The new rail station doesn't give the best impression of the Lapland town of Kiruna. It's a temporary construction until the new permanent rail station is open, by 2017 at the earliest. This new temporary station is on an area of scrubby land a mile to the north of the town centre along the E10 highway. At least if you hire a car from Kiruna Railway Station it's a handy spot. The E10 gives immediate access to the north towards Narvik and to the south towards Gällivare or the Gulf of Bothnia. It's also a quick drive into town, the airport or to the Ice Hotel.
If you have a hire car from Kiruna's station, you'll soon see that this is a modern town built to withstand the elements. Of course, it's in a remote spot in the mountains of Swedish Lapland, 90 miles within the Arctic Circle, but visitors often use Kiruna as a centre to explore the surrounding wilderness and to experience the local Sami culture up close. The renowned Ice Hotel brings tourists to see the Northern Lights and take part in winter sports too. In the summer there are outdoor adventures available here and many come to Kiruna to experience the ‘midnight sun'.
