Norway is known as the "Land of the Midnight Sun", with continuous sunshine in all regions north of the Arctic Circle. If you want to experience the midnight sun on the Lofoten Islands in the north of Norway, you have around two and a half months to do so at these latitudes. Every year between the end of May and mid-July, the sun is above the horizon for 24 hours a day on the Lofoten Islands. In winter, however, the sun does not rise at all for some time during the polar night and does not rise above a diffuse twilight (the so-called polar night).
In our Travel Guide you will find a lot of interesting facts about the midnight sun**. While we focus primarily on Norway and the Lofoten Islands, most of the information also applies to all other regions of Scandinavia north of the Arctic Circle, such as Iceland, Sweden and Finland.
When does the midnight sun shine?
The midnight sun does not shine all year round. To be able to observe this natural phenomenon, you need to travel to Norway at the right time of year.
Generally speaking, you will find the best conditions in Scandinavia if you plan your trip between the end of May and the end of July. However, this does not mean that the effect of the midsummer night is not visible before and after, it is just not as strong. Midnight sun means above all that the sun does not set for 24 hours, i.e. it does not sink behind the horizon, or only partially, during this time. Nevertheless, you will also experience bright nights a few weeks before and after the time of the midnight sun, when it is still so bright at three o'clock in the morning that it will seem like daytime.
Where can you experience the midnight sun in Norway?
The magical boundary for continuous sunshine is the Arctic Circle, which runs along the 66th parallel. Anywhere north of this, the sun does not set during the midsummer night, although the further north you go, the longer the period. However, to be able to admire the midnight sun for half a year, you would have to travel as far as the North Pole.
In the following list you will find some well-known places in Norway above the Arctic Circle with the respective period for the midnight sun:
- Arctic Circle: June 5 to July 6
- Bodø: May 31 to July 12
- Svolvær (Lofoten): May 18 to July 14
- Tromsø: May 18 to July 25
- Hammerfest: May 16 to July 27
- North Cape: May 11 to July 31
In mid-June to early July, you will of course also have very long days and only a few hours without sunshine south of the Arctic Circle. So if you are in Trondheim, for example, you will also experience many hours of sunshine at the time of the summer solstice around June 21 and can enjoy the beautiful light of the low sun.
Activities under the midnight sun
Sleeping under the midnight sun? Sleep is still necessary, but especially difficult during the first few days - the sun's rays at night and the magical colors that bathe the norwegian landscape in a dreamlike light are too fascinating.
- Trail running: As outdoor sports enthusiasts, we definitely recommend trying trail running in the middle of the night. The varied trails in Lofoten are perfect for short and long runs with breathtaking views.
- Hiking: Pack your backpack and set off on a hike - unforgettable panoramic views of the midnight sun from lonely peaks, scenic ridges and white sandy beaches in turquoise bays included.
- Kayaking: There are many opportunities to hire kayaks in the Lofoten Islands. Paddle through the still, glittering water in the silence of the midsummer night and discover the Lofoten Islands from a completely new perspective.
The nice thing about such activities: you are not alone on the road. During the time of the summer solstices, you will always meet locals and tourists who also want to enjoy this unique atmosphere.
When planning an activity in the midnight sun, bear in mind that the path of the sun runs low on the horizon from west to north to northeast. So if you are on the southern side of a mountain, you will see very little of the sun. On the north side, however, you will be rewarded with night-time sunshine in good weather.
What time of day is the sunlight most beautiful?
Of course, you don't have to get up in the middle of the night to marvel at the midnight sun. The beautiful light starts at around 9 pm - the perfect time after dinner. But getting up (very) early at three or four o'clock can also be really worthwhile and you will be able to observe the sun far north of its usual path in Central Europe with sunrise in the east.
Between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. in the morning is the ideal time for observing and photographing. The sun reaches its lowest point between 1 and 2 a.m. before it begins its ascent again and reaches its highest point at 12 noon.
Note that many wild animals such as moose or reindeer** are also active during car journeys at night. The good light conditions help to see the animals in good time, but you should always drive carefully to avoid wildlife accidents.
The midnight sun on the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands
On the Lofoten and the Vesterålen islands to the northeast, the midnight sun shines approximately between May 25 and July 18 (corresponding to the geographical location of Svolvær, roughly in the middle of Lofoten). The extraordinary landscape with its mountains rising from the sea, white sandy beaches and picturesque fishing villages makes the Lofoten Islands a predestined destination to experience the midnight sun.
We recommend hiking to one of Lofoten's countless mountain peaks late in the evening or even at night and watching from there as the magical light conditions change continuously and become more interesting by the minute.
The beautiful and famous sandy beaches of Lofoten, such as Kvalvika, Haukland or Uttakleiv are also great destinations for a few hours of sun worship in the midnight sun - their west to north-west orientation is also ideal for having a clear view of the sun.
Some of the peaks that are well suited for observing the midnight sun due to their location:
- Hike up Nonstinden near Ballstad with great views of the Norwegian mainland and the plain of Leknes (Vestvågøy)
- The Guratinden also offers a great view of this region of Lofoten, but in a westerly direction and thus directly into the never-setting sun
- The solitary hike on Moltinden is also ideal for admiring the sun's rays and the impressive landscape in all directions
This list is of course not exhaustive and you can experience impressive moments on pretty much every elevation and summit.
Excursus: The Arctic Circle - the borderline of sunlight
If you cross the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, you will find yourself on an inhospitable plateau, north of Mo i Rana and south of Fauske in the Nordland region. At an altitude of just under 700 meters, we are reminded in no uncertain terms that we are now crossing the 66th parallel and are therefore only a good 2600 kilometers away from the North Pole. The same applies to the south side of the earth, where the southern polar circle also marks the area where the sun does not set during the summer months due to the Earth's rotation.
The position of the polar circles is not fixed; it varies by almost 15 meters within 365 days, as their exact positions depend on the angle of the Earth's axis in relation to the plane of the orbit. The Earth's axis is inclined by 23.27 degrees in relation to its orbit around the sun. This effect (also known as the obliquity of the ecliptic) means that we can experience four different seasons every year on our Earth in both the southern and northern hemispheres - spring, summer, fall and winter. And it is also responsible for the fact that we no longer experience a sunset during our journey north thanks to this inclination, as the sun's rays always hit the earth's surface at least at a flat angle.
Photographing in the midnight sun
For photographers, the time during the midnight sun is a real stroke of luck - they are always on the lookout for the perfect light. The following three rules should be observed when photographing to ensure that you take impressive pictures during these special conditions:
- Be sparing with overly colorful subjects: Pick subtle subjects, as the colors are already very bright and colorful anyway due to the low sun. Too much color can ruin your picture and make it look restless.
- Sharp pictures without blurring**: Use a tripod if possible, because despite the sun shining throughout, there is less daylight than during the day and you will need to use longer exposure times. A good, lightweight travel tripod will prevent blurred and out-of-focus images.
- Avoid pictures that are too bright or too dark**: For subjects where you are shooting directly into the sun or just next to it, the camera has to cope with a large difference in brightness (known as the dynamic range). Make sure that you focus on a point that is neither in the brightest nor the darkest area of your picture, otherwise your photo will be underexposed or overexposed.
Sleeping in the midsummer night
Our normal biorhythm follows a relatively simple pattern: light means awake, dark means asleep. In Central Europe, we are already attuned to this rhythm as children, and apart from shift work or party nights, we maintain it.
A hormone called melatonin is responsible for the functioning of this rhythm. Normally, melatonin production increases towards the afternoon and leads to corresponding tiredness in the evening and therefore the desire to sleep. If, on the other hand, there is a melatonin deficiency, we don't get tired - but this can have long-term consequences for our health and well-being. So are all people north and south of the Arctic Circle ill?
Perhaps it's the breathtaking landscape of the Lofoten Islands, the midnight sun or a heavy stomach due to the Kanelbullar we've eaten - our usual sleep rhythm is quickly thrown off kilter once we've spent some time in the land of the midnight sun. Between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. in particular, photography enthusiasts will develop a sleep deficit and the light is to blame. The golden hour prevails for seven hours: golden yellow sunlight and long shadows. The camera is in constant use, as is the photographer. The bed: empty, only when tiredness takes over is the body forced to rest and we lie down. But woe betide us if we wake up in the middle of the night and realize that it is already (or still?) the best light for photography.
In Nordic countries (and therefore also on the Lofoten Islands), we therefore find dark, light-proof curtains in almost all bedrooms in order to enable an appropriate sleep rhythm. It is one thing for a tourist to upset their rhythm for a few days or weeks. However, living here requires a certain discipline when it comes to dealing with daylight nights. If we take this into account, we can also get our melatonin production under control and still enjoy the long midsummer nights, because: sunlight makes us happy and is therefore also important for our health.
While we humans can hang curtains, animals don't have that choice. So how do the vast numbers of wild animals in the Nordic countries deal with the midnight sun?
The biological clock of animals
A team of researchers followed reindeer in the north of Norway and on Svalbard a few years ago and researched the effect of midsummer night on their biorhythms. Their findings: during the midnight sun, the animals' sleeping and eating rhythms are also thrown out of balance and occur randomly during this time. However, as the sun began to set again in the autumn and into the spring, the animals' behavior returned to normal and their internal clocks ticked to the rhythm of daylight and night. According to the researchers involved, it is reasonable to assume that this behavior also applies to other animal species.
So if your visit to the Lofoten Islands is for the wildlife, you don't have to worry: the chances of seeing reindeer, moose or other animal species are good even during the midnight sun.
More than worth a visit: the Lofoten Islands in the midnight sun
Whether for enjoyment or sporting action, photography or a relaxing stroll along the beach: a visit to the land of the midnight sun will probably not be enough. Norway's unique landscape with its rugged coastline is too captivating. White sandy beaches alternate with rocky cliffs, nestled between rolling hills and rugged mountain peaks. In addition, there is exclusive light from the midnight sun, including a guarantee of long nights with little sleep.
The most important facts about the midnight sun
- Between the end of May and the end of July the midnight sun is in the sky north of the Arctic Circle.
- The exact duration of the midsummer night depends on how far north of the Arctic Circle you are. It is shortest at the Arctic Circle itself, but longest at the North Pole. At Tromsø, the midnight sun can be observed between May 18 and July 25.
- June 21 is the day on which the sun follows its highest path in the sky and does not even partially sink behind the horizon. It is known as the summer solstice. From this date, the days become shorter again until the polar night.
- The opposite of the midnight sun is the polar night, which in December and January shrouds the northern parts of Scandinavia in a wintery continuous night and where the sun is sometimes not visible at all.
- The Midnight Sun is the term used to describe the time during which the sun does not sink behind the horizon, or only partially. It remains visible even at the lowest point of its orbit.
- The midsummer night is the period of long nights with little or no darkening, which is celebrated with festivities around the summer solstice, especially in the Scandinavian countries. In Norway and Denmark it is the Sankt Hans festival, in Sweden Midsommar and in Finland Juhannus.