Kiruna is an exciting city to experience and learn more about. Three cultures meet – the Sami, the Swedish and the Finnish, all of which have had an important part in the development of the mining community of Kiruna. The city was founded and built up by the mining company LKAB’s first manager Hjalmar Lundbohm, who wanted to create a model society. With the help of prominent community builders, artists, architects and leaders in the mining industry, the foundations of modern Kiruna were laid.
The iron ore body, which is the lifeblood of Kiruna, runs diagonally under the city. The black gold that once made the city grow in the wilderness is today the reason why parts of the city’s buildings are forced to make room for the world’s largest underground iron ore mine as it expands in depth.
The ongoing social transformation in Kiruna is unique in many ways, with the old town center disappearing and buildings and environments being moved or demolished as the mining area grows. The guided tour will give you an insight and understanding of how this process affects the city’s identity and you will see everything from empty areas where buildings were demolished and people had to move to restored historic buildings at new addresses. You will see and hear about Kiruna Church, which is also facing a historic move to experience Kiruna’s newly built center which was inaugurated in autumn 2022.
