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Travel to Riksgransen with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Located way up in the north of Sweden and into Lapland, near the Norwegian border, Riksgransen has the distinction of being the world’s northernmost ski resort.

Riksgransen is a very laid-back, 100-year-old ski centre with a breathtaking setting and fairly limited services. The one hotel can hold 500 guests and also provides the dining and après-ski entertainment. There is an excellent restaurant and a bar in the hotel, and another independent restaurant nearby. Heli-skiing and dog-sledding are among the non-ski activities.

Twenty pistes run over 21kms of varied terrain at Riksgransen ski resort, with the majority of the terrain given over to the intermediate skier and snowboarder, while experts can ski off-piste. Six ski lifts have an hourly uplift capacity of 7,400 people and provide access to all pistes over a vertical of 410m, to a height of 910m.

The ski season at Riksgransen runs from December to late June with best conditions later in the season. The most convenient means of getting to Riksgransen is to fly to Kiruna’s domestic airport, via Stockholm, and take the bus from there or train from the city of Kiruna.

Skiing in Riksgransen

Riksgransen is the most northerly ski resort in the world and lies 250kms above the Arctic Circle, in the Norrbotten region of Sweden. Midnight skiing is possible in the spring months, allowing for 24-hour sliding across the 21kms of pistes.

There are 20 pistes in all, and they are divided into 21 per cent for beginners, 74 per cent for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders, and five per cent for experts. Up to 7,400 skiers per hour can be lifted to all pistes, via six lift systems that stretch across a 410-metre vertical slice of the mountain. Additionally, there is some challenging off-piste and 30kms of great cross-country trails.

The December to late June ski season has its best conditions later in the season due a colder climate earlier on. The most practical travel option is to take a domestic flight to Kiruna Airport, from Stockholm. Buses go to and from Riksgransen from there, as do trains from Kiruna train station.

Après-ski in Riksgransen

Other winter activities and facilities at Riksgransen ski resort include: guided ski trips, snowmobile trips, fjord cruises, heli-skiing, ice fishing, mountaineering, dog-sledding and backpack country skiing. Worthwhile après-ski entertainment is provided by the single hotel and its superb restaurant and bar.

Riksgransen is a century-old ski resort set amid breathtaking Arctic scenery and is very remote. A charming and laid-back resort, Riksgransen only has a single hotel with beds for 500 people and a commendable restaurant stocked with some fine wines.

Away from the slopes, the breathtaking fjords of Norway are nearby (west). The only other major base in this otherwise remote town is Lapland’s biggest community of Kiruna, to the southeast. A major base for winter skiers and summer hikers, Kiruna also has the worlds largest underground mine and tours operate through a number of its tunnels; while many facets of Sami culture are explored at the Sami House.

Transportation in Riksgransen

Nestled right on the Norwegian border, 130kms from the nearest main town and nearly 1,400kms north of Stockholm, Riksgransen ski resort is actually quite straightforward to get to, with access provided by road and rail. Flying into Kiruna, via Stockholm, and transferring by bus, or car hire, is the quickest travel option; while rail travel is the next best choice and self-drive, the least attractive.

Travelling from the UK by car is best done by utilising ferry crossings from Newcastle to Stavanger, and then driving to Skanevik and taking the ferry north to Dagsvik. From there, take highways 78, 17, 12 and the E-6 and E-10. There are also additional ferry crossing from Lavong to Nesna and Bognes to Skarberget. Total driving distance from Newcastle is only 660kms, but the journey will take over three days.

By train, options include Eurostar travel via Brussels to Sweden, or the ferry route from Newcastle. The latter option is the easiest and has the least number of connections. Trains run from all over the UK to Newcastle, where you need to board the ferry to Gothenburg. Trains from there go to Stockholm, from where there is a direct overnight service to Riksgransen.

The nearest major airport to Riksgransen is Stockholm International Airport, which has flights to Kiruna Airport (near Riksgransen), from where buses and taxis go to the resort. Alternatively, there is a direct overnight train to Riksgransen from Stockholm, taking 18 hours.

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