The Extraordinary Reality Facing Sweden's Northernmost City, Kiruna...
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2024
- When I arrived in Kiruna, I sensed something wasn't quite right. But the enormity of what's happening here is difficult to comprehend...
Filmed on Sunday 14th January 2024
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This video is not sponsored and all opinions are my own
I don’t pretend to be a travel expert, but I love what I do and would be honoured if you came along with me. My channel focusses on the wide-eyed wonder and excitement of finding somewhere new, and my genuine reaction to it. You may not get a history lesson in my videos, but who knows, you might pick up some useful travel tips along the way, add a few destinations to your bucket list and hopefully be entertained by what you see. Thanks for watching, it means a lot to me :)
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#SteveMarsh #Sweden #Kiruna
From the North of Sweden, that squeeky sound when you walk is the soundtrack to my life.
From central Sweden, to me it's like the sound of nails on a chalkboard, I hate it xD
Swede here, nice video of our cosy town Kiruna and the northern part of Sweden. Thank you.
Regarding your remark about older people not having money to move their own houses, thus being forced to live in the soulless flats as you put it - no worries about that. The Swedish government and the LKAB are moving their houses as well, covering all the costs. Those that move into the flats are just the ones that actually prefer to live that way.
Regards from Stockholm!
Curious American here, In the new town center are the businesses all interconnected ? Would make sense since they seem to be almost one big building what with the cold in winter and all not having to go outside to get from one to the other?
Thanks so much for this! It was a fascinating place to explore!
@@steve-marsh There is something else you might want to know. Only last year, a huge amount of rare earth metals has been found near Kiruna. It is so much that Kiruna could cover about 90% of the european demand of Rare Earth Metals for decades to come, if I remember correctly. And here goes a monumental clash with the economical interests of China!
@@dvdosterloh
Yes, you are absolutely right. As far as I am aware, the businesses are interconnected in the new area. City planners, landscape architects, entrepreneurs as well as the municipality of Kiruna and the Swedish government have been planning this move as a joint venture for many years. It’s pretty unique actually.
@@steve-marsh
Thank you for visiting our country! And for your videos!
If you have the time, I could recommend you to visit the city of Happaranda, a city on the Finnish-Swedish border where the first police station shared by two countries (Sweden and Finland) directly on the border is planned to be built.
And just one more thing, if you have the time while you’re in Kiruna, I recommend to visit the first ice hotel ever built in the world. It’s located in Jukkasjärvi.
Cheers. ❤️
Most people in Sweden haven't seen Kiruna, so you're giving us Swedes a domestic lesson even here in the country you visited.
And even the one that have.. maybe have not seen it the last 10-20 years
Used to be a tourist hotspot apparently but then the Kiruna virus hit 😏
@@The_Wei_Wu_Way Groan!🤣
@@matsv201 Yes , it was quite some time ago since I was there last, but I am not Swedish...
I live in Australia. Like the US, Canada & similar countries, you would be lucky if 1 in 100 people have been to every state capital city , even today it’s like that. It’s Tourists that see them .
"Kiruna Church is perhaps the town’s most characteristic building; it was completed in 1912 as a gift from LKAB to the parish. Regarding the church the question was never if it should be moved but rather how it should be moved. It will be relocated to a place next to the cemetary in connection with the new city center. The move is estimated to take place in June 2025 and the church will be moved as one piece. The church park is a part of the enviroment around the church where the first manager of LKAB and the founder of Kiruna, Hjalmar Lundbohm, is buried." 🙏❤💪
Thanks so much for this!
There is a bit more of a backstory. LKAB is neither the good or the bad guys, they are the only guys.
It dates back to the 90s. The premise was basically the mine will undermine the city.
So either the mine close down, everyone gets unemployed and everyone moves.
Or the city don´t close down, and everyone moves. That was the only two optons.
The municipality voted that everyone moved.
In accordance with Swedish law, LKAB have to pay for everything that have to do with the move.
The end result was pretty much that 1/3 of the town would not be moved (basically the east end becomes the west end). 1/3 would be torned down and built up, and 1/3 of the building would be moved as is.
The Town is largely move away from the fault zone, so its intended that they would not need to move it again.
People that own there own house got it moved full sale, free of charge with a week on a hotel (there is quite a few international documentaries about it)
The people that own there flats, got a new flat with the same square meter free of charge.
The real issue is people who rent. Because they rent for market value, and then when the city is built new, the market value change. Some of those got a pretty heafty rise.
The cars typically last longer in this climate. There are some winterisation made to them. Typically its a fuel heater and some replacement oils
The single family homes have already been moved beoyned the new city center. The area between will be filled in with old buildings that is jet to be moved. The new city center was opened quite recently while the single family homes was moved like a decade back. She larger historical buildings will be moved over the comming 3 years. The full move will not be finished until 2035, but the area around the city center will be fixed up by 2026
One documentary:
ua-cam.com/video/Yytqjhafv0Y/v-deo.htmlsi=PHJ6KEXqnyLVvK_f&t=490
(its a dual feature with some random lighthouse as well)
A other documentary:
ua-cam.com/video/iqDMnwc434E/v-deo.htmlsi=A7AEphJr5b38T6AI
Hey thanks so much for this!
@@steve-marsh cheers.
@@steve-marsh
The second documentary is also LKAB, but its actually a other town, pretty close by Kiruna, with the exact same problem
As expected. The Swedes do most things better than us brits !! Kiruna looked a bit different when I passed through in June 1983 !!!
I'm Canadian and I know that it's not uncommon for cars parked in very cold climates have block heaters to pre-heat the engine oil before start-up.
Pre-heating an engine makes engines easier to start, gets the cabin heater to produce heat sooner for comfort and clearing the windshield, and reduces engine wear. You should notice that a lot of the cars are plugged into an electrical outlet for the purpose.
Ahh cheers for the info!
Yes I have experienced that in Canada my first visit was in 1976 and I was back on 6 other occasions and worked in Montreal 88/89. Lovely in summer but freezing in the winter.
All cars in the north pretty much have block heaters and electric cabin heaters, and most modern diesel cars they are too efficient that during the deepest parts of the winter they cant keep the heat even while running so they have to use a small diesel fuel heater to heat the coolant esp while idling.
@@charlesjames799 I used to live in a place where minus 30 degrees was normal in winter, I always had block heaters on my car then, but the cars changed, you really don't need them anymore, modern cars do fine without them. I asked some people who live there where the winter temps are harsh, nobody have heaters anymore, not even the self install tube heater which costs next to nothing.
Yes here in Minnesota in U.S.A. we have block heaters too. We call it plugging our cars in lol
Your pronunciation of Kiruna is actually very very good
As a geologist, I can see why the town has to be moved. The iron ore body is a thick sheet averaging 90m in thickness and dips east under the existing town at 60 degrees. Mining started as an open pit operation but then moved underground with sublevel caving method employed. One is effectively removing a huge volume of rock from underground (the iron ore) and allowing the hangingwall above it to collapse in a controlled manner. The mine workings are only 1000m down at present so it is inevitable that these subsurface collapses will work their way to surface. To be honest, I don't know why they didn't build the mining town on the west side of the initial open pit when my Victorian peers should have seen which way the orebody was dipping. Maybe they never expected to continue underground. Thanks again Steve for an interesting vlog.
I won't bet on this:
My understanding is that the mine got less and less profitable (it's against the law to mine some of the resources found there). They examined the area and with new techniques found iron ore worth mining.
The thing is that it takes time to examine and then move the town without having to do it again and again and...
The prospektering started around 1642 so it wasn't easy to prepare for current demands. Moving the town isn't cheap so it wasn't done until they knew that it had to be done.
Someone obviously thought of this, but is there no means of filling in/reinforcing from below?
@@banjolasse6169 there is. The problem is that the excavation have to continue (it's a multi billion industry).
Every day of delay cost about $100 000 000 ($100 million) so this was the fastest and cheapest option.
@@boek2777I understand. Thanks a lot for the info!
@@banjolasse6169 Not really in my experience considering the large volume of ore material being removed and exported off-site. A huge unstable void is being continuously created underground. The controlled collapse of ground is a planned part of the mining safety scheme ironically.
Fascinating! The sound of those footsteps is really hypnotic!
at the beginning of the video youtubes captions thinks its applause lol
As disappointing as it must be for some .. for many who inhabited the old city …. It must be said that Sweden and its mining behemoth have taken extraordinary steps to save these jobs… to save the very “raison d’être” of this community. They are pouring a lot of 💰 and it shows. You really can’t compare this enormous socio economic undertaking with similar events in North America and elsewhere. In the US, Canada, Central and South America as well as in many European countries , the townsfolk would have been ignored until the ground would have given way and even then … any remedy would have to have been won in court.
Sweden appears to have tackled this situation head on with thoughtfulness , foresight and resolve. Well done.👍
Canada’s Eastern Seaboard 🇨🇦👋
Well, in places like the U.S. and also Canada, there are at least numerous towns/villages/cities/locations that are involved with mining or especially the oil industry. In Sweden, this is pretty much the only spot, there's only one mine still left in all of Sweden outside the north, so that makes it a lot easier to prioritise and when the company is state-owned, producing 80 % of Europe's iron and one of the reasons behind your entire country's transition to an industrial society it does tend to mean politicians value it more as well. The point I'm making is, unlike some countries Swedes are generally pretty aware (not least because of the state ownership) of the extreme importance of this single location to the economy of the entire country, not just Kiruna
Absolutely fascinating. Thanks, Steve!
LKAB also has a iron ore mine in a municipality named Malmberget, approximately 120 km south of Kiruna. The same thing has happend there. The village has been emptied due to cracks from the mine and almost all residents has been relocated to the nearby city of Gällivare. Many old wooden houses have also been moved more close to Gällivare. This relocation is almost completed now.
What a great capture of the reindeer! He doesn't need 4-wheel drive! I remember when we lived in Denver and it was below zero how awesome that squeaky-crunch of really cold snow was! I also like the phrase "up sticks"! I am adopting it from now on. This Northern Adventure you have presented is just wonderful! Well done!
I remember scrambling for my camera :D
This with the reindeers, this reindeer was ownewd by someone, I live on the same latitude as Gothenburg, but in Norway, if I drive one hour I could look at all the reindeers I want, and they are wild! They are owned by nobody, you can hunt them. They live in the mountain plateus here in southern Norway, whilst in Sweden the are exclusive to the northern parts as far south as Jemtland, and they are basically all someones property there. In the north of Norway they are also all owned , you have to Sami to own them...around 10% of Sami families own reindeer.
As you were crunching thru the snow the noise reminded me of an ancient TV commercial for Cadburys Hot chocolate..... hot chocolate ! drinking chocolate ! Great video definitely a return visit required in the Summer.... Well done Steven. 😊😊
I love your videos, Steve. I most likely will never go to Kiruna but I feel like I had a quick visit. Thank you for making this informative and entertaining videos!
I didn't expect to be going here either :D But it turned out to be a fascinating town! Thanks for joining me :)
I grew up in Kiruna late 50-ies to mid 60-ies. Btw. Cars usually live longer as they don’t use salt on the roads so whatever the cold does is offset by a dry, salt free environment in combination with electric engine heaters that you can hook up to at work or where you live. I loved the place. The polar night in the winter when the sun does not come above the horizon and the days in Feb to April when the sun and the snow makes a magical bluish light. I was back there last autumn just to see my first home still in existence, my second home totally empty waiting for demolition and absolutely no trace of my third home apart from a largely overgrown asphalt road in front of where the houses used to be. It was with a great deal of sadness I watched the empty houses where I used to play once. Btw, I stayed at the Bishops Arms a couple of nights and one night at the new Scandic. I did prefer the BA.
Also, what did you make of the funny trick the town plays on you? They located the new train station a few miles north of the old town center and the new center a few miles south of the town. Thanks for your video. I just love the creaking sound when you walk in the cold snow. Ps the church is the most beautiful church I have ever seen. McOrd
I'm a fellow Scot living in the south of Sweden. I really am impressed that you walk about in that cold as much as you do..... much respect!!!
What a place! Full marks to the lunch location and the food looked err... cardiac. Wonderful bonus, Steve.
Haha yes! :D
Steve, this locale and hence, this video, have an otherworldly feel. Between the challenging harsh environment of cold and limited sun and the unusual situation of ground instability, it seems like you found yourself in Earth’s version of Neptune or Pluto. Yet, 20,000 people call Kiruna home. Many thanks for presenting this.
Haha I know what you mean! :)
The sound of snow under foot proper triggers me but a good video once you stopped walking 😂😂😂😂😂
Fun fact about cars this far north!:
All of Sweden labels cars that have been driven up north of Sweden as "norrland-körd" witch means "north-driven",, they are the most sought after cars. This is because they are usually driver at length because the commutes up north are much longer than in the congested cities in the south, so the cars wear less. But mainly, there is no road salt in northern Sweden! In the middle and south of Sweden there is salt on the roads for 6months to prevent the roads from melting and freezing over night creating very slippery conditions. But there is no point of salting the roads in northern Sweden since they stay frozen for the duration of the winter. With the absence of salt the cars don't degrade nearly as much as in the south, also the sub zero temperatures where water is frozen rusts (oxidizes) the cars way less than liquid water does. So cars being kept in these northern parts are usually very nice!
But, since temps can get so low as -40 degrees Celsius, you need a car that has the absolutely best batteries money can buy and glow plugs that could reignite the sun to start! And most cars have an electric or fuel burning parking heater to heat the engine before start to make it easier and not to wear down the engine since cold starting will wear more on the engine that a warm start!
Cheers.
The natural light and the snow at this time of the year makes Kiruna look like a fascinating place to visit. Between the brutal winters and having the whole city relocated, these residents must be very resilient folk! Thanks for the flying tour of Old and New Kiruna, this series is definitely inspiring me to explore Scandinavia for myself one day!
G'day Steve from a very warm Penrith in Australia. Even in out coldest Winters, it never snows here. I love these Vlogs of you walking in the snow. To me a nice sound. I did live in England back in 1979/80. Lived through one Winter. Walking in the snow of the streets of Leeds. Amazing experience.
You're doing the things I love to ,and never can .I live down under ,walking on Snow crunching under Foot,THATS MUSIC to my Ears .
very interesting, I enjoyed every single crunchy step !
I don't often comment but always watch your videos. And so interesting to read the comments here as well about Kiruna from people who actually live there. Deserted streets giving a ghostly feel to the place apart from the random reindeer doing his little dance along the highway!! Love all your travels😄
During 1947, my grandfather worked construction there at the start of Kiruna’s post-war boom. He may have worked on the high rise which was being torn down. Wonderful video as always! Good thing your Fjällräven jacket kept you cozy warm!
Steve, I super enjoy your videos, actually some of the best on the net. :D Thank you.
Regarding cars, they last longer in general up north, very little if any road salt at all, the need to be gentle with engines etc in the cold, most if not all cars have some kind of heater, either electric or fuel driven. It used to be a badge of honor of buying a car that was "Norrlandskörd" (Operated in the North) due to the lack of salt, now they salt further north due to the fact that it's getting warmer but I reckon Kiruna sees very little if any road salt what so ever.
The tent was a mind blower. Brilliant.
It just looks so COLD. But that tent was the picture of coziness! I will experience this dystopian city vicariously via Steve's marvelous adventure, watching from a warm office in the mid-Atlantic US states. Another fine vid, mate.
It is often quite dry, and if there is no wind, it doesn't feel like it is very cold. Worst in Europe is probably west coast weather, with saturated moisture and a bit of wind. It's like someone is pouring icewater on you.
You get it from Glasgow to Gothenburg and up the west side of Norway.
@@marcusgustafsson9558As someone from northern Sweden now living in Gothenburg, take it from me: Gothenburg is colder, or at the VERY least as cold. The moisture and wind is no joke. The general dryness (at least more so than the West Coast) of northern Sweden makes temperatures WAY below zero (as in -20 or -30) a lot more tolerable
Hi Steve, I stumbled upon your videos just recently (I'm a Scot living in Germany). Bingeing, as they say! In this brash world of TikTok atrocities, it's so nice to follow you around on various trains, boats and planes. Gentle, respectful and informative. The videos with Alicja are superb, too; a wonderful couple you are. Long may it continue! As a footie fan, you definitely have to a Montrose FC segment :)) All the best from Bavaria and stay warm! Cheers.
Did my military service up north 1979-1980 (living in the Stockholm area) its was nice but dark in the winter, did not have any problem with the temp like -35c, when we "camping" in the forest or nearest air force base ( some practice with Swedish Airforce) in the winter, would like to visit the north any day when its warmer :) We are living in the wonderful country...
This series is incredible. There's something about that amazing low sun light with its deep warm hue against the frozen earth.
Thanks for walking around, i´ve been living in kiruna since 2010.
What an interesting place. Thanks for taking us there. Lots of people may know that it was Swedish iron ore that helped fuel the British industrial revolution in the late 18th and 19th century. In Yorkshire it came down the River Humber, along the canal, through my hometown of Doncaster and on to Steel City - Sheffield. How enterprising of the cafe to put up a wigwam to give some comfort to their customers. I love it. Still haven’t got over that scrunchie snow yet.
That tent is called a kåta in Swedish. The Sami people used to live in them before modern housing was a thing.
That snow sound is like heaven for my ears. LOVE it!
Kiruna is famous for another reason. It supplied the German Nazis with the iron and steel to make most of their Panzers and guns and War-Planes etc.. No scruples at all.
Burger looked amazing. The people seem really friendly. Thanks for the video have a great day
Oh it was sooooo good!
I just love seeing what your eating when you're traveling. Keep sharing the food stuff, please.
Great stuff Steve - thanks so much for taking me to another fascinating place that I'll never get see for myself 🙂
A pleasure mate!
I think our Burger vans need to take note of the sit in area Steve😉How cool was that?😁The costs of moving the city must be astronomic😱Cool video mate, makes me feel like winter has a long way to go😂
I absolutely loved this. Walking there reminded me very much of my winter walks in Rovaniemi. Everything looked and sounded very very similar. And that lunch was terrific. Great find.
I imagine the new apartment kitchen you looked into will look much different once it's occupied. It might all look soulless now, but that is preferable to your home disappearing into a sinkhole.
Did you unearth the fact that for a long time Kiruna was the largest city of Earth, by area if not by population!
Been there 4 years ago and actually the funny guy from the fast food place explained me everything, haha good to see him still there! Back then I believe nothing from the new city was constructed yet so its pretty interesting to watch now!
He's a cool dude :)
It would be so interesting to visit Kiruna in a few years and see how the move went and what the new city is like. That teepee restaurant is very cool and the food looked delicious, a very unique experience. Thanks for sharing.
What you call Teepee is called Kåta and it has been used by the Sami for a very very long time
What a lovely video! 🌟 You're making me discover my own country.
For anyone interested. There are flights from Stockholm to Kiruna. The flighttime is 1 hour and 40 minutes from Stockholm. Both SAS and Norwegian fly between Stockholm and Kiruna. SAS seems to have daily flights, and Norwegian a couple of times a week. I looked it up out of interest of maybe visiting myself.
Cheers! I'll feature a flight Kiruna to Stockholm in a couple of weeks :)
Just watched your video. The church looked impressive. I always see the 'Do not take photos/video' sign after I've filmed 😂
They should put the town on wheels so they can push it further away from the mining area.
Loved the food stand and teepee, and see the Northern lights were still on the ground 😂 Andy.
A film worth saving. Thank you for your kind words about the old center. It was bitter sweet to follow you on your walk.💕
Fascinating blog. Thank you. The tent was like a Tardis! Looked really small on the outside and when you went in, I thought you had gone through to an adjacent dining hall. Brilliant. Even your footsteps sounded cold. The saying is "mad dogs and English men go out in the noon day sun" ,well obviously it's a mad Scotsman who goes out in the frozen sun. The streets were so empty probably because everybody else was inside in the warm. Cheers from a softy southern English woman. 😊
I guess that people visiting London, Tokyo, Paris.. stay in town while people going to Juneau or Anchorage want the wilderness.
Tourists in Kiruna isn't there to party but to experience the nature (outside town).
I do agree that most people stay indoors. I'm from southernmost Sweden and I would never go outside if we had that climate!
@@boek2777Although the irony is in the 3 most popular "winter resort" cities in Sweden (Sälen, Åre, Hemavan/Tärnaby) most people (most Stockholmers, anyway) are very much there to get shitfaced and sit inside 95 % of the time. Granted Kiruna is not a ski resort, but it doesn't always follow naturally that people who are tourists at a winter resort are there for the outdoors
i live way down in the south of sweden and we rarely get any good snow so listening to you walking in the snow was amazing and so relaxing to hear... i love snow :)
Loved it like always.
That was fascinating Steve. The irony being that by the time they get the new town finished, the parts you saw will be old!
Haha so true :D
That Church omg AMAZING , STUNNING
Great viewing.. thank you..😊
Love your videos, Steve, including this one on Kiruna. You are a great photographer, and commentator. Coincidentally, we watched the disaster show, Abyss 2023 on Netflix, after we watched your show, and recognized some of the buildings, including the Church that you visited. I have UA-cam Premium as well, and much enjoy it over the standard UA-cam, due to the constant ad interruptions on other videos I watch.
If you ever go to Kiruna, I recommend a visit to the mine. Tourists can visit and take a tour underground. Fascinating place. The mine is huge!
Thank you for this insight into a place I know I’ll never visit, but find fascinating. You really do help me get such a sense of almost being in the places you visit, thank you for that. BTW: here where I live, in Western Australia, last week all days over 40°C, and 2 days with max 46°C! So your “mild” day of -15°C is simply absurd to me! Cheers 🙏🏼⭐️🇦🇺🦘
A pleasure to send you some air conditioning :)
Well it was 40 Celsius in Kiruna as well only 2 weeks prior to Steve's visit. Well 40 below.. of cause. I think it dipped down to 52 at some places.
@@matsv201 After reading your reply, the REALITY of imagining the “lived experience“ of such utterly cold weather leaves me wide-eyed and slack-jawed. And I don’t mean maybe. (At least I could go outside at midnight (30°C, give or take) to just… get outside!)
@hires Wait until you hear about the daycare here.
4 weeks a go daycare was complaining my doughtier (3 year old) didn´t want to be outside. I suggested that it was because it was -25 and windy. But it was clearly not the reason. the reason was apparently because the winter overall was to thin.
(i don´t live that far north, it never get -40 where i live, but it can be -25 pretty often. -25 and windy, that is still rare.),
Even worse, for crazy parents they have 24/7 outdoor daycare, for parents that really want to punch there kids.
You should visit though, especially in the summer Kiruna and the Lapland region is absolutely lovely! Daylight around the clock. It can't be beaten. I sleep with no curtains or anything, taking in every bit of the light even at night because I know I have to live off it for the rest of the year
Watching straight away for a change, happy Tuesday 😊
Yeah I get what you mean BTW !
Cheers Clare!
Thank you Steve. I just watched a Netflix movie on this town and the mine disaster, unfortunately it was a terrible movie, and not a lot of information on the real situation. I want to thank all of your followers that replied and gave us a very informative view on the matter. Take care and looking forward to more; regards to Alicja.
Did you notice how well adapted the reindeer are to running on the snow. They must have wide hoves. I've never been that far north in either Sweden or Finland, but it looks amazing
Got plenty of walking in, Steve, going between the old and new parts of Kiruna. Liked the crunching snow under your boots! Shame what the impact of mining is having in Kiruna. That lunch looked amazing, especially in the tent! Thanks for sharing. Nice one! 😊 👍
From what I gather, everyone's largely ok with this move because they know what the impact of the mining is on Kiruna - it's the entire reason the town even exists.
@@TracinyaLachanceYeah you can feel like it's a hassle but at the end of the day, if the mine closed there would be no Kiruna, quite literally. It's not a matter of "oh it's an inconvenience, I'll have to commute somewhere else", it's too far from anywhere else to commute. Without the mine Kiruna is no more, and locals know it of course
Another brilliant video Steve..thank you !
A very honest personal account. I hope you're okay. Thanks Steve.
Love your videos mate, im swede but have never been in Kiruna and I have always wanted to go.
och aye Steve, your lunch looked fantastic. The people up there seem very friendly, great video, look forward to the next adventure where ever that is. Thanks a lot.
Cheers! A brief pause from Sweden on Saturday, then back next week :)
Fantastic walk through. I'd love to take that trip end of next year, so I am curious how this will all look then. Really like your approach to travel videos, well done man!
Hey thanks so much!
Scottish expat living in Kiruna since 20 years here... You really hit the nail on the head regarding the feelings of the people in the town. Nice to hear a take on my home town in my native tongue👌🏴
dinner in a tent! How comfy and beautiful is that?! thank you Steve!!
to bad that stop 22 the small shop/mack have burn down, but the food stand survived
Think if their choice was moving the city or shutting down the mine that employs everyone they probably made the right choice.
Thanks very much for the video places I wouldn't ordinarily see
Awesome Steven the audio sounds of you marching on crisp snow sounds like a regiment on the move Because of copyright infringement you cannot use the March written by John Philip Sousa 1881 called On The March fits perfectly as each time you crunched the snow that march fitted perfectly. Stunning buildings and first daylight inspiring Thank You for footage a joy which I have shared around My own sister said you feel family ❤
Thanks so much :)
Oh, that was fun. I could "almost" taste that burger. I loved the "library" pictures. I was a biblioticadama for over 30 years. (Library Lady). Very interesting video, Steve.
Giron, I hav´nt been there for 25 years but my first time was some 57 years ago. Lovely place!
Fascinating. You’ve gained a subscriber.
Bye and happy days to u sir!!
Great, thanks!
I just watched a Swedish disaster movie about the sinking of Kiruna. I had never heard of the city. Thank you for the interesting video.
Really nice that you are covering the special city where the town is totally dependant on the mining . Its been known for many year that the center of town has to be erased and moved but its now happening. I live in stockholm but have friends of mine moving from stockholm back to kiruna to work in the mines anf are actine in the local union.
Totally awesome and cool video Steve. Any chance of pointing out any cool door handles and other awesome stuff ? You're so cool and your videos are always awesome. Scot Squad.
I taught Geography for my job . In the 80s we taught a lot of regional geography both for GCE and lower years . We covered much of Europe and I well remember teaching about the iron mining in Gallivare and Kiruna and his important it was to Sweden’s economy .
Only ever saw a few pictures in text books and on film strips .
Thank's for this, Steve! I was born in Kiruna and fondly remember my childhood years there. Never thought it was strange or rare - to me it was normal with the harsh dark winters and brief light summers. Last time I was there was in 2021 and the old city centre was still open. And I had a burger at the same place and was served by the same character! Stayed at a hotel down the street from the burger van. (That hotel is now demolished.) Strange to see the demolition site and an empty old centre.
Cold frozen hands can be helped by wearing silk under-gloves, available from good outdoor/expedition emporiums. You would be able to change your cam. battery without taking these off as they are very thin.
Great tip for next time I'm up there!
I’ve watched this video three times to absorb the content. The ingenuity and fortitude needed to contend with the elements are impressive. Would not surprise me that the questions “How can you live like that?” or “How can you live there?” would be met with a quizzical look or a smile. The indestructible spirit of the local populace (and the fellow behind the camera).
Today was actually the first time in months I felt the warmth of the sun on my skin, i really enjoyed walking my dog this morning. Everyday the days get longer and soon we will have sunlight 24h a day. when working underground in the mine you miss the few hours of light in the wintertime
You are walking around in my immediate neighbourhood. I can't count how many services, funerals and baptisms I've held in that church.
The new centre is an awful disaster
Your videos are top class, every single one. This was gorgeous, the old buildings were certainly nicer 😁
Been quite a few times to Kiruna since I have family living there. I have not been to the new town centre, but as you say it seems quite soul less, missing a true atmosphere but who knows what the future brings. Anyway always fun to see places you recognize.
Hi Steve, another great video. Funny..I just read a book on how critical that mine was (during WWII) and is still today. Moving an entire town must tell us just how important it is to Sweden. Happy travels!
Good point! It certainly feels that way when you are there too
The mine is 100% owned by the Swedish state, brings in a lot of money.
It´s very common car in the nordics(except Denmark?) has electric cabin, block heaters and a hitch. It´s cosy and entering a warm car in the morning. Nice video as always. Greetings from the westcoast of Sweden
I do t know where you get your ideas from Steve but I love them 😊😊😊😊 Keep doing what you do 😊😊😊😊🤗🤗🤗
Thank you for showing me Kiruna I am from Sweden Malmö never been up so far!
dear Steve..thank you for showing us Kiruna...........Blessings and Greetings from Daggy,Kiel,Germany☘☘☘
Wonderful video
Thanks Steve, a great video from this fascinating place! And good choice not adding any music, i like the original ambient sound.
Youre right about the old stores with the pictures where the windows used to be.
The big clock was on the roof of the old city hall. The church will move in the summer of 2025. The cars will function good as long you take care of them and dont coldstart them too much.
Thank you. I was wondering about the church!
Oh wow I'd love to see the church move!
@@Fan652w The church is 40m high and weigh 600 tons and will be moved in one piece.
@@xrs99 Many thanks
@@steve-marsh A lot of people will be filming and taking pictures, thats for sure. There is talk about restricting the aerospace so there wont be to many drones flying around crashing into each other. The roadwork has begun. The building weighs about 400 tons and is 40meters wide so there is a lot of work ahead. 5 kilometers is the planned route.
😇😇 You're absolutely right about LKAB; "Don't complain we take care ... maybe"
What a lovely reindeer
I had to find a warm jumper to wear while watching another one of your great videos!
I would love to visit KIruna one day.
What a magical experience to watch the sun come up against the trees, and the traditional church bells are very evocative. Special appearance by a small reindeer! How sad that there is this problem due to the mining.
"Near" Kiruna there's also Malmberget with a similar issue, also with LKAB. Though there it's not being moved to the same extent and there's no new city being built. Instead the nearby twin-city of Gällivare is being expanded.
There's a song about Malmberget that I like, Euskefeurat - Gropen. It's about someone that moved away, but visiting again to find all the neighbourhoods of their memory gone in the mining pit. The song laments over how the pit grows and swallows all memories, ending on some words from their father; "Don't let the pit grow on the inside".
Love that reindeer, great video as always
Isn’t it interesting how your video can make me care about a place I’d never heard of.
Wow that was very interesting indeed the story about the city being moved, and also i paused on the menu to see what i would have had, and you ordered exactly what i would of done lol it looked soo tasty too
Hello from kiruna