Seasons

Autumn in Björkliden - colorful landscape.

Autumn is the season of vibrant colors. Calm sets in and, if you're lucky, you can see the Northern Lights in the evenings. A perfect season to hike in a mosquito-free mountain in the right temperature.

Northern Lights & Cloudberries

Autumn must-haves in Björkliden - cloudberries and northern lights hunting

To visit Björkliden in the fall is to experience the mountain in its most clear and honest form. For those who want to maximize their stay, a hike up Nuolja is an absolute must; the high, cold air makes the view miles wide and the view of a mirror-shiny Torneträsk is never as sharp as now. This is also the time to take your hut out into the fields to pick the mountain's own gold. Finding a sunlit slope filled with ripe cloudberries or lingonberries, and enjoying them right by a babbling brook, is a simple but unbeatable luxury.

But the most magical thing about autumn is the return of the Northern Lights. When darkness finally takes hold in late August and September, the sky comes alive again. Sitting by a crackling campfire, watching the first bright green veils dance across the blazing autumn colors is an experience that connects the light of summer with the mystery of winter in a unique way. It's a time for reflection, a chance to take a deep breath and just be one with nature's grand finale.

Remember that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon that we cannot guarantee you will see during your stay with us. But with careful planning, a little luck and an open mind, you have a good chance of seeing the enchanting Northern Lights.
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The transformation of colors

The transformation of nature - a palette of fire.

As the intense midnight sun summer comes to an end, Björkliden enters a period of dramatic beauty and serenity. Autumn here is short but incredibly powerful. It's the time when the air becomes so high and clear that every breath feels like a fresh start, and when the mountain world dresses up in its most spectacular garb of gold, copper and fiery red.

In September, the transformation happens almost overnight. The birch forest, which has been soft green during the summer, suddenly glows in neon-like shades of yellow and orange. But it's in the bare mountains that the most intense colors are to be found; here, the currant and dwarf birch turn the ground a deep purple, making the mountainsides look like they're on fire. This period, often called Ruska, is a photographer's dream, where the warm autumn colors contrast with the often first, powdery white snow that settles like a ”sugar cube peak” on the highest peaks.

Harvest activities

Explore the colorful landscape on two legs or two wheels

Discover our activities

The frantic preparations of wildlife

As the first frost nips at the ground and the nights grow longer, Björkliden becomes the scene of nature's great day of migration and storage. The reindeer herds, which have been scattered over the high altitudes during the summer, now begin to gather in powerful groups to make their way down towards the protective embrace of the woodland. It's a time when the bulls' horns stand tall and ready for the fall rut, and their silhouettes against the burning red mountainsides are a sight you won't soon forget.

At the same time, there is quiet but intense activity down in the fields; small rodents and lemmings are working feverishly to fill their underground larders, while the Arctic fox is moving over large areas to build up the vital fat layer for the onset of winter. Up among the stone cairns, the Arctic fox slowly begins to change her costume; her brown summer feathers get small splashes of white, like a promise of the snow that will soon cover everything. It is a time of urgency and determination, where every creature follows the ancient instinct to ensure its survival before the polar night descends.