Riksgränsen

Riksgränsen sits at the very top of Sweden, hard against the Norwegian frontier in the mountains of far-north Lapland, well above the Arctic Circle. What sets it apart from every other Nordic resort is its calendar: rather than a conventional winter season, its fame rests on spring and early summer, when the return of endless daylight allows skiing beneath the midnight sun. The setting is raw and treeless Arctic wilderness, a landscape of bare fells, lakes and big off-piste terrain. It draws a devoted crowd of freeriders, tourers and adventurers who travel a long way for one of the most singular ski experiences in Europe.

Go to Riksgränsen for something no Alpine resort can offer: high-quality skiing that carries deep into the spring and, on its signature nights, under a sun that never sets. It is a haven for off-piste and touring skiers who relish wild, open Arctic terrain and are happy to trade groomed convenience for adventure and light. The remote border setting, the long luminous days and the tight-knit spring community give it an atmosphere quite unlike anywhere else in Scandinavia.

This is skiing at the extreme edge of the Nordic season. The deep midwinter here is dark and severe, but Riksgränsen's true character emerges as the light floods back: an exceptionally long, snow-sure spring on bare Arctic fells, culminating in the midnight-sun skiing for which it is celebrated. The weather is genuinely Arctic and can be fierce, but the reward is snow that lasts when the rest of Europe's slopes have long since closed.