The largest city in Russia beyond the Arctic Circle. And it was there that blogger Vera Tsimbal went for new experiences as part of the “Cudablin” project
Early February morning we hit the road. The flight to Murmansk with Aeroflot took 2 hours 40 minutes*.
Find tickets to Murmansk
The severity of the climate of the northern region is mixed with the warmth of the soul of the local residents, seasoned with the beauty of the landscapes and incredible gastronomic diversity. But first things first.
Subscriber task
They chose from three options:
- Organize a photo hunt for the northern lights
- Try bear meat (or venison dishes), cloudberry jam and lichen chips
- Go to the village of Teriberka
And we chose the northern lights. But it turned out that we were able to complete all three tasks!
We started with the most delicious
To try local delicacies, you had to be smart. Of course, I dreamed of going to the ocean, catching a sea urchin and eating it right on the shore. And in the same way, try bear meat. But at the family council it was decided to go to a restaurant with northern cuisine.
By the way, there were no free tables there for many days ahead, and the mission was in danger of failure. It took a little luck and persistence, and they organized a table for us. It didn’t matter that it was the staff table. The main thing is that they brought us a menu, and a real gastronomic festival began. We tried everything there was: venison stroganina, bear meat dumplings (and also bear meat solyanka with venison), Arctic fish soup with seafood, scallops and red fish with pike caviar, as well as baked halibut. It was not just wonderful. It was delicious! Just a delight! If your adventurous spirit ever takes you north, be sure to try the local cuisine.
By the way, to enjoy local delicacies, you can also stop by the local fish shops. There will be a lot of interesting things there. By the way, there are hedgehogs at the marine terminal. Just shh! This is classified information.
Northern Lights
As you know, it is hunted at night. If you trust experienced guides, you will have a much better chance of seeing it. Yes Yes. There are specially trained people who know where to look for the glow. But we are winners in life. We couldn’t come to an agreement with them – there were no places. Therefore, we decided to hunt for the lights ourselves using a special map for tracking magnetic activity.
In the evening we updated the application every five minutes. At first, the radiance on the map began to decrease. And then it moved towards the peninsula, like a cloud. I was nervous. The closer it was to us, the stronger it was.
Finally, the application showed that the “cloud” had touched Murmansk. We called a taxi and went… The main thing is to drive as far away from the city lights as possible. It’s as dark as you can see there. Not a hint of emerald. We go. The taxi driver says that the glow is rare and only happens a couple of times during the winter.
The sky is still black. We arrived at the observation deck. Further uphill and only on foot. Snow up to your knees. Freezing. Not a soul. Night. Darkness. We get out and go up the mountain. Wind. It’s cold to breathe, my legs are already tired. But I start running. It’s like I’m afraid of being late.
Running up a hill in the tundra through snow at -30 is very extreme. Heart is beating. We rise to the very top…
And then I realize that this is it: a thin strip of green haze has appeared in the sky. This is the radiance! I shout to my husband: “look!”
We freeze, the light haze turns into a whole stream. Another minute and the sky burns green. I just can’t believe my eyes! We did it! We… this… done… yourself! No guides. We are just beautiful! We are lucky! We are incredibly cool!
Know! You can find the glow yourself. All you need is a little luck and good preparation.
We still have Teriberka for dessert
The ends of the earth. If you want to feel the harsh atmosphere of the north, this is the place for you.
The day turned out to be sunny and very frosty: -27, feels like -39. And with a wind of 13 m/s, you freeze before your eyes.
“Put on everything you have,” the guide commanded in all seriousness. We packed from head to toe and raced on snowmobiles and sleds to the mighty Arctic Ocean. He doesn’t caress the legs of tanned tourists. It takes your breath away when you are nearby.
The shore is strewn with stones that resemble dinosaur eggs. Just a fantastic place. A sleigh excursion through frozen sights in the strongest wind and bright sun is the whole spectrum of emotions.
You want to watch without stopping, and at the same time you dream of quickly getting to where it will finally become warm. If you want to see incredible landscapes and experience real winter adventures with overcoming, you should come to Teriberka.
This is how our weekend in Murmansk flew by.
We returned home tired and happy. The reboot has occurred. I am very grateful to the OneTwoTrip project and happy that we flew to the north. Be sure to travel. And may your trips be as cool and emotionally rich as ours.
*Aeroflot flights from Moscow to Murmansk operate daily: SU-1320 at 09:25, SU-1324 at 15:30, SU-1316 at 17:50, SU-1322 at 22:25.
Photos: unsplash.com; Vera Tsymbal
