Can you see the northern lights in Luleå tonight?

Visit Luleå says the northern lights are visible in Luleå from late August until the first days of April, though over the city they will be shy and less prominent. Visit Luleå says the sea freezes every year, an ice track is ploughed between the north and south harbours, and ice roads reach some of the archipelago islands.

When to see the northern lights in Luleå

Visit Luleå states that the northern lights are visible from late August until the first days of April. During the rest of the year, the sky is too bright. To see them, you need clear skies or scattered clouds; the tourism board's rule of thumb is that if you can see stars, it is possible to see the aurora.

There is no fixed timetable. The lights may appear at any point during the hours of darkness and last for varying lengths of time. Visit Luleå says you can see the lights over the city, but there they will be shy and less prominent.

If you want to be sure of snow, ice, and cold weather, Visit Luleå recommends planning your trip between mid-December and the end of February, when dark, clear nights are occasionally lit up by displays. The Gulf of Bothnia is brackish—roughly four fifths fresh water—which allows the sea to freeze every year. The frozen sea ice becomes an activity area that is at its best from January well into March. Winter temperatures typically range from 0 to minus 35°C, with an extreme low of minus 41°C recorded in 1999. Read more about the northern lights in Sweden across the rest of the country.

How to get to Luleå

Direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda to Luleå Airport take 75 minutes. The Swedish Lapland Visitors Board identifies Luleå Airport and Kiruna Airport as the two main flight gateways to the region, served by SAS and Norwegian with connections through Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo. Swedavia notes that the airport sits about seven kilometres from the city centre.

To travel between the airport and the centre, Luleå Lokaltrafik runs buses 4 and 104 from the stop outside the terminal. Bus 4 connects to Smedjegatan in the centre before continuing to the university. Bus 104 serves Smedjegatan, the central bus station, and the railway station. Cash is not accepted on local buses. You must pay using a bank card or bus card, or purchase and activate a ticket inside the Luleå Lokaltrafik mobile app prior to boarding.

If travelling overland, night trains depart Stockholm every evening for Luleå Central Station. According to Visit Sweden, the rail journey takes 12 to 14 hours. The station is located near the city centre, no more than a few minutes' walk away. Norrtåg operates regional services linking Luleå with Haparanda and Kiruna; the route connecting Luleå and Kiruna is the region's most popular rail link. If you drive, the E4 coastal highway from Stockholm passes just outside the city.

Where to stand to see the aurora

Visit Luleå advises heading to an open, suitably dark spot while avoiding artificial lighting as much as possible. Along the Bothnian Bay coast, the Swedish Lapland Visitors Board notes that getting away from artificial light is one of the most important things when photographing the northern lights, and finding good photographic conditions along the archipelago coast is often as straightforward as in the mountains.

Photographer Per Lundström highlights three specific spots on Visit Luleå's website:

• Gäddvik: Lundström recommends Gäddvik, preferably at the fishing museum and the small barn by a jetty, as a dark place where the water also makes for good photographs.
• Ormbergsbacken: Located on Ormberget, this elevated hill provides a quick view of any sky movement while the city lights sit below. Local bus line 2 reaches Ormberget from central Luleå in eight minutes.
• Sinksundet: He recommends standing down by the swimming area at Sinksundet, which is dark and by the water, so you can see the lights in both directions.

The Swedish Lapland Visitors Board lists Brändön Lodge in Luleå among its places to see the northern lights, with activities under the lights or in search of them, such as dog sledding, dinners and snowshoe treks. To assess other northern locations across the region, see our guide to the best places to see the northern lights.

The frozen sea in winter

Visit Luleå says an ice track of more than 10 km is ploughed between the north and south harbours as soon as the ice is thick enough. It generally opens in late December. You can step onto this track at the north harbour near Hälsans Hus or at the south harbour.

Visit Luleå says about 30 km of ice roads are ploughed to some of the archipelago's islands once the coastal ice is about half a metre thick, normally opening in January or early February. Visit Luleå states that driving across the ice is risk-free as long as you stay strictly on the ploughed roads. Speed is limited, and roadside signage indicates if a route is temporarily closed or when the season ends. The tourism board suggests day trips over the ice roads to islands including Hindersön, Sandön, and Junkön.

When photographing displays, Lundström suggests a tripod, with aperture f/2.8, ISO 1600 and a 15-second exposure as a good starting point. On a smartphone, activate night mode. Visit Luleå says to dress for the cold and wind, with layering the key.