It’s getting to that time of the year when Aurora Borealis dance across our skies up here in Sweden. The last few days have actually brought a couple Northern Lights sightings as far south as Stockholm…. which of course I missed due to cloudy skies.
But one of the best places to catch the lights (usually without fail) is Swedish Lapland. I’ve spent quite some time in Swedish Lapland and it still remains one of my favorite places to explore – from husky sledding, reindeer sledding, learning about indigenous Sami culture to its general “fiery” winter landscapes.
As I was recently sorting through photos, I realized I hadn’t shared a full photo essay of Northern Lights in Swedish Lapland here on my blog.
So here are 25 of my favourites.
Notes on those shimmering lights
Around me was utter silence even though dozens of people were above and below me. Nearby towering mountains were coated in snow. Unnerving and eerie in one sense yet utterly humbling.
The chairlift I was riding in had to be stopped for every single passenger to board so it pulled to a quick halt and left me suspended mid-air, sitting there for a minute or two taking in the massive ice-coated panorama that was Abisko. Riding up towards the sky station in the massive star-filled ink black night sky felt like an ascent into heaven. I was scared yet calm enveloped me.
Finally at the top, we fought off a hoard of travelers crowding out space, their eyes arched towards the sky looking for the very same thing we were there for. But Peter knew where to go. Like a kid seeking out his favorite hiding spot, he took us behind one of Mount Nuolja’s slopes to one of the best spots for photographing Northern Lights in all of Sweden.
And the lights were nothing short of spectacular. Vibrant green curtains that unraveled and unfolded across the crisp clear winter sky, swirling in every direction. We didn’t know where to turn.
From 9pm until past midnight, the lights danced across the sky. After awhile, we stopped taking photographs overwhelmed by the shimmering lights which we couldn’t keep up with.
We just stood in awe.
