The best place in the world to see the Northern Lights?

For your best chance at catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights, make a winter trip to the Aurora Sky Station at Abisko National Park, almost 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden.

Situated on top of Mount Nuolja with hardly a cloud in sight, the outpost offers some of the clearest views of this enchanting phenomenon between November and March.

See also: Top ten Northern Lights cruises

See also: Are the Northern Lights about to disappear?

Abisko is a 77 km² national park in Swedish Lapland, famous for its natural beauty and Nordic wildlife. It is a hot (cold) spot for winter adventures as well as summer hiking in the midnight sun.

Visitors take a chair lift up to the Aurora Sky Station where they can learn about how the Aurora Borealis observations are made with radio receivers and cameras. They can even book a gourmet Nordic cuisine dinner to be eaten under the Northern Lights.

Abisko is also the start of Sweden's best known skiing and hiking route – the 440 km long the King's Trail (Kungsleden). The national park is set in the Kiruna mountains, which boast pristine snow capped peaks and clean mountain air.

See also: Northern Lights holidays: Unusual ideas for adventurers

Due to its location in a low precipitation micro-climate Abisko is said to have more clear nights than virtually any other of the destinations frequently located within the auroral oval (the area on our planet where the lights are currently visible).

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If the conditions are right, you can view the Northern Lights throughout Iceland, although you have a greater chance if you're far from the city lights. You can choose Reykjavik as a base and travel two to three hours to the countryside or opt to stay in a rural hotel. Try this: Reykjavik Excursions runs tours each night from Reykjavik to the countryside, while Discover the World offers a three-night trip staying in the rural Hotel Ranga and the Northern Lights Inn in south Iceland. You'll visit the Golden Circle route, which covers the Thingvellir National Park and at night you'll search for the Northern Lights from the hotel window or the hot tub before staying at the Northern Lights Inn near the geothermal Blue Lagoon.