By train to the Northern Lights - From Svolvær to Abisko in Sweden

In order to travel to Abisko, Sweden, I had to make a stopover in Narvik. I actually wanted to travel from there to Kiruna, a place a little east of Abisko. From there we should go to Kolari in Finland and then on to Helsinki. However, there was no connection between Kiruna and Kolari and so I had to replan my trip a bit. There's actually not much to say about Narvik, I didn't particularly like the city. My hotel was also pretty bad for the price so I was glad I only booked one night there. However, the conditions for northern lights were very good that evening, so I wandered around the city to find a dark place where I could see the lights clearly. I landed at the harbor, where there was no one anywhere, but unfortunately there was still too much light. But I was still able to see them well and take a few photos. The night was okay, breakfast the next morning too. Although I expected something better for the price.

At around 3 p.m. my train left for Abisko. I discovered accommodation there on the edge of the national park, with some hiking trails in the area and beautiful surroundings. The Abisko Turiststation is a kind of youth hostel, with shared and single rooms, a small restaurant, a shop and 2 museums. It is also near a large lake and has its own train station. The town of Abisko itself is about 3 kilometers east of it. The train ride on the Arctic Train led past deep gorges, valleys and idyllic lakeside locations. But there was snow everywhere, which I hadn't quite realized. I didn't really travel further north, but I did travel away from the warmer coast. Afterwards I learned that there is usually no snow in Abisko at this time of year.

When I got out I met Maiti, a doctor from Cologne, who also had to go to the tourist station (there was no other accommodation far and wide). So we looked for the way there and to the reception together. We happened to get the same room in the tourist station hostel building. And she had the bed above me. We then went together to the restaurant in the main building and then went looking for the northern lights. Which meant we were constantly getting dressed to go out and undressed to go back in whenever the Northern Lights were visible on the live camera at the nearby Aurora Sky Station. Unfortunately they weren't very intense that evening.

The next morning we decided to go on a short hike in the area together. I had already picked out the route down to the lake in advance because it runs along the river, there is a gorge there and I suspected birds. The hiking trail was beautiful, despite the snow. We saw tracks of deer, a dipper and Lapland tits. The area around the river delta was marked as a bird sanctuary and looked really idyllic. On the way back we walked a little faster because we had gotten a little cold by now. A very nice little hiking tour and in summer it is definitely even more magical here. At around 5 p.m. Maiti had to take the train to Stockholm and I accompanied her to the train station. It was very nice to have met her and I had a short but very pleasant and interesting time with her. Thanks for that 🙂

I had booked a Northern Lights tour for the evening as Abisko might be the last place I would be able to see the lights so well. Abisko is also one of the best places for northern lights because the conditions there are optimal. My group consisted of 6 people and our guide Zac. We didn't go far out because Zac said we could probably see the lights best at the lake near Abisko. There was also a small private cabin there and Zac built a fire in the stove for us. However, we stood outside most of the time and I was glad that I had booked a cold suit and snowshoes. After a short while the first northern lights appeared, although not yet very intense. After a warm-up lap at the hut, Zac called us outside as the lights were getting more intense. And they were really bright and traveled across the night sky. At times we were surrounded by northern lights and didn't know where to look first. Unfortunately, my camera isn't suitable for photographing the northern lights, but Zac took some pictures that I'll get in a few weeks. We even saw aurora borealis with a red component for a few minutes, which is comparatively rare. Zac said it was the best night for Northern Lights since he started the season 3 weeks ago. Mega. I fell into bed after midnight, pretty cold but happy.

The next day I was due to leave. Unfortunately. The Abisko Turiststation and the whole surrounding area really impressed and fascinated me and I would really like to come back again in warmer weather and explore the area. My train to Luleå left at 12:37 p.m.

Thank you very much for reading and best regards ❤