Historically, lighthouses have been a lifeline for seafarers, aiding navigation and warning against hazardous areas. They have stood tall through changing times, witnessing the evolution of maritime technology and serving as symbols of resilience and maritime tradition. Established in 1875 and automated in 1956, Dyna helps guide ships through the busy waterway approaching Norway's capital city. Lofoten Accommodation: Svinøya Rorbueror Anker Brygge for unique Svolvær accommodation, Nusfjord Arctic Resort for luxury accommodation in Nusfjord, Elisassen Rorbuer or Rostad Retro Rorbuer for accommodation near Reine, and Lofoten Links Lodge for best Northern Lights accommodation. I don’t recommend booking an Airbnb in Lofoten as Airbnb has recently had lots of problems in Norway and now bookings often fall through. Airbnb is destroying the local economy and rental market in Lofoten, so locals are pushing hard to get it fully banned (you can read about it here). Tromsø is a small, pretty town, yet after our disconnect from the world, it seems busy. The modern cathedral is striking, the cafes chic and welcoming, the art gallery intriguing. But it’s the stillness of the vast, empty white wilderness beyond that gets under the skin – and the memory of that majestic lightshow will be forever etched in our minds.

Just one comment: The NRK story about the hotel owner wanting to make AirBnb illegal is quite biased, and not everyone agrees as the story also says. Bergen combines nature, culture and a cosmopolitan feel to give you an authentic fjord experience. A European city of culture with countless museums and galleries, cafés and restaurants to go to, the city still pulsates with life in winter. It’s the sort of place that can be relied upon to get you in the Christmas spirit. The Gingerbread Town (Pepperkakebyen) In good, understated Norwegian fashion, houses are decorated only with white lights — never colored — in the windows. You'll see some traditional candles, but electric lights posing as candles are more common. A plastic Santa or manger scene on the lawn, or garish colored lights along the eaves would probably put you in the neighborhood doghouse. It makes sense in a land that seems to have organized itself beyond a need for God. The term jul is common throughout Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Scotland and the Faroe Islands.

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At Nappstraumen, they have what we class as a mini Moskenstraumen, an area where two tides collide, creating an impressive tide rip and whirlpool. Despite not being as famous as the one we witness at Å, the largest in the world, with no signs of the weather improving there, there was a risk we may not get to see it. So with this in mind, I suggested to the crew we gather some footage and explore the one offshore in Nappstraumen – which is what we did. Seeing Paul and Bob’s faces behind me, grinning from ear to ear as we negotiated the turbulent water, was a special moment and one that will always live with me. The footage we gathered on this day will be very impressive, especially the drone footage which followed us as we steamed through the strong tidal current which had Paul and Bob giggling like children. December 31 is commonly a half day at work. In the evening, families tend to have a dinner party similar to the Christmas Eve dinner, though it is common to invite friends and/or neighbours. As midnight approaches, it is common to leave the house and light up fireworks together with neighbours, as they congratulate each other. Most people outside of Norway think Christmas time here must be really magical, winter markets, snow everywhere, colourful lights, reindeer strolling along the streets, and of course, Lapland is the home of Santa Claus, right? In Norwegian, the term «jul» for the holiday season in December has its origins in the old Norse word «jól». This word was used to describe the midwinter celebration and the winter solstice in Norse culture. Similar words, like «Yule» exist in the English vocabulary as well, or «Joulu» in Finnish, «Jõulud» in Estonian, and «Julfest» in German. Yes, the famous Reinebringen hike is incredible, but it’s also very steep and I would not feel safe doing it in windy or rainy weather.

Lofoten liesbeneath the Auroral Oval, so theoretically your chances of seeing the northern lights here should bereally high. That along with Lofoten’s warm weather thanks to the Gulf Stream should make Lofoten an ideal place to see the Northern Lights. Lofoten is one of thoseplaces that is so beautiful it almost doesn’t seem fair. Like, people actually get to live there? Could I?? The remote archipelago is known for its rugged, dramatic scenery of majestic mountains, deep fjords and long, surf-swept beaches.The government still owns most of the lighthouses, and co-operate with local groups to keep them open for visits, tours, and accommodation. Others are privately owned and commercially operated. So, I have put elf in quotation marks above, as there truly is no proper translation for the Norwegian Nisse. This is a post that I could have (and should have) written years ago. Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday, and throughout all my travels and stints of living abroad, I have shared Norwegian Christmas traditions and stories about them with my friends. We were meant to be on our way to our famous destination of Å, but due to the unpredictable weather and winds gusting to nearly 100mph, I suggested we stay put in Nappstraumen, where there was a bit more shelter and the conditions more stable. Moreover, it would give us a great chance to get out and target a Plaice too – another species for which the country is famous. So, after agreeing with Paul, Bob, the producer and the crew that this was a sensible move, I got three boats together and another guide, and we headed out to the fishing grounds. Nisse is used for these creatures, but also for Santa Claus (Jule nisse), garden gnomes (Hage nisse) and for Dobby the House Elf from Harry Potter (Hus nisse).