These European islands have a 24 -hour day in summer – and sit just above the Arctic circle.

At some point in my second night NorwayI stop checking my watch. Not out of a work of laziness or rebellion, but just because it has closed the case.

It is 11 o’clock, I stand on Renbringon, one of the most famous peaks of Norway, staring at the FJORD below. The golden light spreads across the water, adds long shadows and holds the wings of the gum below. At this moment, I feel something rare: a quiet, huge bliss that I have not found in any other place I have traveled. This is my first encounter Frilluftsalive,

Norwegian open-air life

Friluftsliv-The relaxed meaning “Open-Air Life”-It is a Norwegian concept that lies in finding meaning and joy in being out. The first time in 1859 was coined by the playwright Henrich Ibsen, it is contagious: 77 percent of Norwegians exit at least once a weekAnd do a quarter of this daily. This is probably one of the reasons why Norwegians are some of the happiest people in the world.

Some spaces provide a better setting for searching Frilluftsalive Compared to Loofoten Islands. North of Arctic CircleSeven main islands extend over 100 miles wild, ancient landscape. Mountains grow suddenly and everywhere, still reflected completely in fosers and inlets, such as repeating game of Thrones Intro. They frame every village and road unavoidably. The beach, however, comes as a surprise.

Haukland is an ideal example and a regular entry in the list of Best Beach in Europe: Chinese-white sand, royal blue water is so clear that it looks tropical-until you immerse your toes and feel that you are 68 degrees north-and only a broken silence from the waves and wind.

A dog walker passes us with a cheer wave. “Welcome to Caribbean,” he says with a smile, barely breaking because we stand with an open mouth on the white sand and turquoise surf’s sweep. His dog does not stop either. Obviously, it has heard this line first.

When the sun refuses to leave

For beginners, it is easiest to hug it Frilluftsalive On the lofotaines between May and mid-zuli, when the sun never set, but a guest to leave the party performs the penis on the horizon like a reluctant. Local people take the most advantage of this-Kayakars get out of water before breakfast and colleagues share the office gossip after dinner. Even the Norwegian royal family is often seen on Lofotain’s hiking trails. A local guide tells us, “We were a little nervous about beating them.” “I mean, is it having half a requirement on a mountain?”

In such a high company, our challenge becomes how to embrace completely Frilluftsalive During our five days on Lofotain. The simple answer is to take advantage of the freedom of the uncontrolled world by watches and go out all hours of the day and night. We start our day’s hiking, our local hill; 10 hours later, we set out to climb the most famous mark of Reenbringon, Lofotain. 1,972 stone steps, which are installed for erosion by Sherpa, are cruel, but the scene of the peak is breathtaking, in the most literal meaning.

Both hikes offer relatively low (one-to-1.5-hour) ascending, steep drops and full panorama, only in the final stages. The sun decreases on the horizon, gradually illuminates the distant ridiline, while the sheer rocks highlight the villages below: church, football pitch, and port, with all Frilluftsalive-Suated Norwegian.

Fajard-tier adventures

Passengers are capturing the unlimited capacity of the 24-hour day’s light and are adopting tour providers rapidly. Lofoten arctic adventures Midnight-Suraj on islands is the first tour company to offer kayaking. Our booking is reinstated in the mid-palace due to the stormy season, but from time to time in a land, it rarely matters.

A Belgian-Seesch pairs, run by Henlor and John, the tour is rich in water-bound history, ranging from marine algae to rocks (stunning palanquins) to social hierarchy of house colors. Iconic red Rorbuare (fishermen’s cabin) saw all the lofotaines, once thousands of fishermen were placed, who wandered here every winter for the cod season. The dark red color of cabins is bottom to mix iron oxide and fish blood.

The rich residents marked their homes with costalir whites or Yellow, a tradition that continued until the last century. When interpopers are distracted by these colors, it makes newspapers.

To Honalore, Frilluftsalive It means that the freedom to stay out every day – on the foot, on the water, wherever it leads to light. They run family hikes, camping trips and kayaking tours, and say that people change almost always the same. “Once they stop checking their watches, they start smiling more” she tells me. “It seems that their hearts have slowed down.”

Jaan said, “Even children eventually stop asking what time it is. Parents usually thank us for it.”

After many activities and nursing throat calves, we decide to indulge Frilluftsalive In a less active manner. We include Rib safari In search of marine eagles, from the swolvor port, across the fjords reflected in a black inflatable boat that feels more detective novels than sightseeing. Eagles, with wing span reaching eight feet, can see the fish from a large height and take out the talon, to take your dinner. They are unrelated and accurate over the rocks, making everyone feel completely insignificant.

Midnight on the mountain

In our last evening, we take another late night growth, selecting more than 1,200-foot, which the towers do Loofoten linkA contender for The most beautiful golf course in the worldThe steady scars are empty upwards and, on the summit, we stand alone. Midnight comes and goes without pomp-no darkness, no noise, a soft crunch of shoes on stone, slow flow of galls, and perhaps asymmetrical sea eagle in a gold-edged flight.

On another trip, this hour would have found me on a metro platform or nursing beer in a Dim bar. But here, somewhere between the sea and the sky, I have stumbled into a rare kind of freedom – the way it is not careful about what time it is or where you are going to happen.

Getting around and around

Reaching the lofotane is the easiest from the wind or the sea. Bodo’s attractive city (1.5 hours flight Oslo) The most convenient mainland is the base.

Air: Wideroe From Bodo to Swolvor (the largest city of Lofotain) operates eight daily flights, and a small central city is the same number of Laken. Flights also run from Oslo and Tromso to Swolvor once. All routes take about 30 minutes.

Sea: On the southern end of the archipelago, the car ghats run four times daily (more than three hours) between Bodo and Moskens. book in advance Or arrive at least two hours before departure for walk-up fare. The views are no less than luxurious when you go to Lofotaine. Pedestrian ghat Also depart daily from Bodo to Swolvor (about 3.5 hours).

car: A private car is the best way to detect so far. While the fares are available in leknes and svolvær, it is usually very cheap to rent in Bodo and bring the vehicle to the ghat.

Bus: Public buses are run by RESS Nordland. Download the app and See timetableJust don’t expect them to follow the midnight sun.

where to stay

Svolvær has the most wide range of housing on the lofotaine. Scandic swolvor The port contains simple rooms with stellar views and breakfast. Thon Hotel The nearby receives high appreciation for its waterside restaurant and floating sauna.

The houses outside Svolvær are cheap. We stayed inside This delightful AirBnB Close to leknes in the center of the archipelago. It was cool and comfortable, and within an hour-long drive of all sun-pilgrimage activities.

Modern Rorbuars have become a popular self-eating housing. Side Lofotaine rurbu lodgeAbout 10 minutes from Laken, is an excellent choice for larger groups, which adjusts eight passengers.