Kiruna between mining history and mountain birch forest

Kiruna between mining, city history and art

Kiruna brings together a range of themes to help you plan your stay: mining and iron production, contemporary art, the city’s development and outdoor activities. You can choose what to focus on depending on whether you’re mainly interested in exhibitions and city history or in trails and sports. Each place and activity has its own distinctive character.

Mining and contemporary art

Mining and iron production are at the heart of the LKAB Visitor Centre. The visitor areas cover 20,000 square metres; the Visitor Centre is located 540 metres underground and can be reached by bus from the Tourist Centre. Exhibits, films and machinery illustrate ore mining and iron production. The Mining Museum presents the mine’s hundred-year history. Check the latest visitor information before your trip.

The Kin Museum of Contemporary Art offers a different cultural focus. It is located in Kiruna’s new city centre, in the Kristallen City Hall. Through Konstverkstan at Kristallen City Hall, the museum offers guided tours, workshops and other activities. The Kin workshop welcomes children and adults and is open whenever the museum is open. To get there by bus on weekdays, take the Purple Line towards Hagelstigen to the Kiruna Stadshustorg stop. Check the latest route information before travelling; the museum’s current visitor information can also help you plan your visit.

City history and architecture

Explore Kiruna’s history, architecture and city relocation on a guided tour or a self-guided QR-code tour. This lets you consider these subjects together rather than viewing individual buildings and stops in isolation. Kiruna Church was inaugurated in 1912 and built in the shape of a Sami kåta. It is temporarily closed to visitors and is due to reopen sometime in the first half of 2027.

The route between Kiruna’s new and old city centres is about 3 to 5 kilometres long, depending on the route, and takes approximately 30 to 60 minutes. This range gives you an estimate for planning your time without specifying a particular route. Hjalmar Lundbohmsgården serves as a museum and café on weekdays. Check opening hours in advance if you’re planning a visit.

Trails and outdoor activities

The Midnight Sun Trail leads through lush mountain birch forest up Kiruna’s city mountain to a viewpoint with a 360-degree panorama. Wooden signs bearing a sun symbol and the text Midnattssolstigen mark the trail.

Luossavaara is used as a recreational area and is Kiruna’s own ski hill. Luossabacken has three lifts, four runs and a park with jumps and rails. In summer, Luossavaara has three downhill mountain biking trails. These facilities offer a range of activities; the bike trails are specifically for summer.

The sculptures at the Kiruna Snow Festival also add a seasonal highlight: they are displayed outside Kiruna City Hall in the city centre and remain open to the public until they melt in spring. The seasonal display may vary from one festival edition to another. If you’re planning to include it in your itinerary, check the latest festival information for your visit.

Discover more destinations: Karesuando, Lannavaara, Björkliden, Abisko, Riksgränsen, Vittangi

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