Winter activities
Discover Luleå at its winter finest! We’ve gathered the most thrilling activities to make your trip unforgettable. Lace up your ice skates, race across the snow on a snowmobile, or feel the rush behind a team of sled dogs. Try cycling on ice, downhill skiing, kick sledding, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing – and don’t miss the chance to chase the northern lights or dare to take an invigorating ice bath. Find inspiration here to plan your perfect winter adventure.
Put on your skates
Where, if not Luleå, would you go to skate on natural ice? Every year, an ice track is ploughed around the central peninsula from the north harbour around Gültzauudden, to the south harbour and on to the small island of Gråsjälören. In addition, sometimes detours are made to Bergnäset and Mjölkudden. The total length is usually around 10 kilometres.
Enjoy Luleå's ice track
Go snowmobiling
Whether you choose to go out on your own or on a guided tour in the frozen archipelago or through the forest, the snowmobile is an excellent means of transport in winter. You travel light and fast and you get really close to nature. We recommend bringing a packed lunch and hot drink. And remember to follow the designated snowmobile trails!
Join a snowmobile safari
Experience dog sledding
Would you like to experience speed and excitement with the muffled sound of paws and runners against snow? Then try dog sledding and feel how you almost blend into the winter landscape. In some cases, it is also possible to try mushing the sled yourself!
Dogsledding
Cycling on the ice
In the summer we cycle on our archipelago islands and during the winter it is also possible to cycle between the islands using a fatbike. The wide and durable tyres allow you to go cycling on the ice, to the farthest edge of the archipelago. If you’re lucky, you’ll see the northern lights and winter-grazing reindeer all around you on the islands off Luleå.
Winter cycling
Go downhill on slopes
Just outside the city, you’ll find Ormberget – a smaller slope for downhill skiing if you want a fair challenge. If you wish to test your limits, Måttsundsbacken outside Luleå is a better option – where you can also rent equipment on site.
Skiing
Travel by kick sled
Once the ice track is ploughed, head to the kick sled statuibs at either harbour and borrow a sled free of charge. Why not head out to the small island of Gråsjälören? Another suitable kick sled trip is to go from the south to the north harbour, where there are restaurants serving both lunch and dinner nearby.
Try cross-country skis
Experiencing nature whilst gliding on cross-country skis, almost without a sound, at a fast or a slow pace, is just part of everyday life for many people living in Luleå. Illuminated tracks let you ski even when it’s dark outside. The most extensive trail system is found on Ormberget. There are tracks for both beginners, hobbyists working out and pros. Track lengths vary between 1.5 and 10 kilometres.
Skiing
Hike with snowshoes
It’s truly lovely to make your way through snow-filled terrain, even where the snow is really deep, without sinking. Although they are called snowshoes, they are not shoes that you put on, but a kind of frame that you strap onto your own winter boots. A tip is to have trousers with snow zippers or drawstrings at the bottom so you really keep the snow out of the boot shafts.
Rent equipment
Step into an ice bath
Stepping into a hole in the ice is described by many as a powerful experience that leaves you yearning for more and gives an indescribable energy boost. The best way to try an ice bath for the first time is to book an instructor who will guide you through the ritual, step by step, under safe conditions. You usually start by warming in a sauna and then step down into the water.
The sauna experience
Experience Sámi culture
At Dálvvás, Marita Sikku madeher dream come true – a place where people can experience Sámi culture, reindeer, and storytelling by the fire. A warm and authentic winter experience. Marita Sikku traded the classroom for a lávvu and reindeer. In Karlsvik, she now runs Dálvvás – a place where the dream of entrepreneurship and Sámi culture come together in a winter landscape.
DállvásTip! Photograph the northern lights
We recommend a tripod to avoid blurry pictures. If you don’t have access to a tripod, you can stabilise the camera with a rock or a piece of wood. When photographing with a mobile phone camera, the basic tip is to choose night mode, otherwise you risk getting shutter speeds that are too short
Bucketlist
- Ice skates
- Snowmobile
- Dog sledding
- Cycling on the ice
- Downhill skiing
- Kick sled
- Cross-country skis
- Snowshoes
- Northern lights
- Ice bath