Kiruna

Kiruna is a small town in the far north of Sweden, built on the edge of a vast and empty wilderness. The town is a mining community, and its prosperity depends on the massive iron ore mine that lies beneath it. The mine is the largest in Europe, and the town has been built to support it. The result is a strangely isolated place, a town of wide streets and empty squares, hemmed in by the cold, dark forests. Kiruna is a town of contrasts. It is one of the most northerly towns in Sweden, but it enjoys a surprisingly mild climate. The days are long in summer, and the winters are bitterly cold. The town is surrounded by wilderness, but it is also home to a thriving community. The people of Kiruna are a hardy bunch, used to living in a harsh and unforgiving environment.