Sitting near the top of the world, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, Murmansk is where you will find Russia's Northern Fleet, wide-open tundra and some great mineral museums. Visit Murmansk in the summer for endless days, hiking and camping, and in the winter for skiing. Watch as the Northern Lights illuminate the sky as they dance in green, red and yellow.
While many may not see an obvious reason to visit Murmansk, anyone who is interested in visiting an un-spoiled northern landscape and doing some great camping and hiking should make this their first destination. More accessible (by train and during summer by plane as well) than other areas above the Artic Circle, Murmansk is close to national parks where you can go on either guided or unguided excursions into the wilderness and see some remarkable landscapes and wildlife.