Kiruna and the LKAB Iron Mine

Sweden'S Northernmost Town, Built On The World'S Largest Underground Iron Ore Mine And Now Being Moved Block By Block, Including Its Celebrated Wooden Church · Kiruna, Norrbotten County

Kiruna is Sweden's northernmost town, founded around 1900 by the state-backed mining company LKAB on the iron ore of Kiirunavaara, the mountain above the lake. Beneath it lies what is usually described as the world's largest underground iron-ore mine, and the ore still leaves by rail for Narvik and Lulea. The mine is now undermining the town itself: ground deformation from the ore body is forcing the centre to move about 3 km east, block by block. A new city hall opened around 2018 and the new town centre grew up around it, and the large wooden Kiruna Church was moved on trailers in 2025 - confirm the latest stage. People come to see a town relocating in real time, to go 540 m underground on the LKAB visitor tour, and to use Kiruna, known in Sami as Giron, as a base for aurora in winter and the midnight sun in summer. The honest caveat: parts of the old town are fenced demolition sites, the new centre still feels unfinished, and the mine tour must be booked and does not always run.

Kiruna's new town centre and the LKAB visitor mine; the town is being moved east because the iron-ore mine undermines the old centre, Kiruna, Norrbotten County, Sweden

The town is open all year. The LKAB InfoMine visitor tour normally runs on set days, more often in summer and on fewer days in winter, and is booked through the Kiruna tourist office - confirm tours are running, because they have been paused in the past. Tours usually take about three hours including the bus ride down. Kiruna Church is usually open to visitors in the daytime in summer and for services otherwise; check its hours at its new site. The tourist office keeps shorter hours at weekends and in the dark season. Getting there: the night train from Stockholm reaches Kiruna in roughly 16-18 hours, Norrtag trains connect with Lulea and Gallivare, and Kiruna Airport, about 10 km east, has daily flights from Stockholm. Book the mine tour a few weeks ahead in summer and winter peaks, and book the night train sleepers months ahead for February, March and July.

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