Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
just two weeks in early to mid-April. Special prices apply at
New Year and over Valentine's Day. The simplest double
rooms are known as “snow rooms”; the more stylish “ice
rooms” are decorated with furniture made of ice and
adorned with ice carvings and ornaments; then there are
similar, though larger “ice suites”; and finally a top-of-the-
range deluxe suite with more sculptures than you can
shake an ice pick at. As for warm accommodation, prices
are less for a regular double room, known as
kaamos
(Finnish for twilight or polar night) and beautifully
designed in modern Scandinavian style, or a more homely
cabin complete with kitchen. Between May and Sept the
Icehotel
site serves as the location for an STF hostel (same
contact details as the
Icehotel
); accommodation is in double
rooms with private facilities which also have acc
ess to a
commun
al kitch
en and
washin
g facilities. H
ostel
800kr
,
kaam
os
2290kr
, cabin
3390kr
, snow roo
m
3800kr
, ice
room
4900kr
, ice suite
5800kr
, deluxe suite
7000kr
9
EATING AND DRINKING
Absolut Icebar
Inside the Icehotel.
The
Icebar
is just
that: a bar made of transparent blocks of ice with seating in
the form of designer chairs and stools made of snow and
ice; dress accordingly. It pays to like vodka because that's all
they serve, in glasses made of ice.
Winter only; daily
1pm-1am.
Icehotel restaurant
Marknadsvägen
T
0980 668 84.
You can eat a buffet lunch and à la carte dinner here, with a
good selection of tasty northern Swedish specialities in the
range of 275-395kr. The set Ice Menu (835kr) consists of
four courses of local delicacies and comes served on an ice
platter.
Winter only; daily 11am-2pm & 6-10pm.
Old Homestead
Marknadsvägen
T
0980 668 84.
Housed in the former village school from 1768, this solid
timber structure is a great place for hearty meals such as
steaks and chicken breast; mains around 225kr. The
outdoor terrace, open in summer, has good views of the
Torne River.
Daily 6-9pm.
Nikkaluokta and Kebnekaise
NIKKALUOKTA
, 66km west of Kiruna and reached on the twice-daily bus, is the starting
point for treks towards and up Sweden's highest mountain,
Kebnekaise
(2102m). he
mountain was first conquered in 1883 by a Frenchman, Charles Robot; today it can be
reached in eight to nine hours by anyone in decent physical condition. Two paths lead
to the peak: the eastern route goes over Björling glacier, includes some climbing and is
only recommended for experts; the western route is much longer and is the one most
people opt for.
ACCOMMODATION
KEBNESKAISE
Fjällstation mountain lodge
Kebnekaise
T
0980 550
00,
W
stfkebnekaise.com.
Known colloquially as simply
“Keb”, this STF place at the foot of the mountain is not
accessible by road; instead from nearby Nikkaluokta a19km
trail leads here. There are self-catering facilities as well as a
sauna, though is also a restaurant, too.
Open m
id-Feb to
early M
ay & mid-June to mid-Sept. Dorms
550kr
, doubles
1550kr
The Kungsleden
he
Kungsleden
(literally “King's Trail”) is the most famous and popular hiking route
in Sweden. A well-signposted, 500km-long path from
Abisko
in the north to
Hemavan
,
near Tärnaby (see p.321), it takes in Sweden's highest mountain,
Kebnekaise
, en route.
If you're looking for splendid isolation, this isn't the trail for you; it's the busiest in the
country, though it's the section from Abisko to Kebnekaise that sees most hikers (one
of the least busy sections is between Jäkkvik and Adolfström).
Abisko and around
Leaving Kiruna, it's 98km northwest along the E10 to
ABISKO
. Although accessible by
both rail and road, it's by
train
that most people arrive at the start of the Kungsleden
trail. The train line from Luleå, via Kiruna, to Narvik, known as the
Malmbanan
, is
Europe's northernmost line, and would never have been built had it not been for the
rich deposits of iron ore around Gällivare and Malmberget.
