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The best sights of Murmansk – TOP-10

22.01.2020 Сергей Луговой

When mentioning the city of Murmansk or the Murmansk region, many people first of all associate with the port city and a number of military bases scattered throughout the territory of the region. Some people remember that the atomic icebreaker Lenin is there, and they know about the long polar days and nights. Some believe that in this region you can cheaply eat a variety of fish. And all this is true, but it is somehow freshish. However, in fact, it is much more interesting and exciting here!

White nights and northern lights

White nights in St. Petersburg can not be compared with the polar day in Murmansk. The sun just does not go beyond the horizon for a couple of months. At night, you can calmly sunbathe on the cool beach of the Barents Sea, and when you suddenly wake up at night, you first grab the alarm clock to understand whether it is time to run to work or it is now only two in the morning. Guests of the region who purchase tours to Murmansk in the summer automatically and free of charge get the opportunity to enjoy all the delights of the setting sun.
But winter comes, and white nights give way to polar nights. The sun does not appear at all, and the city falls into the snowy darkness, accelerated by artificial lighting of lanterns. But it is worth the clouds disperse, overlooking the endless starry sky, through which the northern lights move with colorful flashes! Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in one of his works wrote “Toward the Northern Aurora, Be a Star of the North!” It was about the northern lights.
For many peoples, the appearance of the Northern Aurora was closely associated with various rituals and beliefs. Someone considered this a bad omen, and someone on the contrary saw in these multi-colored flashes approaching luck. In recent years, tours to Murmansk to hunt for the northern lights have become common among residents of Southeast Asia. They believe that the year will be successful if you see this natural phenomenon. From January to March, the number of citizens from this region is practically compared with the number of local residents.
But you can’t wait a few days for the weather to sky? And in Murmansk and its environs there are places where you can go on an excursion.

Murmansk

It would seem that Murmansk is a small city. Only about 300 thousand people live in it. However, there are enough interesting places here. One of the most famous sights of Murmansk is considered the atomic icebreaker “Lenin”. This is the first nuclear icebreaker in the world! This is partly a symbol of the city, for example, as the cruiser Aurora, is a symbol of St. Petersburg.
Another pride of the region is the Kola Bridge connecting the Kola Bay. If you wish, you can take a taxi and drive along it, enjoying the view. Its length is 2.5 kilometers.
In general, almost all the attractions in Murmansk are connected with the sea. There is a museum of the history of the Murmansk shipping company, a sea terminal in Murmansk, an oceanarium with seals, a museum of local lore, a lighthouse memorial. An art museum is somewhat knocked out of this list, however, a number of paintings there are dedicated to the sea.
All this is relatively walking distance and can be viewed in one day. However, it is worth remembering that the city has a relatively short working day. Until 21.00 no one works, and usually everything closes at six in the evening. Therefore, try to plan your day wisely.

Teriberka

This place became famous after the film “Leviathan”, which was ambiguously appreciated by critics. In general, if you do not have enough melancholy and depressing landscapes, then here you are! There is a ship cemetery nearby, and the village itself largely lives off of the tourist flow. It looks somewhat depressing (like in a movie), but foreigners find in these rickety buildings and harsh people something, in their opinion, that is truly Russian. Why? Go to Teriberka, meet a foreigner there and ask him personally! Some of them even want to stay there for a few days. The road to Teriberka takes about 2.5 hours one way, so you can put this trip in one day. This attraction of Murmansk is available all year round.

Kola Saami

Another interesting attraction of Murmansk is its small nationalities, in particular, the Saami. Now these people are engaged in deer breeding and tourism. In part, they lead their old way of life, but they calmly relate to new technologies and use them. A 50-minute drive from Murmansk there is just one Sami village where you can go on an excursion, get acquainted with the life of this nationality, ride on the Reindeer, pet blue-eyed husky dogs and just enjoy the peace of the northern edge.

Reindeer and Husky

These two species live side by side with each other for centuries. Local residents used deer as a transport, food, material for the manufacture of housing and clothing. And the dogs guarded the herds and owners of the herd from ferocious predators.
In general, Siberia is considered the homeland of the husky, where they were used as sled dogs and, again, for the protection of homes and deer. However, these smart dogs have taken root well in the Murmansk Territory. Do you want to try yourself as a driver of a dog or a reindeer? Go to the Sami village – they will teach you and give you a ride! It is worth considering that skating is done when there is snow. In summer and autumn, dogs and deers take a vacation!
However, some tourists go further. You can negotiate with some owners of deer and go with them to graze herds in the distant tundra, where there is not a single person within a radius of 50-100 kilometers. This is an expensive, dangerous, but very exciting adventure! 

Khibiny


 
Khibiny are located approximately 300 kilometers from the regional center, however, to ignore this attraction of Murmansk would be reckless. It offers stunning views of the deserted surroundings of the northern edge. If you take a guide, you can listen to a fascinating story about the flora, fauna and geology of the region.
Most enthusiastic about Khibin are skiers, snowboarders and snowmobile lovers. Here is the ski slope. The descent is well equipped and safe compared to many other regions. Nearby is the city of Kirovsk (Murmansk Region), where you can stay for the night after an active day on the descent. The route is accessible in winter and summer, but skiing is difficult in summer.
 
 

Snowmobiles


 
In Murmansk and the Murmansk region, this type of transport is very common. Snowmobile tours of varying lengths are available everywhere. You can go to the tundra for two, three or more days, stay in small houses, see the sights and set your record for the length of the trip on snowmobiles. Again, near Kirovsk there is a wonderful camp site where snowmobiles are rented.
However, we recommend that you do not take snowmobiles anywhere. If you are going on a long tour, try to find out if the route is announced to the Ministry of Emergencies, if the group has a satellite phone, first-aid kit, in what condition is the equipment, and so on, so that your vacation away from people and civilization does not turn into a repetition of the plot of the movie “Survivor” with Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role. Or based on Jack London’s book, Love of Life. In general, let’s not talk about the bad! Just check everything and get a snowmobile from a normal official company! Snowmobiles are expensive! The company will immediately begin to search for equipment, and along with it they will find you! Frozen, swearing in dirty words, but alive and healthy! Then you can leave a negative review, unlike those who took the snowmobile “off hand”. 🙂
 

Severomorsk

Until recently, getting into this city was almost impossible, however, with the development of satellite systems, secrecy was apparently reduced. Nevertheless, you need to apply for a pass in about a month, so it makes no sense to go there spontaneously. Almost all travel agencies in Murmansk help get this pass when purchasing a trip from them. This will simplify many procedures and save you nerves. We do not recommend trying to arrange a checkpoint with security guards, otherwise the trip may end in several other remote places, but also in the North.
The route is accessible year-round, but on New Year’s holidays there may be problems with access. Travel time in one direction is about 2-3 hours.
In Severomorsk they show the Gagarin Museum, the Aviation Museum, an excursion to the K-21 submarine, as well as the expositions of the Northern Fleet Museum and Exhibition Complex. For those who love military equipment and history, this attraction of Murmansk will be a real find.
 

Whales, killer whales, white whales belugas

 
These mammals are found in the Barents Sea, but it is not worth waiting for them to line up near the coastline and jump out of the water. You can rent a boat and try your luck. Perhaps you are lucky and you see them and take some photos. The sight is amazing, but you should not count on it. In search of a boat, we recommend that you contact trusted companies!
The situation with belugas is somewhat easier, but in a different region. In Solovki in the summer, a herd of beluga whales sail to the Solovetsky Archipelago. They have a favorite place called Cape Beluga. There they formed a kind of “kindergarten” for little belugas. The probability of meeting them there is extremely high if they did not leave to feed at sea. Occasionally, killer whales are also found near Solovki. The last time they were seen in 2018.
If you are interested in marine mammals, we recommend that you visit the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions. The chances of seeing them double.
 

Fish and fishing in Murmansk

 
There are fish in the sea and in the lakes. Her a lot. Many kinds. There are clams, crabs and more. In general, fishing is the main attraction of Murmansk. Because of him, Murmansk appeared here. However, not all can be caught. For example, there are some restrictions on fishing for the Kamchatka crab. All types of fishing that are recognized as poaching are also prohibited.
We recommend renting a boat and calmly fishing for cod and other fish for pleasure. And after fishing, you can go to any fish restaurant in Murmansk and try there various dishes from a wide variety of seafood. Including Kamchatka crab.
If you liked the article, you can familiarize yourself with the tours and excursions in Murmansk that we offer! If you didn’t find what you were looking for, call us! If you didn’t like it and decided not to go to see the sights of Murmansk – don’t call! 🙂