Last week a couple of us from the office were lucky enough to travel to one of our absolute favourite destinations in the world. Not only does Abisko, in Swedish Lapland offer amazing opportunities for viewing the Northern Lights but it is also a great destination for winter activities of all descriptions and offers some spectacular views too. This was my 7th trip to this area and I can honestly say it still takes my breath away every time I look out of the window.
This trip started slightly differently as we started with a couple of nights in the lovely city of Copenhagen. SAS now offer flights through Copenhagen as well as Stockholm so we decided to visit a few hotels to allow us to offer stopovers in Copenhagen next season. We were impressed with the city and found a wonderful hotel located at the airport which offered easy access to both Malmo and Copenhagen. When in Copenhagen there are 2 things not to be missed in my opinion – the danish pastry and lego! Of course the regular tourist hotspots such as the Little Mermaid are also worth some time!
We then headed up to Swedish Lapland for 4 nights in one of our cabins. The cabins offer spectacular views, warming saunas and a clean and comfortable base from where to do your activities. At Christmas time I had enjoyed snow shoeing for the first time and so we decided that it would be nice to hire snow shoes and head out into the Abisko National Park on the first afternoon. Although cold the walk was spectacular and offered some great views of the Aurora Sky Station and some deep fresh snow to test our snowshoes in. All in all a great way to spend an afternoon.
We had completed the drive to Narvik many times and were always impressed. However I had recently read an article which mentioned that the train journey from Sweden to Narvik was one of the most spectacular in the world. The article was right and the train journey was truly stunning! The final destination is nothing exciting but you can while a way a few hours whilst you wait for your return journey which will offer different views but just as beautiful!
Our final day in Sweden was spent taking part in one of our favourite activities of all time. Dog sledding is a great activity and we particularly love that the guides we use get you very involved in the preparation and clear up by showing you how to harness the dogs. The dogs are very well behaved and obviously very cared for. The trip took us once again into the spectacular Abisko National Park where we warmed up with a fire and a hot cup of blueberry juice in the tipi. Again another afternoon well spent!
No trip to Abisko would be complete without mention of the reason all our customers choose to travel to this particular destination in the first place! The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis were visible every night of our trip to some degree. On a clear night when there was high activity we saw the spectacular curtains of green and pink dance across the sky making different shapes and patterns. On other nights when there were more clouds the aurora were still visible and the clouds created some amazing effects. One of my favourite photos from the week was the one below where the cloud grew and grew and created some truly awesome pictures.
The Aurora can never be guaranteed of course but it sure seems that Abisko is living up to its name as one of the best places in the world to view the Northern Lights. If you are considering a trip this season or next then please get in touch for a tailor-made itinerary and start your adventure today!
Get in touch today
Contact one of our team for more information or to help get you a personalised quotation.
