TRAVEL: the Arctic Circle and Seven Places Where to Experience Extreme Polar Weather

By Jorge Jefferds December 21, 2014 

Travelers love to visit unimaginable destinations. They always want to go far in the distance to places, where the adventurous spirit surpasses any frontier, border, and even extreme conditions like weather.

The Arctic is such wide transcontinental territory with days of midnight sun in summer. On the other hand, people have to resist full time of polar night in winter. Both events happen only twice a year in the solstices of June and December, respectively. While openmouthed visitors experienced these wonders, residents work, study, live, grow in seven places, which pride themselves of hosting the natural phenomena.

Tromso, Norway

Tromso is located more than 300 kilometers north of the Arctic, and considered the most important city of the so-called Laponia, which is formed by Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. If living past latitude 66 north is hard, Norwegian lifestyle makes everything easier with accessible services and needs not found in other Nordic places.

The city center settles on an island connected by modern bridges, which remain opened all year round. The historical site will take you to the origins of its foundation with a huge collection of wooden architecture being the most popular one in the entire Scandinavia. Just the cathedral is an icon in the north of Norway.

Murmansk, Russia

Murmansk is the biggest harbor city among the ones located in the Arctic. The population of 300,000 people diminished in the last decades making the area less popular than in the Soviet era. The Barents Sea is located only 12 kilometers away from the city, but isn’t either in the best moments anymore. The ancient “Wall of Eternal Ice,” which used to interfere in future plans of normal sea traffic, now is giving up with the global warming.

Sisimiut, Greenland

When thinking of Greenland, we came to the idea of exploring pure challenging adventure in this far desolated region. Just getting to Sisimiut is unthinkable, but not impossible. In fact, a reward is well-deserved. From the windows of their multi-colored houses, you can see the freezing ocean in the arms of really cold fiords. All of them invade generously the west coast of the giant island. Believing that 5,000 people live in this hard-to-find point in the map sounds impressive, especially when the first settlers arrived more than 4,000 years ago.

Barrow, the United States

Barrow is located 2,000 kilometers away from the North Pole and on the northern shoreline of Alaska. Overlooking the north in one of the most affected areas with the climatic change, its ice barrier is carefully monitored by multiple meteorologists. The city, surrounded by a cold sea, faces the wind and temperatures, which go up the freezing point only 30 days a year. The absolute night begins here in November and lasts up to the end of January.

Rovaniemi, Finland

Perhaps, this is the most accessible, and tourist-like city of the Arctic, in conjunction with Tromso. Nevertheless, Rovaniemi possesses a singular plus that makes it different: Santa Claus’ official hometown. With the benefit of his eternal fame, the city has seen an increasing offer in the tourism industry, attracting visitors all through the year. Airport, ice hotels, traditional accommodations, excellent roads, and even a Santa Park welcome them during the 12 months with an outstanding nature.

Grimsey, Iceland

Grimsey is maybe the site that best represents the adventurous Arctic Polar Circle spirit. It is not only situated past latitude 66 north, but also on a small island lost in the magnificence of the Arctic Ocean.

This tiny township had to find shelter beneath a fiord to bear the inclement weather and loneliness. Nobody can imagine a true concept of isolation, unless on this 5-square-kilometer small community on the northern coastline of Iceland.

Iqaluit, Canada

What do we bring into our imagination, when thinking about Arctic territories? A cold immensity with an extensive body of frozen water, and everything white is the meaning of Iqaluit.

This little village was established in the first half of the 20^th century thanks to the creation of an American air force base. The first inhabitants came from the Inuit people, who adapt to these living conditions easily. Today, about 6,000 residents live in the place with an increasing demography, due to the support received by the tourist industry. 

Each year, the Arctic Polar Circle is welcoming visitors from every corner and point worldwide, becoming a friendly and not desolated territory anymore.