One Of The Best Destinations In The World To View The Northern Lights Is A Swedish National Park

Heavy snow drapes every inch of Abisko National Park in the winter as the landscape is tinged pale pink by the sunless horizon of the polar night. In the depths of Swedish Lapland, this park is almost as far north as Europe reaches, 124 miles above the Arctic Circle. Its geographic isolation and tundra conditions mean the winter skies are stained purple and green under the cascading northern lights.

Though the national park flushes amber in the fall and has long, warm summer days, winter is still the best time to visit Abisko. In the depths of winter, Torneträsk Lake freezes solid, the polar night shrouds the arctic circle in 24-hour twilight, and the aurora borealis dance across the sky. Situated far from the hubs of Stockholm and Gothenburg, no light pollution reaches Abisko, allowing the verdant skies to shine from October until March.

The journey to Abisko is lengthy but straightforward. Traveling from the shoreside capital Stockholm or the scenic sandy beaches on the car-free island of Vrångö, visitors can take the train to Kiruna. While Scandinavia hosts one of the world's "most beautiful train journeys" in Norway, the overnight sleeper route from the Swedish capital takes in the incredible winter landscapes of northern Europe. After arriving in Kiruna, visitors need to catch a bus to the Abisko tourist station.

At Abisko National Park, you can rocket across the frozen fields in a sled led by a pack of enthusiastic huskies or join a local expert on a morning trek along the park's scenic trails. The routes roam alongside the frozen stalactites over the Abisko River Canyon through the ancient birch forest drenched by thick snow. Meandering below the mountain peaks and above the river delta, the trails will take you to Lake Torneträsk, where fishermen poke holes in the solid surface and ice skaters carve across the frozen water. Although it's not one of the best hotels around the world with views of the northern lights, you can sleep overnight in the Icehotel. This is the first hotel to be constructed entirely out of ice, and it permanently stays at 23 degrees Fahrenheit.

Naturally, the best winter adventure of all is chasing the aurora borealis. For the best chance to see the natural wonder, catch the chair lift up to the Abisko Sky Station, where a gourmet restaurant serves fine Lappish cuisine with uninterrupted views of the night. Tuck into Nordic specialties and wait for the explosion of neon lights to sweep across the skies. Alternatively, tours run through the night in the national park, taking visitors to the best viewing spots.

Beyond the expansive bounds of the national park, a myriad of winter wonders can be found across Swedish Lapland. Pair your trip to Abisko with more excursions around Kiruna for easy access to the train back down south.

The entire region of Swedish Lapland has been continuously populated for centuries. It's the homeland of the reindeer-rearing Sámi people, the Indigenous caretakers of the north who have retained their rich cultural traditions over the millennia. Start your dive into Swedish culture in Kiruna's Márkanbáiki Sámi Open Air Museum. Combine a tour of the exhibits with a trip to Jukkasjärvi. There, you can even interact with the roving reindeer.

There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites within Swedish Lapland that celebrate both the native culture and the vast national parks of the Scandinavian north, including Laponia, Gammelstad Church Town in Luleå, and Struve Geodetic Arc. Enjoy the long ski season up until midsummer at Riksgränsen Resort, catch a hot air balloon above the snow-coated trees of Råne River Valley, or head out on a snowmobile safari to spy elusive moose.