As Unesco launches the 2015 International Year of Light, Simply Sweden has been asking the experts who help put together its specialist tours just how light – natural and man-made – creates a magical, often surreal, experience for visitors to Scandinavia.

Richard Karlsson, a musher who organises husky-driven excursions for Simply Sweden, says: “It sounds contradictory, but we get such intense light during this endlessly dark period of winter. For example, the blue light that occurs from the reflection in the snow and the light of the moon illuminating the pristine landscape, which delivers a ghostly, serene realm.”

“Light is life up north, even when there's just a little of it,” adds Fredrik Broman, a professional photographer and founder of the Aurora Safari Camp, a unique dark-sky location for watching the Northern Lights and stargazing. “The lack of light pollution means the starlight is strong. And I love the patterns of snow in the twilight at noon. I have become fascinated by the light in March; the bright daylight, the long orange and pink sunsets, and dark nights for drowning in the Milky Way.”

Visitors can't help but be affected by the different ways they experience light while here, explains Simply Sweden's Chris Graham. Even artificial light has a role to play. “For example, the lighting at the Icehotel is vital to the overall experience,” says Mr Graham. “It wouldn't be the same without the fibre optics that create the famous blue arch and illuminate the sculptures.”

Simply Sweden is featuring a selection of new ways to experience winter in Sweden and Norway on its website simplynorthernlights.co.uk. Trips include Icehotel & Northern Lights Cabins, one of four holidays marking the 25th anniversary of the Icehotel, Laponian Arctic Nights, which ventures into what Unesco describes as one of the last untouched wilderness areas, and The Iron Trail – Lapland, which follows the old iron-ore trade route for a historic take on the area.

For more information and prices, visit www.simplynorthernlights.co.uk or to book call 01427 700115. Follow developments on Twitter @Simply_Sweden and facebook.com/simplysweden.

For more insider quotes, images and further information, or to request an interview with Chris Graham, please contact Little Black Book Creative: Simone Kane on 07811 161839 and simone@lbbcreative.co.uk, or Kate Simon on 07939 526109 and kate@lbbcreative.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

Simply Sweden began selling holidays in 2006 and has become one of the UK's leading tailor-made tour operators to Sweden and Norway. The company, founded by Chris and Karin Graham, draws on the inside knowledge of its small Sweden-based team, gained from travelling extensively across the territories, to create itineraries that offer customers the best experiences and deliver a genuine insight into the Scandinavian landscape and way of life.