The light returns to Sweden

The light in Scandinavia is unique. Only a few per cent of the worlds population live in similar light conditions. The seasonal shifts are quite extreme. 

The winters are not only cold, they are, above all, dark. In some places in the far north of Sweden the sun doesn’t even rise above the horizon around midwinter time – and the rest of the country is pretty lightless too. Fortunately, we all know the sun will return. It will get lighter by a few minutes every day. That is until the summer solstice, usually around the 21st of June. Then there will be the opposite light conditions from midwinter. Up in the most northernly latitudes people will be able to enjoy the midnight sun. Here, further to the south in Sweden the sun may dip a few degrees below the horizon but not enough for full nighttime darkness to set in. These are referred to as white nights.

A small tip for your summer visit: if you’re a light sleeper, you may wish to pack a sleep mask;)

Photo: Malin Zander