The Arctic Circle has a special place in my heart. My father was a researcher there, and up to these days, I remember his stories. I always have a warm feeling when I travel to the North.
What are the best places to visit in the Arctic Circle? I have asked it from travel bloggers. Long-term, experienced travelers will share their opinion
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What’s my personal best?
I found it very hard to pick a single place. In my opinion, making a road-trip through Europe in the Arctic Circle is the best thing to do. It would allow seeing all the diversity of Northern regions in Russia, Norway, and Finland.
But if I have to pick one place – I would choose Tromsø! Landscapes could be not as stunning as in the famous Norwegian Lofoten Islands. But Tromsø has many other things, besides regular tourist activities. It is large in Arctic exploration and is a large center of Saami culture. There are beautiful fishing villages, tiny trees that allow seeing every feature of the landscapes, and really old, well-preserved wooden architecture.
Let’s now take a look at travel bloggers’ chose.
Ilulissat, Greenland
From a very young age, I dreamed about visiting far off places and Greenland has always been high on my list. The summer that we finally made that reality was a dream come true and the first place we touched down in was the village of Ilulissat, Greenland.
Despite being the most popular destination in Greenland, Ilulissat still feels isolated and this was one of the things I loved the most about it. There was just enough infrastructure that you could find comfort in lodging and tasty food in restaurants, but there were no crowds. There was nothing commercial about the town.
The highlight of visiting Ilulissat was the direct and easy access to the Ilulissat Icefjord. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, this fjord is one of the biggest shed areas of the Greenlandic ice cap into the ocean waters. It is believed that the iceberg that sunk the Titanic was released from here.
It is possible to explore the vast area of the Ilulissat Icefjord both by foot and by boat. Accessible from downtown is a series of hiking trails that lead you to and around to the various viewing areas. I enjoyed hiking out to the fjords and watching for whales and ice sheds.
By boat, we were able to cruise into the fjord, keeping a safe distance of course, while having the opportunity to truly appreciate the size of the ice. Taking it a step further, I hopped into a kayak for an icy paddle.
The combination of these experiences with the strong cultural influence of Greenland was enough to put Ilulissat on the top of my list for one of the best places to visit in the Arctic.
Pyramiden: Abandoned Russian Settlement on Svalbard Archipelago
By Real Camp Life
The Svalbard archipelago is situated far north in the High Arctic, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Even though Norway has been granted sovereignty over the archipelago there is also a long history of Russian presence on Svalbard. Nowadays, there are about 500 inhabitants living in the Russian mining town Barentsburg but more than 1000 people used to live in Pyramiden before it closed and became the northernmost ghost town in the world.
Pyramiden used to be a prospering coal mining community but in 1998 the Russian mining company who owned the town decided to close the mines and consequently the town. The inhabitants of Pyramiden had to leave their possessions behind and move back to mainland Russia. The original plan was to dismantle and remove all the equipment and infrastructure, but it never happened.
When I visited Pyramiden in the summer of 2014 little has changed. The equipment used for coal mining sat where workers had left it. Books covered by layers of dust still lied on the bookshelves and dried plants that nobody watered for more than 20 years sat on windowsills. Exposure to the harsh Arctic conditions and vandals has however taken its toll and many of the buildings were falling apart and were inaccessible to the public.
During a guided walk we could take a look into the Cultural Palace that featured library and theater equipped for live performances and film screenings. We also visited the town’s gym and swimming pool where the annual competitions in between Svalbard’s settlements had been held. Just like the reindeers and Arctic foxes, the polar bears are occasional visitors of the town, therefore we were accompanied by an armed guide at all times.
Northwest Territories, Canada
By Explore with Lora
I love exploring my own country, Canada, and one of the best places I’ve been is the Northwest Territories (NWT) inside the arctic circle. It’s such a unique park of the country that makes a perfect destination for adventure travelers.
The NWT is a year-round destination with different activities to try depending on what season you visit. One of the main attractions of visiting the NWT is to see the Northern Lights. Due to the stable weather conditions that give way to clear skies, Yellowknife has become of the world’s top destinations to see the aurora borealis. The Northern Lights are visible 240 days of the year, with the exception of the summer months when it doesn’t get dark enough. Visiting here during the summer is a completely different experience, as you can camp under the midnight sun which creates a magical twilight that lasts for hours.
Another thing I loved about visiting the NWT was the incredible hiking opportunities. There’s so much wilderness to explore, and the silence I experienced while being out on the trails is remarkable. There are also thousands of lakes around to explore, which in the winter you can drive on as they become frozen. Another fun thing to do in the wintertime is dog sledding, which is an exhilarating way to explore the landscapes. No matter what time of year you visit the NWT, there will be adventure waiting.
Alta, Rock Art in Norway
Alta in northern Norway is one of the most fascinating places above the Arctic Circle. The world’s most northern city, Alta is well-known for long intense winters, easy access to the Northern Lights, and the gorgeous Northern Lights Cathedral. But for me, the most incredible aspect of Alta is its rock carvings. The area of Alta is home to over 6000 rock carvings which I found absolutely beautiful. The carvings themselves were done over a span of nearly 5000 years – from about 5000 BC through until 0 AD.
I really loved the huge variety of artwork in the carvings. Reindeer are very common, and I saw carvings of both hunted and nurtured reindeer. Some female reindeer are even depicted as pregnant. I also saw carvings of bears, including bear tracks leading to and from their dens – which I thought was a fascinating detail. On my World Heritage Journey, I’ve seen a lot of prehistoric rock art, but the art here in Alta is unusual as human figures are quite prominent in the carvings. I saw various activities like hunting and fishing, people using simple tools, and even sailing boats similar to Viking longboats!
I think the best spot to see and experience the Rock Art is at the Alta Museum, located in Hjemmeluft. Inside, I really enjoyed the cultural displays about both the carvings and the local indigenous Sami people, and how their cultures might be connected. There are also several walking trails you can take from the museum that visit several areas of rock art. It’s open almost every day, and costs 125 NOK during summer, 80 NOK during winter.
North Cape, Norway
My favorite place I visited in the Arctic Circle is without a doubt North Cape in Norway. North Cape is the most northern point in Europe that can be accessed by car. If visiting the northernmost point in Europe isn’t enough reason for you, don’t worry, there are plenty of other reasons why you should go to North Cape. Personally I loved the harsh beauty and rugged natural landscape.
North Cape sits at the top of a 307-metre cliff, marked with a huge metal globe. Standing on the edge of the cliffs, admiring the view and hearing the waves crashing far below you feels like being at the end of the world.
I was there in summer so the landscape was quite barren, but I imagine it would be even more picturesque in winter when it’s covered in snow. In summer there were loads of wild reindeer roaming and grazing around, who mostly just ignored the tourists. If you look closely you might also be able to see some puffins perched along the cliff sides!
Murmansk, Russia
By Backpack Adventures
Before going to Murmansk I was in doubt whether to include it in my Russia trip or not. The reason I went there had more to do with the beautiful train journey from St Petersburg to Murmansk, than the city itself. It’s maybe when our expectations are low that we let ourselves be positively surprised.
I expected a grey and boring Soviet place but found a welcoming and heartwarming city. The pastel-colored buildings and the cozy restaurants reminded me of St Petersburg at times, except that it was of course much colder. Visiting Murmansk in winter means I was rewarded with a magical winter wonderland.
Its location on the Kola Bay is spectacular and there is no other place to see this at its best than at Alyosha. This statue of a soldier is the second tallest in Russia and stands on a hill as a memory to the victory over Nazi Germany. It’s hard to say what is more impressive. Alyosha or the views over the bay he is looking at.
Unique winter experiences in Murmansk include ice bathing, ice fishing, chasing the northern lights, a visit to a husky farm, and having fun at the somewhat touristic Sami village. I am not sure which one was my favorite. Maybe I was most enchanted by the landscapes and the forests covered in a thick blanket of snow.
Lofoten Islands, Norway
The reason why the Lofoten Islands mark as my favorite place inside the Arctic Circle is that they offer perhaps the best road trip anywhere in Scandinavia! Connected by dozens of incredibly scenic bridges, the drive down from Narvik is truly unforgettable. If you’re taking the quickest route, expect this drive to take at least 6 hours each way. But my best advice is to allow two days down and two days back.
Coming off the main road are so many wonderful little spots to visit where there are very few other people. A few of my favorites include the traditional fishing village of Nusfjord, Kvalvika Beach, and Rørvikstranda Beach. By Far the most popular spot on the Lofoten Islands is the charming village of Reine, which offers one of the most iconic Norwegian photo opportunities.
The reason it’s so popular is that ferries and tours run specifically to this point, but only a small fraction of these people actually take the time to hire a car and drive the full length of the Lofoten Islands. This latter option is much better and is what makes for the most truly remarkable visit here. Especially if you are a fan of photography. Oh, and one final tip … visit in the depths of winter!
Nunavut, Canada
Of all the destinations north of the Arctic Circle, Nunavut is one of the least traveled. Covering a fifth of Canada, it is home to just 38,000 people and receives few visitors each year. Yet Nunavut is unlike any other place I have been.
Encompassing the Arctic Archipelago, which stretches from mainland Canada to the North Pole, Nunavut geography is one of a kind. Rolling tundra sweeps for hundreds of kilometers in each direction, no trees to interrupt. Fiords cut by ancient ice sheets are still home to glaciers; icebergs the size of apartment buildings float by. The floe edge, where the sea ice meets the open Arctic Ocean, is bustling with activity from polar bears, seals and narwhals.
Nunavut is often referred to as a ‘barren land’, but after living in Nunavut for four months I can tell you it’s anything but barren. The tundra grows moss, lichens, and wildflowers of every color and variety. Arctic fox, wolves, muskox, and many other animals call the tundra. You can hike into the evening under the midnight sun or catch the northern lights in the winter; you could go kayaking among icebergs or snowmobiling over the frozen Arctic Ocean.
Join an arctic safari and see all the magnificent animals up close.A trip to Nunavut will be a life-changing experience for you. I completely fell in love with the territory and plan to visit it regularly for the rest of my life – I’ve already made one trip back since I lived there, and my Nunavut bucket list only grows longer.