Certified by the governments of Finland, Sweden and Norway, it traces a ribbon of wonder across the Arctic north.

How well do you know the official Northern Lights Route? If you haven’t heard of it before, don’t worry… we’ll tell you all about this unusual cross-border corridor that has enhanced Arctic tourism right here. 

As, you might expect the official Northern Lights Route is known for being ideally situated to witness immersive, unobstructed views of one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena, the Aurora Borealis. But when and how was the path selected that would show off the Nordics’ glowing skies? You might be surprised to learn it is a modern tourism route with fairly recent origins.

But before we get into that history, let’s start with a quick review of auroras and why spotting them isn’t easy.

The Northern Lights don’t appear just anywhere, anytime.

They are a bit fickle, so the conditions need to be right. The science behind the auroras’ luminous displays goes something like this: charged particles from the sun travel through space and collide with the Earth’s magnetic field, where they are guided toward its polar regions – like the North Pole. These particles interact with gases high in the atmosphere and that’s what causes them to glow… leading to the swirling ovals, arcs and curtains of green and purple light that seemingly dance across the night sky.

The prime zone for viewing is inside the ‘auroral oval’!

This is a term scientists coined in the 1960s and ’70s for the ring-shaped region that encircles the Earth’s geomagnetic poles. The charged solar particles mentioned above are funnelled into the auroral oval where they collide. Although constantly moving, it usually lies between 60° and 75° latitude. That means places like Lapland are situated directly inside the auroral oval where frequent sightings are common.

What are the best conditions for seeing the Northern Lights?

Along with Lapland’s prime position – of being located right where geomagnetic activity is concentrated – it also boasts two other advantages that increase your chances for vibrant shows: dark winter skies and no light pollution.

Indeed, the winter nights are said to stretch endlessly in Lapland. During the ‘polar night’, which runs from early December to early January, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. Although it’s not pitch black all day, there are long stretches of darkness during which the Northern Lights may put on a dazzling show, with peak viewing hours typically between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. 

The best months for observing the Northern Lights run from November to early March – when we visit Lapland! This is because they offer the darkness needed, with maximum geomagnetic activity occurring around the equinoxes and the longest nights around the winter solstice.

The skies in Lapland are also unspoilt by the glow of modern life. Our tours visit remote villages, like Karesuando and Kilpisjarvi (pictured above) in the far northwestern arm of Finland. Known for having very low population density, they are far away from any large city.

So when these elements all come together – solar activity, location, season and clear skies – you give yourself the best possible chance of witnessing Mother Nature’s magic overhead! 

How did the Northern Lights Route come about?

The desire to create a tourism route grew in the late 1990s. Led by the University of Tromso Library, Barents Secretariat and various ministries from the countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland, the concept was broad.

Along with guiding people to the darkest, clearest areas to maximise their chances of seeing the Northern Lights, the goal was to highlight the area’s unique Arctic nature, indigenous cultures and other historical ties connecting this northern European region.

Approved in 1997 as a new addition to the Council of Europe’s Cultural Routes programme, the Northern Lights Route (NLR) was named and began to be marketed as an official tourist route around 2001 and 2002.

It’s a route by many names…

With links across three countries – Norway, Sweden and Finland – the Northern Lights Route was designed to promote cooperation between nations as well as local communities. 

In addition to targeting travellers chasing the aurora, it is recognised for featuring different facets of Europe’s shared cultural heritage – such as languages. 

The Northern Lights Route not only connects the three adjacent countries and Sapmi (the region inhabited by the Sami, Europe’s only indigenous people), but also includes six distinct languages: Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Sami, Meankieli and Kven.

The NLR is known as Nordlysruten in Norwegian and Norrskensvagen in Swedish.

In Finnish, it’s often called Revontultentie meaning ‘fox fires road’, which stems from a myth about the Northern Lights being sparked when Arctic foxes brush their tails on the ground while running across the snowy fells. 

The Sami also have a word for the Northern Lights Route: Guovssahastitgeaidnu. It combines guovssahas for the ‘light you can see’ with geaidnu for ‘path’. 

Where does the NLR go?

The Northern Lights Route stretches from the Gulf of Bothnia to the Arctic Ocean, weaving through parts of Finland, Sweden and Norway along the way.

On a map find the Bay of Bothnia and look for the ‘twin city’ formed by the towns of Haparanda in Sweden and Tornio in Finland. Then follow north along both sides of the Torne River/Tornionjoki to the Finnish village of Kilpisjarvi and on to Tromso in Norway, all the way out to the Norwegian Sea.

The total length of the Northern Lights Route is over 600 kilometres. It’s one of the world’s only tourism routes dedicated entirely to aurora travel.

Not one road but many

The Northern Lights Route isn’t one continuous road, but a network of existing roads, ancient pathways, trade passages and border crossings. It simply overlays these with added infrastructure like asphalt and signage.

Until the 1830s, the Torne River/Tornionjoki was the main means of travel and trade. In northern Finland, historical roads known as the ‘Four Winds Road’ and ‘Arm Road’ linking Norway through Kilpisjarvi would become the E8 on the country’s road network.

Long before it became an international route, these paths were used for reindeer migration and seasonal movement by the Sami.

From 2001, the joint project developed the E8 road (Finnish side) and Road 99 (Swedish side) along the Torne River/Tornionjoki into the official NLR. The major connecting road across the river is the E4.

How the Northern Lights Route comes together is that it extends from Haparanda and Tornio, up the river along the Swedish/Finnish border, to Kilpisjarvi in Finland, where it crosses into Norway via Storfjord to Tromso.

The land it traverses is thousands of years old – full of myth, history and indigenous traditions, along with stunningly beautiful landscapes.

Who was involved in the development of the NLR?

Some of the people on the project included Sigmund Nesset, Bendik Rugaas and Annike Selmer, all associated with the University of Tromso Library. They helped guide the Northern Lights Route through the early research, coordination and approval process that eventually led to the Council of Europe‘s Cultural Route recognition.

More recently, landscape architect, singer and artist Elina Soderstrom analysed the cultural landscape along the NLR as part of the ‘Our Stories‘ project that aims to bring local voices into focus.

Historic figures who shaped our understanding of the aurora

Numerous explorers and scientists embody the spirit of the Northern Lights Route. Although they weren‘t involved in its creation, their travels and work are deeply woven into it. 

For example, Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus travelled to Lapland in the mid-1730s to study plant life. He documented the landscapes and cultures along routes that would overlap with what has become the NLR travel corridor. 

Norway‘s legendary polar explorer, scientist and statesman Fridtjof Nansen was a trailblazer in Arctic exploration. His expeditions and writings in the late 1800s shaped modern views of the Arctic landscape and its people. Nansen also wrote extensively about experiencing the aurora-filled skies on his journeys. In his book Farthest North, he detailed the ‘wonderful night effects‘ through drawings and paintings.

Danish astrophysicist Sophus Tromholt was an early aurora researcher. In the late 1800s he became one of the first scientists to study the Northern Lights systematically. Through his photographs and observations, he helped pioneer modern auroral science.

Mapped by experience through decades of travel!

At Transun, we’ve been curating holidays in the Arctic since 1982, long before the official Northern Lights Route was developed. We’ve always known that spotting the Northern Lights is shaped by many factors, but none matter more than being in the right place. All our holidays are based in remote villages located along the NLR – and when conditions are right, the sky has a way of rewarding you!

Ready to discover the Land of the Northern Lights? Join us on an Arctic Spirit holiday to True Lapland!