Kiruna: The Sinking Mine Town of Sweden's Lapland

Kiruna Church and bell tower.

Kiruna is sinking, literally.  Sweden’s northernmost town located in Swedish Lapland, a remote area with a harsh climate within the Arctic Circle, came to be because of the rich iron ore being mined nearby.  The same mine that brought the people and the town and the money is what is now causing the town to sink.  

5 Awesome Hotels in Sweden

View of the Northern Lights from Camp Ripan in Kiruna.

Part of having a perfect vacation in Sweden is staying at the perfect hotels in Sweden.  We spent two weeks traveling through Sweden, starting in Sweden’s capital city Stockholm for history, then spending time in Swedish Lapland hunting for the Northern Lights and enjoying outdoor winter activities, stopping in Gothenburg in West Sweden for seafood, and finishing for one last night in Stockholm before heading home.  During our travels through Sweden, we stayed at five beautiful, comfortable, and unique hotels in Stockholm, Jukkasjärvi, Kiruna, and Gothenburg. 

What It’s Like to Stay in Sweden’s ICEHOTEL

Welcome to Sweden's ICEHOTEL.

Almost everybody has heard of the famous ICEHOTEL.  For many, a night in Sweden’s ICEHOTEL is a once in a lifetime experience—though there are a few who don’t understand the appeal of sleeping on a bed of ice in below freezing temperatures.  However, if you’ve never stayed in an ice hotel, you might not know very much about the realities of sleeping in a hotel entirely made of ice.