Go North and Watch the Lights

Sweden’s newest travel prescription recommends travelers head to the Arctic this winter, describing time under the Northern Lights as an experience that can steady the mind and lift the mood.

The larger physician-supported Swedish prescription initiative highlights Sweden’s natural environments as a form of wellbeing, outlining how specific activities and settings can ease stress and support mental health.

Northern Lights travel is on the rise as the solar cycle peaks through 2026, and the Swedish Lapland location inside the auroral oval, combined with its long winter darkness, creates some of the world’s most reliable viewing conditions.

The appeal is driven in part by an emotional response researchers link to reduced stress and improved mood. Psychologist Chris Barnes at the University of Derby has studied how connections to the night sky influence well-being.

“Seeing the Northern Lights is a great way to connect with the night sky, and my research suggests that this connection is beneficial for our mental health and happiness,” he says.

Swedish Lapland Gives The Sky Room to Shine

Across the Swedish Lapland, long winter nights and vast stretches of low light create conditions that favor viewing the Northern Lights.

The cold sharpens sound across forests and frozen lakes, and small communities keep artificial lighting to a minimum. The result is a region where darkness settles early and stays long enough for the dancing lights to dominate the sky.

Abisko has earned notable attention from researchers and travelers over the years, as the valley’s position between mountains and lakes helps limit cloud cover, creating a microclimate that is often clear even when other areas are overcast.

Scientists regularly cite Abisko as one of the most dependable places in the world to see the aurora. Chris Brown of Louisiana, returning from a recent visit, said the sight left his group with “a deep awe of nature.”

Stays Made for Watching the Night Unfold

In the Råne River Valley, Aurora Safari Camp offers guests heated Sámi-style tents with wood-burning stoves, keeping light levels intentionally low to preserve visibility. The surrounding forest stays largely unlit, and the camp’s floating sauna allows you to move between heat and cold while keeping the sky in view.

On the Lule River, Arctic Bath is a floating spa hotel built around an open circular pool in winter ice. You can watch the night sky from a warm outdoor bath, far from the city’s lights. Harads, about an hour south of the Arctic Circle, is home to the Treehotel, with architect-designed cabins high in the forest, heated interiors, and windows facing the sky.

Farther north in Särkimukka, Pinetree Lodge features log-cabin interiors, lakeside saunas, and a secluded Aurora Hideaway Cabin used for private dinners and sky watching. Kiruna, the largest town in Sweden’s far north, is perfect for travelers who prefer staying closer to larger communities while still having access to dark surroundings.

Máttaráhkká Northern Lights Lodge sits on a hillside just outside of town, offering rooftop hot tubs and broad views of the valley. Camp Ripan, also in Kiruna, features chalet-style rooms and a spa designed around heated outdoor pools that focus on the sky.

For a more intimate stay, Kaalasjärvi offers the Arctic Gourmet Cabin, with two private guest cabins and a compact dining space. The design keeps the focus on its setting: immediate darkness, open lake ice in winter, and the northern lights, which often appear above the treetops.

On a remote lakeshore near Väkkäräjärvi, Fjellborg Arctic Lodge is centered on privacy. Travelers reach the property by sled and stay in a timber lodge with a sauna and outdoor hot tub. With no nearby light pollution, even faint auroras appear more pronounced.

A Calm That Extends Beyond the Light

For many who go north, the northern lights are only part of the experience. The nature-centric spaces, solitude, and the unhurried pace of winter give the region character that goes beyond the glow.

When the aurora appears, it does so on its own terms. But on nights it doesn’t, the peaceful calm of the Swedish Laplands becomes its own reason to be there.