Murmansk

Murmansk: overview

The northernmost region of the European part of our country, most of which is located beyond the Arctic Circle. This is the land of forests, endless tundra, raging rivers, and thousands of lakes, as well as an industrial region with big enterprises, leaders in their industry on a national scale. Murmansk is 20 km long, stretching along the Kola Inlet, which does not freeze even in the most severe frosts. This city, which is called the capital of the polar regions, is the largest seaport in the Arctic Circle. Murmansk, due to the warm current of the Gulf Stream, is the warmest city of the Arctic Circle. In general, for all the time that people live in this area, the ice has covered the Kola Inlet only a few times. At the moment, the number of citizens slightly exceeds 300 thousand people, which is a very impressive figure for the Far North. The territory of Murmansk is also not small - 154 square kilometers. As well as all cities of the Arctic, Murmansk has a polar night, when the sun is not shown for 42 days. When the polar night ends, the locals organize the "Hello, Sun" holiday. This means mass celebrations, competitions, dances, fairs. In general, the process of the appearance of the Sun for people unfamiliar with northern nature looks very interesting - at first, it pleases people for only a few tens of minutes, and then, day by day, the duration of sunlight is increasing. The polar day, when it doesn't get dark at all, lasts a little longer than 50 days. In summer, when "white nights" go by, it is bright as day both in the city and outside it. Many people come here to see the northern lights, which appear at the end of August and last until April. The Murmansk region is interesting and unusual in many ways. It is this uniqueness and primordial beauty of the region that attracts tourists from all over the world. Lovers of various types of tourism can find here interesting things for themselves. Ecological tourism has become extremely popular over recent years. The Murmansk region can provide such tourists with a large number of opportunities for unity with nature. These are the Khibiny mountains covered with snow all year round that allows you to go skiing and snowboarding, Lovozero, rivers, and thousands of lakes with untouched nature around them. This is a paradise for lovers of mushroom and berry picking, and no permission is required. Arctic tourism is also very popular. In summer, cruises of up to two weeks are organized annually to Franz Josef Land and the North Pole on nuclear-powered icebreakers. Not every region provides opportunities for mineralogical tourism, and in the Murmansk region, you can get on an excursion to the most interesting deposits, accompanied by famous mineralogists. There is also something to do for industrial tourism lovers. There are also a lot of interesting things for stalkers and photographers of abandoned buildings and objects. Besides, hunting and fishing, alpine skiing and mountaineering, reindeer and dog sledding, rafting, sightseeing, and pilgrimage tourism. It's totally up to you what time to choose for the trip. Those who are afraid of frost come in the fall, and those who want to see a winter fairy tale and combine it with outdoor activities choose the winter months. The main thing is to dress for the weather and be ready for its vagaries because this is the Arctic!