was a bit depressing considering we never witnessed an impressive northern lights display. However, while on the road back home, just after a few hours, we looked outside our windows and saw an incredible display of lights. Our bus driver pulled over and we watched, mesmerized for 30 minutes, the awe-inspiring Aurora Borealis. Our trip was finally complete!
