A Summer Journey to Luleå, Sweden’s Gateway to the Arctic
Some places do not overwhelm visitors with grand monuments or crowded attractions. Instead, they quietly win hearts through peaceful waterfronts, endless summer light, warm hospitality, and the comforting certainty that even in the world’s quieter corners, remarkable stories patiently wait for those willing to drive a little farther.
By Abdullah Usman Morai | Sweden
“Sometimes the best journeys begin when the original plan falls apart.”
The arrival of summer holidays always brings with it the irresistible urge to leave routine behind and chase new horizons. This year was no different. On Friday, 3rd July 2026, after shutting down the computers at our company, my travel companion, Dr. Imran Jamali, and I left Stockholm with a different kind of excitement. Our original plan had been to drive through Central Europe, but an intense heatwave sweeping across the continent forced us to redraw our map. Instead of heading south, we turned our compass north towards the Arctic landscapes of Sweden and Norway, where summer is cool, the nights never truly become dark, and nature writes poetry in silence.
At around 11:30 at night, with light rain tapping gently against the windshield, we began our long drive. The familiar E18 soon merged into the E4, Sweden’s great northbound highway. The farther north one travels during summer, the shorter the night becomes. Even before reaching Gävle, the darkness had already begun surrendering to daylight.
The rain, however, had its own plans. Gentle drizzles occasionally transformed into heavy downpours, demanding complete concentration behind the wheel. Long-distance driving has its own rhythm: a balance of patience, teamwork, and endurance. As kilometers disappeared beneath our tyres, so did the cities. Uppsala slipped behind us, followed by Gävle, Söderhamn, and Hudiksvall, where we exchanged drivers, stretched our legs, refilled the fuel tank, and continued onward.
Soon came Sundsvall, Timrå, Härnösand, Örnsköldsvik, and finally Umeå, where we rewarded ourselves with an early morning breakfast. During those long northern highways, one curious observation stayed with us: the same vehicles often remained behind or ahead of us for hours, almost becoming silent travel companions sharing the same endless road. Or no vehicle for a long time at all.
Beyond Skellefteå and Piteå, the landscape gradually announced our arrival in Sweden’s far north. After covering more than 900 kilometres in nearly thirteen hours, we finally entered Luleå.
Knowing beforehand how exhausting an overnight drive would be, we had requested our hotel for an early check-in, if possible. Fortunately, our request was accommodated.
Our home for the day was the elegant Elite Stadshotellet Luleå, a historic hotel standing proudly in the heart of the city, directly opposite Stadsparken and the beautiful City Hall. Built in the early twentieth century, the building reflects classic European architecture while offering modern Scandinavian comfort. Large windows, spacious interiors, tasteful décor and its central location make it one of the city’s finest places to stay. After parking our car in the hotel’s underground garage and checking into our room, fatigue briefly surrendered to curiosity.
Our first mission was lunch.
Just a short walk away, we found a small restaurant called Slice Pizza. Based on Stockholm standards, we confidently ordered a single pizza to share. It disappeared much faster than expected and certainly wasn’t enough. Smiling at our own miscalculation, we ordered another pizza, one that the owner/manager recommended. Topped generously with mushrooms and creamy garlic sauce, it proved to be the perfect introduction to northern Swedish comfort food.
Satisfied at last, we returned to the hotel for a few hours of well-deserved rest.
The hotel itself was unusually lively. Somewhere in the city, a wedding celebration was underway and elegantly dressed guests filled the corridors before leaving together for the ceremony. Their cheerful conversations added a festive atmosphere that contrasted beautifully with our quiet travel fatigue.
By evening, refreshed and re-energized, we stepped outside once again to discover Luleå.
Situated on the shores of the Bay of Bothnia, Luleå may appear to be a modest northern town at first glance, yet it possesses a quiet confidence that leaves a lasting impression. Wide streets, clean public spaces, waterfront promenades, cafés and parks blend naturally with the surrounding sea and forests. Despite its relatively small population, Luleå serves as one of northern Sweden’s most important educational, technological and industrial centers.
Being Saturday evening, the city was enjoying its weekend mood. Live music echoed through the courtyard of our hotel, where locals and visitors gathered to celebrate the pleasant Arctic summer. We paused only briefly before continuing towards the waterfront, where nature offered a far more captivating concert.
Elegant yachts and modern boats rested peacefully in the marina. Gentle waves carried perfect reflections of drifting clouds across the calm water. The evening air was pleasantly cool, carrying with it a freshness that only northern coastal towns seem capable of producing.
Walking there unexpectedly reminded me of three dear friends from Quaid-e-Awam Engineering University, Nawabshah: Dr. Muhammad Auchar Zardari, Dr. Riaz Bhanbhro and Dr. Asif Saleh Qureshi, all of whom had completed their doctoral studies at Luleå University of Technology. As Imran and I wandered through the city, we could not help imagining the years they had spent here pursuing research under these same northern skies. Their memories quietly accompanied our walk.
Soon we reached the wooden boardwalks extending over the water.
Here begins one of Sweden’s most remarkable natural treasures: the Luleå Archipelago, a collection of around 1,300 islands scattered across the Bay of Bothnia, the northernmost extension of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. The unique mixture of fresh river water and salty seawater creates a special ecosystem found in very few places on Earth.
The archipelago transforms completely with the seasons. During summer, people sail between islands, paddle kayaks through quiet channels, fish, cycle, hike forest trails, swim in surprisingly refreshing waters, and enjoy long evenings in cottages beneath the midnight glow. Winter brings an entirely different world. Once the sea freezes, snowmobiles replace boats, ice roads connect islands, people skate across frozen bays, try ice fishing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, and simply embrace the extraordinary beauty of an Arctic winter landscape.
Perhaps nothing defines Luleå more than its remarkable summer nights.
Although technically the sun slips just below the horizon, it never truly becomes dark. Instead, the sky remains illuminated by a soft golden twilight that lasts throughout the night before sunrise quietly returns. This enchanting phenomenon, known as the Midnight Sun, creates the surreal feeling that time itself has slowed down. Watches continue counting hours, yet nature seems to ignore them.
As we continued walking, we reached a lively waterfront park where food trucks had gathered, families were enjoying the evening, and teenagers enthusiastically played handball nearby. Standing prominently beside the open water was the large “Luleå” sign, a favourite spot for visitors to capture photographs. Naturally, we joined them, preserving another beautiful memory of our northern adventure.
Dinner that evening took us somewhere unexpectedly familiar.
Google Maps guided us to a South Asian restaurant called Indiska Grytan. The restaurant was just about to close, yet the staff kindly welcomed us. Our waitress was an Indian young woman, while the gentleman managing both the kitchen and reception was Afghan. Such encounters remind travellers how wonderfully interconnected today’s world has become.
The food exceeded our expectations, not only in taste but also in quantity. Each serving was so generous that two portions could easily have satisfied four hungry travellers. We packed the leftovers, knowing they would become tomorrow’s lunch somewhere farther north.
Back in our hotel room, as always happens after meaningful travel days, conversation replaced television. We reflected upon the long drive, the changing landscapes, the remarkable hospitality we had encountered, and the peaceful charm of Luleå.
Small towns often possess a unique advantage. Distances are short, people appear approachable, traffic is gentle, and discovering places feels effortless. Yet beneath this quiet exterior, cities like Luleå are global centers of innovation. Institutions such as Luleå University of Technology attract researchers and students from around the world, proving that groundbreaking ideas do not belong exclusively to great metropolitan capitals.
The following morning began with one of the hotel’s finest offerings: its breakfast.
The buffet was an impressive spread of Scandinavian and continental delicacies. Fresh breads, cheeses, fruits, smoked fish, eggs, cereals, pastries, and juices covered the counters in abundance. Choosing what to eat first became the day’s first pleasant challenge.
One detail, however, surprised me.
For the very first time, I noticed ice cream being served alongside breakfast. Perhaps it was simply a cheerful gesture for the summer season, but it certainly caught my attention. Equally memorable was the spacious dining hall itself, where large glass windows overlooked the shimmering waters outside, allowing breakfast to be enjoyed with one of the city’s finest views.
After one final cup of tea/coffee, we checked out, refuelled our car, and pointed its nose further north towards Kiruna and Abisko, where new adventures awaited beneath Sweden’s Arctic sky.
As Luleå gradually disappeared in the rear-view mirror, it left behind far more than photographs. It reminded us that some places do not overwhelm visitors with grand monuments or crowded attractions. Instead, they quietly win hearts through peaceful waterfronts, endless summer light, warm hospitality, and the comforting certainty that even in the world’s quieter corners, remarkable stories patiently wait for those willing to drive a little farther.
Thank you, Luleå, for welcoming us. Our journey had only just begun.
Read: Where History Whispers and Rivers Flow
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Abdullah Soomro, penname Abdullah Usman Morai, hailing from Moro town of Sindh, province of Pakistan, is based in Stockholm Sweden. Currently he is working as Groundwater Engineer in Stockholm Sweden. He did BE (Agriculture) from Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam and MSc water systems technology from KTH Stockholm Sweden as well as MSc Management from Stockholm University. Beside this he also did masters in journalism and economics from Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur Mirs, Sindh. He is author of a travelogue book named ‘Musafatoon’. His second book is in process. He writes articles from time to time. A frequent traveler, he also does podcast on YouTube with channel name: VASJE Podcast.
