Northern lights in Sweden

Abisko and the blue hole

Abisko is a tiny village on the shore of Torneträsk, a long lake 200 km (125 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. To the west rise the mountains along the Norwegian border. Moist Atlantic air drops much of its cloud and snow on the Norwegian side, so a patch of clearer sky often sits over Abisko. Locals call it the blue hole.

It is not magic, and some weeks it stays cloudy like everywhere else. But the rain-shadow effect is real, and the aurora at Abisko starts high in the sky, around 53° up even at Kp 0. The Aurora Sky Station, reached by chairlift up Mount Nuolja, gives a view across the lake well away from any lights.

Björkliden and the Abisko area

Björkliden, about 8 km (5 miles) west, has a ski area and a hotel with dark surroundings. Both villages are on the E10 and the railway, so you can stay without a car: the lake shore and the national park are a walk from the stations. If you want to roam, a hire car from Kiruna opens up the whole stretch to the Norwegian border and Narvik.

Kiruna and Jukkasjärvi

Kiruna, Sweden's northernmost town, is built around a huge iron-ore mine and is being moved, block by block, a few kilometres east as the ground beneath it subsides. The airport has flights from Stockholm Arlanda in about 1 hour 35 minutes, plus seasonal direct flights from some European cities.

At Kp 0 the aurora sits about 37° up in the northern sky. Jukkasjärvi, 17 km east, is home to the Icehotel, rebuilt from river ice every winter, and its rural surroundings are much darker than town. Over 2005–2025 the trip planner gave Kiruna its best odds in March, ahead of September.

Luleå and Jokkmokk

Luleå, on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, has the largest airport in the region and a frozen archipelago in winter. The aurora appears lower here, around 13° above the northern horizon on quiet nights, so it is better seen from the sea ice or the islands than from town.

Jokkmokk lies just north of the Arctic Circle and is a centre of Sámi culture, with a winter market in early February that has been held for more than 400 years. On a quiet night the aurora sits about 19° up, and the forests and lakes around the village are very dark. Its inland position gives it some of the best clear-sky statistics in Sweden, with March the strongest month over 2005–2025.

The night train from Stockholm

The overnight train from Stockholm to Narvik runs through Luleå, Kiruna and Abisko, and takes roughly 17–19 hours to reach Abisko. You go to sleep among the pine forests of central Sweden and wake up in Lapland, with the mountains appearing around breakfast time.

Book a sleeper compartment well ahead for February and Christmas, and keep a little flexibility: winter weather can delay the line. From the UK the classic overland route is Eurostar to Brussels, connecting trains to Hamburg and on to Stockholm, then the night train north. It takes at least two days, but it turns the journey into part of the trip.

Weather and cold

Inland Norrbotten is cold and dry. Kiruna often sits around −15 °C (5 °F) in January and can fall below −30 °C (−22 °F) on clear nights. Abisko is a few degrees milder but windier, and wind chill on the frozen lake can be severe. Wear a balaclava or a buff, and keep spare batteries in an inside pocket.

On the night itself, check two things before you head out: the cloud forecast for the next few hours and the live activity. The town pages for Abisko and Kiruna show both, along with the darkness window and which way to face. If Abisko is under cloud, the sky towards Kiruna or across the border near Narvik is sometimes clearer, and the train or E10 makes a quick switch possible.

Most hotels and hostels in the area will lend or rent warm boots and overalls if you ask in advance.

Getting there from the UK and North America

Flying is the fastest route. Most visitors fly to Stockholm Arlanda and connect to Kiruna, then take the airport bus or a hire car. From Kiruna to Abisko is about 95 km (60 miles) on the E10, or a little over an hour by train. Luleå has more connections and works well if you plan to combine the coast with Jokkmokk or Kiruna.

Another option is to fly to Tromsø or Harstad/Narvik Evenes in Norway and come across the border by car or on the Ofoten railway from Narvik. That makes a Norway–Sweden round trip easy, and in a cloudy week you can stay on whichever side of the mountains looks clearer.

From North America there are no direct flights to Swedish Lapland; Stockholm, Copenhagen or Oslo are the usual connections. Sweden is one hour ahead of the UK and uses the 24-hour clock.

When to go

From early September to late March the nights are dark enough. In Abisko and Kiruna the midnight sun lasts from late May to mid-July, and between about mid-April and mid-August there is too much light. In Kiruna the sun stays below the horizon for about three weeks around Christmas.

Over 2005–2025 Abisko's best months in the trip planner were January and February. September and March are the easier choice for most people, with milder temperatures and more daylight for snowshoeing or skiing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Abisko really better than Tromsø? For weather, often yes: the rain shadow means more clear nights than the Norwegian coast. Tromsø is bigger and easier to reach, and has more tours. Many people combine the two by train via Narvik.

Can I see the aurora in Stockholm? Occasionally. Stockholm needs about Kp 3, and even then the aurora is low in the north. For regular sightings go north of the Arctic Circle.

Do I need a car in Abisko? No. The village, the lake shore and the Sky Station are all within walking distance of the station. A car helps if you want to chase gaps in the cloud.

How many nights should I stay in Abisko? Three is a minimum, four or five is better. The blue hole improves your odds; it does not guarantee a single night.