Things to do in summer
Stay up for the midnight sun, fish in the lake, and take advantage of Swedish 'freedom to roam' by exploring the local mountains and forests.
Midnight Sun
From approximately 4th June to 7th July you can experience the Midnight Sun in Svanstein. This is when the sun literally does not set at all, and much of the 'night' is bathed in a magical golden glow. For a much longer period outside of these dates (most of May and July), the nights will still be very light, with a midnight light that is a soft twilight blue.
This photo of wildflowers was taken in Lapland Lights' garden late one night in mid June. Ancient Swedish folklore has it that if you pick seven kinds of flowers during the midsummer night and put them under your pillow you will dream of your future love. You can read more about Swedish midsummer traditions here. If you want to mark midsummer day in Swedish style there are usually celebrations in Övertorneå and Kuivakangas (both under 30 mins' drive away).
Fishing
Swedish Lapland is a fantastic place to fish, with many species in such abundance that you don't need to wait long for a bite.
Just a few minutes' walk away from Lapland Lights, the river Torne is famous for its salmon. This mighty waterway stretches for 522km and for much of that distance defines the border between Sweden and Finland.
Because of the specialist gear, permits and local know-how required, your best bet is to go on an organised our - Active Norberg is based nearby and run fishing tours in summer (and ice fishing tours in winter).
Walking and hiking
In Sweden the freedom to roam is protected by law, allowing everyone to walk (and cycle, ride, ski and camp) anywhere in the open countryside, providing you show basic consideration for landowners and for nature.
​
Lapland Lights is set in a beautiful Arctic landscape, and you can walk right out of the house and explore forests or clamber up mountains to your heart's content. The nearest walk will take you up to the giant 'Svanstein' sign on the hillside.
​
If you want a choice of marked trails, head for nearby Aavasaksa, just across the border in Finland. The views from the top are truly stunning (you can drive to the top if you don't fancy the climb) and the walks pass through a unique boulder-field landscape.
Biking
Lapland is a great place for biking, and you can set off right from the house. If it's just some gentle cycling you're after, hit the roads and you'll be blessed with fantastic views and barely any cars sharing your space. Or you can head up into the hills and forests around Svanstein for some mountain biking, or try fatbiking along the snowmobile trails.
If you're feeling more adventurous you can head to Ylläs or Levi bike parks in Finland (1.5 to 2 hours' drive) where they have dedicated mountain biking and downhill biking trails. You can also hire bikes and other equipment there.
Swimming
You may not think of swimming when you think of Lapland, but summers get hot up there and it's good to cool off. In fact, just 10 minutes' down the road in Juoksengi there is an annual competition - Swim the Arctic Circle - where swimmers cross the Arctic Circle into a different time zone and arrive the day before they set off!
​
Thanks to freedom to roam, you can take a dip just about wherever you like, including the lake right next to Lapland Lights. Just make sure you take safety into consideration before you choose to swim. And less than 1km away is a small sandy beach on the Torne river with changing facilities, picnic benches and a car park.
Birdwatching
Lapland is home to 326 species of bird, 14 of them endangered. Highlights include the bluethroat, black grouse and great grey owl. Thanks to Sweden's freedom to roam, you don't need to seek out a nature reserve to go birding, just head for the nearest lake, river, forest or mountain - which is not hard in Lapland because it's all lakes, rivers, forests and mountains!
​
On the lake right outside Lapland Lights you'll find plenty of waterfowl, including whopper swans (perhaps they gave Svanstein - swan stone - its name?). And surrounding the house in summer you'll see wagtails on the ground and swallows in the air. The sauna, with its views over the river, doubles up as a handy bird hide.
​
Find out more
Being right on the border, you get to experience the best that both Swedish and Finnish Lapland have to offer. You can find more information about activities and attractions by following the links below.
​
Sweden:
Finland: