Gateway to Swedish Lapland in the northern Arctic Circle

I spent a few days in Swedish Lapland just south of the Arctic Circle in a small snow-struck town called Skellefteå. Just a few days in this alien, icy landscape is enough to capture one's heart.

This northern kingdom is the home of things winter fantastical. Sealed in this frozen world, it's the land of frost giants, trolls and the splendid Northern Lights.

Although my visit was short, Swedish Lapland carved a place in my heart and I yearn to return. I was taken by the simple life, the sunrise tableaux and the cosiness that residents brought into their home to stave off the arctic chill.

The landscapes, also alien and austere, were also lonely. Though, not lonely in a despairing sense. Rather in a setting where one can be happily immersed in the thick woodlands alone with nature.