Travel Guide Kiruna

Situated at 68° north latitude above the Arctic Circle, this city is plunged into darkness and snow for several months in winter, and its name means "white partridge" in Lappish. The midnight sun can be seen here between May 31 and July 14. Kiruna was built in the 16th century by Saami hunters, who later became reindeer herders. For a long time, it boasted the world's largest municipality, covering an area of 20,000 km²! Today, only a few hundred Saami remain, out of a population of 18,000. Kiruna's boom began in 1900, when iron ore began to be mined in the surrounding mountains. Today, overlooking the steppe plain and the town with its orange mass, the Kiirunavaara mine is one of the largest underground mines in the world. As such, it's open to visitors, who can explore LKAB's ore extraction and processing methods several hundred meters underground. The town itself is devoid of charm, and the pleasure of living here lies in the surrounding nature and the many activities it has to offer! In addition to all the activities typical of Lapland (dog sledding, skiing, hiking in fabulous landscapes, discovering Saami culture, etc.), you can discover a curious red wooden church built in 1912 on the model of a Saami hut, as well as the oldest wooden church in Lapland. In a more modern style, its town hall is equally unusual: dating from 1964, it is a rectangular red-brick building from which emerges a metal tower crowned with clocks on all four sides.