To Stockholm
At midnight the Snalltaget Train 300 departed from Hamburg hbf, heading for Stockholm central. The arrival was scheduled for the next day at 14:35. The train was operated by Snälltåget, a Swedish rail operator that operates (sleeper) train rides from Berlin to Stockholm (among other lines). Since I had an interrail pass making a seat reservation sufficed. The cost was 199 SEK and was booked through the operators website.
When I got on in Hamburg, I was surprised at how packed the train already was and after the stop it seemed that not a single seat was left untaken. I had a regular aisle seat with a table in front of me, another passenger in the window seat next to me and two passengers on the opposite side of the table. We all stretched our legs right next to one another, forming a zig-zag pattern, and tried to get some sleep.
After a few hours, the train came to halt after crossing the Danish border. Those who had fallen asleep were abruptly awoken when, after about fifteen minutes, the Danish border police entered our carriage and performed a passport control. The entire ordeal took about an hour after which we resumed the journey. Fifteen hours later, after stops at various trainstations in Denmark and Sweden, the train finally arrived at the Stockholm central station. It was just before 15:00. The ride was fine but I would say be prepared to get little sleep because of how little room the seats offer. The next train ride was already scheduled for that evening which meant that I had just a few hours to explore the city. I embarked on a small walking tour and saw some of the highlights, had my first taste of all the great bread Sweden has to offer and enjoyed the beautiful sight of the many waterways that make their way through the city.
To Abisko
The second leg of the journey would take me all the way from Stockholm to Abisko, a tiny town and stunning national park in Swedish lapland. It serves at the starting point of the Kungsleden, the longest and most famous long distance hiking trail in Sweden. Due to the relatively frequent clear skies (caused by the parks unique microclimate), Abisko is often named as one of the best places in the world to see the Northern lights.
The train to Abisko departed just after 18:00 and promised a little more sleep. I had booked a berth in a couchette which meant a proper place to lie down, a pillow and some sheets. This promise came true when, after some small talk with the others in the couchette, I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Upon waking very early the next morning, I took a peak out of the window and immediately saw how drastically the landscape had changed. As far as my eye could see, I saw only vast wetlands and taiga forest.
The nighttrain is the Nattåg 94, which is operated by the Swedish state owned rail operator SJ. It departs from Stockholm Central Station and the final stop is in Narvik, Norway. I booked my seat reservation through SJ.se and paid 240 SEK for the berth. You have the ability to book a berth in a male, female or mixed couchette. In each carriage there is at least a single bathroom (usually at the end of the hallway) in which you can find a toilet, a drain and a mirror. The ride itself was even longer than the one from Hamburg to Stockholm and took nearly seventeen hours before finally arriving in Abisko.
Abisko has two trainstations, the Abisko Östra station and the Abisko turist station. The Östra station is the station in the 'town' and the Turist station is at the entry of the national park. There is an STF lodging right next to the Turist station that also offers rooms and beds. The two stations are about half an hour apart. However, most lodgings and the supermarket are near the Östra station and I got off there. On the platform, one of the first things I noticed was the position of the sun which, due to the high latitude, was incredibly low. Abisko's location within the article circle means that for over a month in the summer, the sun does not set (midnight sun) and in the winter the stun does not rise. My arrival in late September meant that long days were rapidly making way for long nights.
On the train ride, I had booked a bed in the Abisko.net hostel through Booking. The hostel is a five minute walk from the station and turned out to be a great choice. A bed cost me just over 27E per night. Bed linens however are not included in this and will cost you 90 SEK (9E) extra for your whole stay. The room in which I stayed consisted of three bunk beds (six beds total). There was a shower compound next to the compound with the bedrooms. This compound also included my favorite part of the hostel: the sauna. Each night between 19:00 and 20:00, the sauna is heated and all guests are welcome to make use of it (included in price). There is a shared kitchen which is equipped with about everything you need to make a decent meal. Food can be purchased at the Godisfabriken supermarket which is just over five minutes away from the hostel. Godisfabrik translates to candy factory and you'll see why when you're there. Besides the gigantic candy department, however, they have a wide offering of all basic products.
After checking in at the hostel, I dropped of some of my luggage and headed for the park. The next few days were mostly spent doing day hikes. The park itself has multiple, well-marked routes that are absolutely stunning. Autumn was nearing its end and the trees were letting of their last colorful leaves for the year. On my first full day, I hiked up the Nuolja mountain. Near the summit, you can find the Aurora Sky Station which sells food and beverages. From the terrace, you have a great view of the area. A mountain lift can also be taken up/down to/from here. There are also hikes that fall just outside of the park borders but are just a beautiful, such as the one to Lapporten (although the markings are much poorer).
Abisko lived up to its reputation as a great place to see the Northern lights and on multiple nights the Aurora Borealis was visible. One night we headed over to the Torneträsk lake (15 minute walk), from which you have a beautiful clearing to view the lights and, if the lights are strong enough,see the reflections in the water.
To Narvik
After the great start of my trip I continued my journey northbound, heading for Narvik. Narvik is the final final destination of the earlier mentioned Nattåg 94 and the second most Northern European train station (after Murmansk). This section of the trainride is part of the famous swedish Iron Ore line. The ride again offered stunning views of the region and in contrast to the previous two rides, took just a few hours. By the early afternoon, the train arrived in Narvik. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any (cheap/shared) accomodation in a hostel in Narvik and ended up having to get a hotel room. I booked a budget room at Narvik Hotel Wivel through Booking for 74E, which included breakfast. The room and breakfast were great and I was able to see the Aurora from the small window in the room. Narvik was a 'layover' stop but I enjoyed my time there. I visited the Narvik warmuseum, which I highly recommend, and bought some last minute supplies at the mall.
To Lofoten
After breakfast the next morning, it was time to continue my trip towards the Lofoten Islands. I did some prior research on how to get there and was positively surprised by the amount of bus connections and the frequency of the rides. Traveling without a car is absolutely possible and very doable on the Lofoten islands due to the many busstops all over.
For planning the several bustrips I made while on the Lofoten archipel, the Reis Nordland route planner was of great help. For purchasing tickets, I used the Billet Nordland app. The purchased ticket in the app can be shown directly to the bus driver.
As a student, the tickets were surprisingly affordable. I paid 180 NOK for a student ticket from Narvik to Svolvear which is a four hour journey. The student tickets are half price compared to regular tickets.The regional 300 busline makes two daily trips from Narvik all the way to Å, at the tail of the archipel, stopping by Svolvaer on its way.
To Svolvær
At 10:00, the bus left the Narvik Busterminal. During the ride, the scenery rapidly changed to the dramatic and iconic peaks that Lofoten is known for. Around two, I got off the bus in the centre of Svolvaer. Again, it seemed that there were no hostels with shared accomodation and I booked a room in Fast Hotel Svolvaer for 73E. I quickly dropped of some of my baggage and went for a hike to Fløya and Djevelporten (The Devil's Gate).
The hike is on a very well maintained trail that starts with a long ascend on Sherpa stairs (a stairway carved in stone). The weather was perfect when I made the climb but I can imagine that in wet conditions it can be slippery at some points. After the Djevelporten, you can continue the hike up Fløya but the trail does become more technically demanding. After continuing up a bit further, you are rewarded with an incredible panoramic view of the surrounding region with all its peaks and the ocean. Here I saw a sea eagle for the first time, passing me by from just a few meters.
The next morning, I went on an excursion to the Trollfjord. It was a bit of a bite out of my budget but I really wanted to sail through a fjord. I booked a cruise with BrimExplorer for 790NOK and we departed at 10:00. We spotted many more sea eagles during the excursion and the magnitude and beauty of the fjords really started to sink in.
To Fredvang
After arriving back in Svolvaear it was time to travel to my next destination: Fredvang. This is a tiny fishing village on the Moskenes island reached in 2.5 hours by bus. I had booked a bed in the Lydersen Rorbuer hostel which was just a few minutes away from the Fredvang Nord busstop. The hostel was very affordable and had two fully equipped kitchens. Make sure to bring enough groceries because there is no supermarket easily reachable by foot near the hostel. It was greatly located to hike to Ryten and the Kvalvika beach, which I did the next day. Kvalvika is a wide beach surrounded by immense cliffs on every side, one of these cliffs is the Ryten mountain. Before the final climb up to the top, you can descend to the beach. I felt absolutely tiny when setting foot on it. The water had a turquouise shade and the sand was almost tropically light. After taking a walk along the beach, I ascended back up and continued my journey to the top of Ryten from which great views of the beach and the ocean awaited. All in all, the hike was very doable and, like everything on Lofoten, beautiful. It was a bit muddy in some places but that is to be expected in early October. Clear skies made the promise of the Aurora Borealis come true once again at night and another guest staying at the hostel showed me the Andromeda Galaxy with his binoculars.
To Reine
The next stop was the incredible village of Reine. This fishing town is surrounded by water on nearly every side. I had found a discounted room in the [Lofoten Bed & Breakfast Reine] for 40 with breakfast included. This was a great deal and I would highly recommend the B&B. A supermarket can be found across the water at about half an hour. The Reinebringen peak can be seen from the town and an ascend up is an absolute must for anyone visiting Reine. After dropping my baggage at the B&B, I got a sandwich at the Circle K (recommended since there are not many other options) and headed for the Reinebringen trail head. The sherpa steps which I got to know earlier in Svolvaer greeted me again. Over 1500 steps take you almost all the way to the summit. On the way up, my vision got more and obscured by the fog.
When I finally got to the top, I could not see a thing! I sat down on a rock, opened up a book and got lucky. After about half an hour, the clouds started clearing and a view started opening up. I realised quickly that the view was well worth the wait: for as far as I could see, there were immense cliffs rising steeply from the ocean. All in all, I think the hike up and back down took me a little over 3 hours. Due to the Sherpa stairs, the hike is not very technically demanding but at the top where the steps come to an end, it can be a bit muddy and slippery.
To Å
At the (literal) end of the road on the Lofoten islands is the one-letter named town of Å. The very old, tiny fishing village is the southern-most town on the archipel and is known for its stockfish museum and bakery. I stayed in the really cool HI LOFOTEN Å hostel, which is situated in the same building as the ancient stockfish museum. The rooms were redecorated to their original 'rorbu' style, which are the traditional fishermanshouses that were used during the fishing season. Unfortunately, both the bakery and the stockfish museum had just closed its doors for the season (which lasts to the end of september). However, the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum was still open. This museum, spread across the town, displays the traditional way of life in various places within the fishing village (such as at the blacksmith and the cod liver oil factory) which was a lot of fun to see. I took a stroll around the town and reflected on all the amazing things I had experienced in the last few days. An early busride back to the the mainland (Narvik) awaited for me the next day.
To Kiruna
After arriving back to Narvik I got on a train due south. I decided to make another stop in Abisko, to see the region now that autums had truly passed and winter was setting in. Many of the mountains were already covered in a thin layer of snow. I spent a night at the same hostel before heading for my final stop on this trip: Kiruna. This city is build right on top of the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. Due to the extraction of the ore, the above city centre is slowly caving into the mine with structural damage to many of the properties. As a result, the entire city center is being relocated over three kilometres. Walking around in this old centre felt like walking through a ghost town. Many empty stores had the sale posters still stuck to the windows and what once were residential family homes now stood deserted. All these properties were ready for its demolition. I staid in the SPiS Hostel which can be found in the old city centre. A bed in four-person dormitory cost me 320SEK. This included an amazing breakfast buffdet and on-demand access to a sauna (you can ask at the reception for the sauna to be turned on). An amazing deal and I highly enjoyed my stay here. One of the reasons why I wanted to visit Kiruna on my way back was the opportunity to visit the mine myself. Multiple times a month (depending on the season), LKAB, the state owned Swedish mining company which mines ore in Kiruna, organises a three hour guided tour into the mine. Leaving from the Kiruna turist centre, you travel by bus deep into the mine where you learn about the infrastructure of the mine, the mining process itself and the equipment used (which is also on display). A very interesting and unique experience, which cost me 310 SEK (student ticket). Information about the tour, tickets and the schedule can be found on the Kiruna Lapland website. During my stay, I also visited the Kiruna church, which is one of the largest wooden building in Sweden, and hiked the Luossavaara loop trail which gave a nice view of both the city and the vast wilderness that surrounds it. All in all, visiting Kiruna was an highly interesting experience and a great addition to the trip. After Kiruna, I headed continued my journey back, travelling to Stockholm again. From there, I took the train to Copenhagen in which I spent a night before catching an early morning train back to Germany.
Final remarks
After Kiruna, I continued my journey back down south, travelling to Stockholm again. From there, I took the train to Copenhagen in which I spent a night before catching an early morning train back to Germany. In total, I spent about three weeks in this region. Even though Scandinavia is without a doubt an expensive region to travel in, the interrail pass, booking shared accomodations and preparing my own food (in the hostel kitchens) helped to keep the trip affordable. Not having an automobile but relying on public transport was very doable despite the remoteness of the region. I was especially surprised by how well many trails are reachable by public transport. All around, it was an amazing journey on which I met many kind people and saw a lot of natural beauty. I would recommend this region to every traveller and hope this article can inspire as well as facilitate a similar trip for some!