A Winter Break in Magical Swedish Lapland: Time Slips in Abisko’s Polar Night
A short trip to Abisko reveals how a few hours of daylight can make the sense of time feel elastic under the aurora‑lit sky.
Arrival at the Edge of the Arctic Circle
After a series of cities and sleeper trains, we stepped off at Abisko Ostra at 11 am. The station consisted of a single low platform and a glass shelter over the exit door. Our boots left the only footprints on the white‑covered walkway as white mist hung around us.
We walked along an empty road that curved up to the Abisko Mountain Lodge, one of the few places we had found online. Our room was not yet ready, so we lingered in the hotel’s fire‑lit bar, watching people change into outdoor gear before disappearing into the cold.
First Foray into the Snow‑Blanketed Landscape
When we finally suited up, thick clouds had turned the white world grey, yet the scene still felt like a Christmas‑film fantasy. Yellow low lights guided us past houses with bright windows as we followed a phone map toward a river viewpoint. The half‑hour walk felt much longer in the deep snow, as if we were moving through a thick white cloud.
We returned to our room, made tea, read for a while and then enjoyed a few rounds in the sauna before dinner.
Chasing the Aurora Borealis
During dinner, an excited murmur spread through the restaurant – the aurora was visible. We hurried outside in our dinner clothes, feeling our feet grow numb as we watched the green glow dance across the sky. Later we walked up a path to higher ground where a family made snow angels while the lights continued.
The experience felt timeless; we had set out only hours earlier, yet the night seemed to stretch on.
Daylight That Never Fully Arrives
The next day began with a long and leisurely breakfast of pickled herring, gherkins and lots of delicious rye bread. We hiked along the bank of Lake Torneträsk, the compact snow allowing us to walk in hiking boots while other groups snowshoed nearby.
Following a narrow path past silver birches weighed down with drifts, we reached a picnic spot near a frozen waterfall and ate provisions saved from breakfast.
Looking back, the sky displayed a sunrise‑like colour that glowed despite the sun remaining below the horizon. Pink and orange hues lingered, brightening then fading slowly, making it hard to tell whether it was morning or afternoon.
Evening Activities and a Missed Cable Car
From the waterfall we climbed to a high viewpoint, ate flapjacks and watched the hidden sun cast a deep orange ray toward the horizon. Back at the Abisko Turiststation hotel we warmed up with hot chocolate, drying snow‑damp clothes on a radiator.
Stars were already out, even though it felt like mid‑afternoon. We walked through misty gloom to the village supermarket, its red neon sign and strip‑light interior stocked with bulk produce, pickled herring, cloudberry jam, dense rye bread and a tube of cheese spread.
After another sauna and dinner, we prepared for a cable‑car ride to Abisko Sky Station, 900 metres above sea level, but high winds cancelled the 20‑minute journey. Instead, our guide led us to an outcrop above Lake Torneträsk, where we witnessed another spectacular aurora display accompanied by shooting stars from the Geminids.
We stood there for an indeterminate time, simply admiring the sky, letting go of any preset idea of how the holiday should unfold.
