A rippling aurora over Torneträsk in Björkliden

The Northern Lights and Late Fall/Early Winter in Björkliden.

See Housing Options

Fall-Winter & Northern Lights

Björkliden is bathed in a pink-blue sky and the northern lights during late fall and early winter.

The Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis —as it is also known—is formed when particle radiation from the sun reaches Earth’s atmosphere and generates electromagnetic radiation that creates the green, purple, and even red lights of the Northern Lights. In Björkliden, with a little luck, you can see the Northern Lights dancing across the sky from September all the way through April.

But in connection with the polar night The sky also takes on dreamy shades of pink and dark blue during the day and at dusk. This light, known as Kaamos It’s especially wonderful to see before the snow has fallen and it’s reflected on the ice-smooth surface of Lake Torneträsk. It’s a time when the landscape falls silent and life goes into hibernation—a peaceful time of grandeur.

November 23–27

Tip! Snälltåget will run all the way to Björkliden this fall—for those of you who want to see the Northern Lights.

Do you dream of experiencing the magical dance of the Northern Lights in the sky, completely stress-free?

Now you have the chance to board the train in southern Sweden and wake up in the middle of an Arctic winter wonderland. At the end of November, Snälltåget is making a unique special run all the way to our platform at Björkliden — You’ll board on Monday evening, drift off to sleep to the train’s soothing rumble, and wake up on Tuesday to the magnificent views of a frost-kissed Lapporten.

Why choose Björkliden for your Northern Lights trip?

When it comes to capturing the Aurora Borealis, Björkliden is in a class of its own. With less light pollution than in places like Abisko, and thanks to our high elevation on the mountainside, we have optimal atmospheric conditions for a clear sky. But what really sets us apart is the backdrop: here, the Northern Lights dance across the iconic Lapporten and are reflected in the deep waters of Lake Torneträsk. This offers a visual experience and photo opportunities that you simply won’t find anywhere else.

About Snälltåget's Offer

Accommodation options in the Björkliden mountain village for a beautiful experience

A man in a hot tub with a view of the Northern Lights at Solhyllan
Rustic and elegant

Log cabins at Solhyllan

Stay in the middle of the Arctic mountains in the rustic and elegant log cabins at Solhyllan adjacent to Kåppa's cottage village. There is a large kitchen and space for up to 10 people with its own jacuzzi and sauna.

Book Solhyllan
Private and self-catering

Mountain cabins in Kåppa's cabin village

In the middle of birch-covered Kåppa's cottage village, you have your very own self-catering cottage. Of course, you can add bed linen, breakfast and departure cleaning if it suits you better.

Book a cottage
A mountain hotel beneath the dark blue sky of the polar night
Easy and convenient

Hotel rooms at Hotel Fjället

The hotel rooms at Hotell fjället are both comfortable with a ready-made bed and a breakfast buffet. With close walking distance to the mountain and amenities, this is ideal for those who want to focus on exploring and experiencing the surroundings.

Book a hotel room
A man in a hot tub with a view of the Northern Lights at Solhyllan
Rustic and elegant

Log cabins at Solhyllan

Stay in the middle of the Arctic mountains in the rustic and elegant log cabins at Solhyllan adjacent to Kåppa's cottage village. There is a large kitchen and space for up to 10 people with its own jacuzzi and sauna.

Book Solhyllan
Private and self-catering

Mountain cabins in Kåppa's cabin village

In the middle of birch-covered Kåppa's cottage village, you have your very own self-catering cottage. Of course, you can add bed linen, breakfast and departure cleaning if it suits you better.

Book a cottage
A mountain hotel beneath the dark blue sky of the polar night
Easy and convenient

Hotel rooms at Hotel Fjället

The hotel rooms at Hotell fjället are both comfortable with a ready-made bed and a breakfast buffet. With close walking distance to the mountain and amenities, this is ideal for those who want to focus on exploring and experiencing the surroundings.

Book a hotel room
frost-covered mountain peaks with red and yellow leaves in the foreground A pastel-colored sky above the mountain peaks at the end of the polar night

Fall and Early Winter

When the light fades and the mountains fall silent

As the intense Arctic summer fades away, the mountains respond with one last, explosive burst of color in vibrant reds and golds before nature slowly begins to draw the year to a close. To experience October and November in Björkliden is to witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring and beautiful transformations: when life consciously enters a state of dormancy.

In October, the plants draw their energy deep into the calcium-rich soil. The rare mountain plants on Nuolja, which were just racing against the clock under the midnight sun, have now released their seeds. The leaves of the mountain anemone curl up, and the pink splendor of the Lapland heather gives way to a frost-bitten, deep brown blanket. Along the streams, Nordic monkshood freezes into sculptures of ice, and the roaring meltwater gradually quiets to a subdued, peaceful trickle beneath newly formed ice crusts. Nature is preparing for winter’s long slumber, and the air becomes so clear that every breath feels like spring water.

Mountain Stories

Myths and Folklore About the Northern Lights

Long before science could explain the cosmic forces behind light, people around the Arctic world wove fascinating stories to understand the fiery spectacle of the sky.

Read about the folklore of the Sami, the Vikings, the Inuit, the Cree, and the Māori regarding the Northern Lights in our “Mountain Tales.”.

Folklore & the Northern Lights
a snow-covered barren mountain up by Badsjön with a deep blue and peach-colored sky a mountain cabin with a view under the dancing Northern Lights

Polar Night & Northern Lights

Silence settles like a blanket over nature and the surroundings

In November, the winter slumber creeps higher and higher up the mountain, and the polar night approaches at a rapid pace. But it is a darkness that deceives the eye. Instead of total darkness, Björkliden is bathed in the magical Arctic ”blue light” (kaamos). The sun no longer rises above the horizon, but its rays paint the sky and the snow-capped peaks in surreal shades of pastel pink, violet, and indigo for a few short hours in the middle of the day.

When the landscape has fallen completely silent and the snow has settled like a protective blanket over the mountain gardens, the curtain rises on the sky’s own spectacle. It is now, sheltered by nature’s deepest slumber, that the Northern Lights season truly begins. The absence of sunlight provides the Aurora Borealis with the perfect, pitch-black backdrop on which to dance. Standing on the bare mountain in November is to experience a sense of absolute presence—a stillness where the earth sleeps, while the sky is more alive than ever.
The Lapport during the polar night in the light of the kaamos

Experience activities on clear nights and magically beautiful days

See our activities

Nordic adventure on snowshoes

3 hours
895:-
Read more

Arctic snowshoe adventure

3 hours
795:-
Read more

The Ultimate Aurora Photo Adventure

260 minutes
1595:-
Read more
Lapporten and Hotel Fjället under the polar night

We open the door to something bigger

Travel to Björkliden

Get on the train in the evening in Stockholm or Gothenburg and wake up in a fantastic mountain setting the next day. You'll arrive in Björkliden at lunchtime. SJ and Norrtåg operate the route and the journey between Stockholm and Björkliden takes around 17 hours. You can also take the Arctic Train from Narvik, Norway's northernmost train route, through breathtaking Arctic landscapes with panoramic views of mountains and fjords. The train station in Björkliden is located right in the heart of the village, about 1 kilometer from Hotell Fjället.

Take the E4 north and turn left in Töre and then continue on the E10 towards Kiruna and Narvik. You will find us about 10 minutes after Abisko and 30 minutes before the Norwegian border.

There are daily flights from Stockholm and Copenhagen to Kiruna Airport, followed by a 90-minute transfer. Alternatively, you can fly to Evenes Airport and drive for 75 minutes or take a bus. Arriving at Björkliden via the E10 is equally beautiful from both directions.