Where to find snow in Sweden at Christmas and New Year

Few winter destinations in Sweden place snow and ice quite so firmly at the heart of the experience.

In Jukkasjärvi, around 17 kilometres from Kiruna, the seasonal Icehotel is rebuilt beside the Torne River each winter and welcomes guests from December until April. Parts of the hotel remain frozen throughout the year.

Winter also brings dog sledding, snowmobile tours and long, dark evenings with a chance of seeing the northern lights. You can sleep among ice sculptures, choose a warm room or simply visit the hotel as an art exhibition during the day.

Photo: Asaf Kliger

Åre is the clearest choice for travellers planning a skiing holiday over Christmas or New Year.

The season usually begins in mid-December, although the number of open lifts and slopes will always depend on snow and weather. Both holiday periods are busy, so accommodation and restaurants are worth booking well ahead, especially if you are considering a package for Christmas or New Year .

Away from the pistes, you can explore the mountain landscape through winter activities such as dog sledding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.

Set inland in Jämtland, Östersund is one of the stronger city choices for travellers hoping for snow over Christmas and New Year.

Its ski stadium, around a 15-minute walk from the centre, has almost 90 kilometres of cross-country trails, including an artificial-snow track. For downhill skiing, Gustavsbergsbacken and Ladängen are around 10–15 minutes from the centre by car or bus, while Lake Storsjön completes the winter setting – although both the open slopes and activities on the natural ice depend on local conditions.

From mid-November, tens of thousands of Christmas lights illuminate the city centre. While Östersund embraces the festive season, Frösö Park Hotel offers a deliberate alternative with its Christmas-free stay, centred on spa and relaxation. For guests travelling with dogs, the hotel also has a firework-free New Year package.

Photo: Göran Strand/imagebank.sweden.se

Set just below the Arctic Circle on the shores of the Bothnian Bay, Luleå has a long winter season in which snow, cold and sea ice become part of everyday life.

From mid-December until the end of February, conditions are at their most reliably wintry, while clear, dark evenings may bring the northern lights.

Dog sledding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing take you beyond the city, while the bay’s brackish water freezes each winter and gradually opens up another side of the landscape. The ice track around central Luleå usually opens between late December and mid-January, so it is best treated as a possible bonus rather than something to count on over Christmas or New Year.

Photo: Steffen Lemmerzahl, Unsplash

At around 64° north, Skellefteå offers good prospects of snow over Christmas and New Year.

Just two kilometres from the centre, Vitberget offers downhill skiing and more than 50 kilometres of groomed cross-country trails, with stored and artificial snow extending the opportunities for skiing during a winter season that usually runs from November to April.

Dog-sledding and snowmobile tours take you into the surrounding winter landscape, while clear, dark evenings may bring the northern lights too.

Photo: Ted Logart/imagebank.sweden.se