Sweden

Midnight sun or Ice Hotel?

Sweden is a country rich in opportunities; from the Arctic beauty of the North with its midnight sun, to the castles of the southernmost province Skåne with its more continental flavour. The largest Scandinavian country, Sweden stretches from latitudes similar to the north of England right up to the Arctic Circle and beyond. It is also a land of relatively large areas of wilderness, with huge forests and thousands of lakes with simple log cabins scattered along the shores. The famous, and original, Ice Hotel is in the village of Jukkasjarvi next to the Torne River and a short drive from the regional centre of Gallivare, where we will be based. Apart from the fantastic skiing here you can try to build an igloo, go dog sledding with huskies, snowmobiling on a snow scooter or skidoo, or take a typical Scandinavian sauna – a great location for winter activities of all kinds. Further south are the cosmopolitan cities of Malmo, Gothenburg and Stockholm, as well as hundreds of tiny picturesque islands off the Baltic coast.

Gällivare is 100 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, in the middle of Lappland on the roof of Europe with the same latitude as Alaska in the west and Siberia in the east. You can’t go much further north, yet the Gulf Stream with its warm winds make the climate surprisingly mild.
Unpolluted, healthy, unspoilt environments have become ever more in demand. At Gällivare you can experience total freedom and quiet, and listen to a silence you did not know existed!

A Rift Valley Adventures Ski trip to the Artic Circle not only offers a great ski experience but so much more from being above 66 degrees North of the equator. Other snow activities such as building igloos (and sleeping in one for the game!), visiting local people like the Satmi with their reindeers as we learn about their culture and viewing the northern lights. The beauty of the Gallivare region and the Dundret Ski complex is that there is so much more to do that just ski.