Thudding, crashing, creaking icy fun aboard icebreaker Arctic Explorer.

Arctic Explorer, a 332 tonne powerhouse ploughs the waters off Pite Havsbad, a beautifully appointed hotel, conference and activity centre at the mouth of the Piteälven River on the Gulf of Bothnia – about 900 km north of Stockholm.

From mid-January to March there are two-hour and four-hours trips on offer and you are provided with warm clothing shoes and equipment on the longer trip. There is no feeling quite like the creaking ice being forced apart by this incredibly powerful ship. If you are feeling brave the crew will provide you with a survival suit and you can jump in the water, or go walkabout on the ice.

Pite Havsbad has a host of entertainment choices. In winter it offers snowmobiling, ice racing, dog sledding, skiing and ice sculpting. You might even see the Northern Lights this far north.