A journey of discovery—my hiking adventure in Lapland, Sweden

Discovering splendor in Lapland, Sweden. All photography is the property of Null & Full. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

I am honored to introduce my guest travel writer Agata Mleczko, founder and editor of Null&Full.com, a travel blog that features off-the-beaten-track destinations. She currently calls Poland home but has lived in Italy for more than six years and has traveled to more than 20 countries including her most recent visit to New Zealand. She enjoys reading travel books, jogging, trekking and cooking. Be sure to follow her on Twitter @nullnfull and Facebook too. Without further ado, I bring to you Agata's journey of discovery to Lapland, Sweden.  

Although I live so close to all of the Scandinavian countries, it took me a long time to visit the first of them: Sweden. It’s just across the Baltic Sea, not too far away really, but it seems that the closer the destination, the harder to visit and appreciate, right? Well, this was the case with me. I went to Sweden for the first time just couple of years ago but since then, I visit this country every year. Do you want to know why? Lapland.

Lapland at its best!

Endless horizon and pure beauty—Lapland.

Before I visited other Scandinavian countries, let me tell you about my very first adventure in the far north. This is one of the stories that starts at some point and ends – quite unexpectedly- somewhere else. So, it all started with Alaska. I wanted to go there pretty badly so when the time came to decide the holiday destination, I was quite determined to cross literally half of the world to go to Alaska. The only reason that stopped me was very limited holiday time due to the teaching duties at the university. I discovered I would need to come back to Europe on the very last flight of the year. Because there were three or four months with no flights available, needless to say, I was scared. "What if the last plane will not fly due to the difficult weather conditions?" I thought to myself. And decided I need to find an alternative.

Endless horizon and pure beauty—Lapland At My Fingertips

Lapland—a land of endless tundra, wild animals and a homeland of reindeer.

While browsing some magazines on the plane, one article caught my attention. Lapland was described as the land of endless tundra, wild animals and a homeland of reindeer. That was something that I always wanted to do—to see wild reindeer. I made up my mind in a minute and instead of Alaska I traveled to Lapland. The itinerary was quite complex: flight from Venice to Stockholm; night train from Stockholm to Kiruna; and finally a local bus to Nikkaluokta. Just 24 hours after leaving my home in Italy, there I was, at the starting point of Kungsleden (King’s Trail), walking with my heavy backpack, soaked, tired, but very, very happy.

Singi Mountain Hut – King’s Trail - Crossing The Arctic Circle

Singi Mountain Hut – King’s Trail - Crossing The Arctic Circle.

It was the first time in my life when I crossed the Arctic Circle and I was thrilled! During those eight days in September, I walked almost 110 km on foot with my backpack and all of my belongings, and proud of it! Lapland welcomed me with awesome weather, nice people, perfectly organized timetable of public transportation, and – most of all – remote and wild terrain I hoped for.

Majesty of Lapland - No Disappointments

Swedish wooden house in Nikkaluokta.

The first thing I discovered in Lapland was the impeccable cleanliness and punctuality of its transportation system (the train station in Stockholm was not very clean, to be honest). But it was the vast panorama and silence of the Swedish Lapland that left me awe-struck, like a fairy-tale! I could walk for kilometers meeting no one (apart from a reindeer or two, of course). Simple and very efficient mountain huts provided everything I needed: a safe place to sleep, warmth, kitchen facilities and even a sauna. It was just perfect. And so, instead of Alaska, I travel to Lapland to rest, log out of the cyber world, listen to the real silence, hear my own heartbeat, and most importantly, maintain balance between work and leisure. Remember, we need only the most basic of  things to enjoy life endlessly.

Get wonderfully lost in this immense landscape.

If you are looking for the perfect place to put balance back into your life or get closer to nature, Lapland is a perfect choice for you! Do not hesitate! Just buy a ticket and get wonderfully lost in this immense landscape. >