Photos are provided by: Committee on Tourism of the Murmansk region, Gastronomic map of Russia project, BigWood ski resort, active recreation park Severnoe siyanie, Maksim Malyutin, Sergey Krylov, Kirill Shubin
Finding Murmansk region on a map isn't hard. It is the northernmost region of the European part of Russia and is mostly located beyond the Arctic Circle. The administrative center of the region, the city of Murmansk, is Russia's only ice-free northern port and also the largest seaport beyond the Arctic Circle. Many call Murmansk the capital of the Arctic.
Murmansk Region is located on the Kola Peninsula. It is an amazing harsh and cold land of coastal rocks, vast tundra, the northernmost untouched forests in Europe, fast rivers and thousands of lakes with crystal clear water. Natural and man-made treasures are concentrated here: some of the oldest nature reserves, Kanozero petroglyphs and mysterious labyrinths, modern technological giants and settlements of small peoples of the North, Pomors and Sami (who in the old times were called Lapps).
Landscape and climatic features of the region, cultural and historical potential attract fans of various types of tourism – from rafting and fishing to ski, mineralogical, event, ecological and ethnic tourism.
The regional tourist brand is formed by a variety of interesting natural, cultural, historical and industrial objects. Among them are the northernmost point of the Russian Federation – the Rybachy Peninsula; the Khibiny Mountains; Lake Mogilnoye with two ecosystems (freshwater and marine); the Botanical Garden Institute – the largest in the world beyond the Arctic Circle; three nature reserves, one of which is a trilateral park; Umbsky stone labyrinth; Kanozero petroglyphs protected by a special glass dome; monuments of wooden architecture of the XVII century; nuclear icebreaker Lenin; Centralnyi Mine located on the Rasvumchorr plateau and many others.
To make the trip really memorable and eventful, an integrated tourist portal of the Murmansk region has been created. There you can find everything from a place to try Arctic cuisine to the Northern lights forecast – https://murmansk.travel/en
Ecotourism
Murmansk region is the "Territory of ecological tourism" according to the results of Russian Travel Awards.
The main tourist resource of the region is natural territories, which are a key attractive factor for 84% of tourists coming to the region. But the northern nature is very fragile. It takes decades, not years, to restore it, so it is very important to approach its operation wisely.
The Murmansk region has a rich resource base for the development of ecotourism: the region has an extensive network of specially protected natural areas, including three
state nature reserves: Kandalakshskiy, Laplandskiy and Pasvik Nature Reserve.
The main ecotouristic destinations are the Khibiny National Park, Teriberka Nature Parks, the Rybachiy and Sredniy Peninsulas, the Seydyavvr and Kutsa nature reserves.
2022 was declared the year of ecological tourism in the Murmansk region. On the regional tourism portal Murmansk.travel 13 proven ecological routes have been digitized and posted. They are not only actively included by tour operators in their programs, but are also suitable for independent tourists – https://murmansk.travel/journals/107
Whale watching
If you have long dreamed of watching whales in their natural habitat, the Murmansk region is the right place for this. In late spring and early summer, small minke whales and humpback whales can be spotted in the Barents Sea. These whales more often than others approach the coast of the Kola Peninsula in search of shoals of fish. Killer whales, fin whales, narwhals, beluga whales, blue whales and even sperm whales can be often spotted as well.
Ethnic tourism
Ethnographic tourism, developing with the involvement of indigenous minorities, is gaining popularity in the Murmansk region. These peoples live here in their traditional way, which has hardly changed over the past centuries. For lovers of the exotic, tours are available, including living with families of small peoples of the North, getting to know their way of life, cooking traditional dishes and participating in the construction of raw-hide tents (mobile dwelling) and traditional rituals.
Of particular interest is the Terskiy coast of the White Sea. The main monuments of the heritage of the Russian Pomors are located here, the most famous of them is the wooden Assumption Church with a spire in Varzuga, characteristic of Northern Russian architecture. Several ancient labyrinths and petroglyphs (also called rock paintings) have been discovered in the south of the region.
Military-patriotic tourism in the Murmansk region
Murmansk is a hero city that played an important role during the Great Patriotic War. The memory of the battles, exploits of soldiers, homefront workers and civilians is immortalized in memorial complexes and monuments of the Kola North. The memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War is sacredly preserved in the Arctic
The feat of the defenders of the Kola land was immortalized in monumental sculptures and museums of the Murmansk region. The largest number of monuments is located on the territory of the Pechenga district, where large-scale battles took place. A significant part of them is located in closed administrative-territorial entities, which is why Murmansk tour operators take over the complex process of registration and escort of tourists to cities such as Polarny and Severomorsk.
Tourist programs include visits to extremely interesting museums of aviation and military equipment, Yu.A. Gagarin Museum, hangars of airplanes and helicopters. Visiting a submarine is especially interesting to tourists. The Navy Day is an especially great time to visit these cities as it is possible to witness the parade of ships. Make sure to take care of your trip in advance to have time to make an entry permit.
Tour operators are ready to offer you both individual and group tours.
Event tourism
Every year, several dozen colorful thematic events are held in the Murmansk region, attracting more and more participants and becoming more and more recognizable outside the region. These are: traditional holidays based on the culture of the indigenous peoples of the North – the Pomor rowing regatta and the International Folklore Festival in the Terskiy district, the International Reindeer Herder's Day and the Sami festival Sampeyv in the Lovozerskiy district; The Festival of the North, the Festival of snow and ice sculptures Snow Ice, the legendary Arctic festival Teriberka, the family festival Imandra Viking Fest, the gastronomic festival Gastro Inustry fest and many others.
The "51 events of the region" calendar is formed annually in the region – https://murmansk.travel/events
Arctic Cruises
The Murmansk region is the only place where you can go to the North Pole aboard a nuclear icebreaker. Two-week tours are very popular with fans of exotic tourism around the world. The most popular routes include tours to Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, where you can see walruses, seals and whales, visit picturesque harbors with bird colonies, and where polar bears sometimes approach an icebreaker surrounded by ice. In addition to coming ashore in distant lands, cruises also include historical programs with the participation of experienced scientists and polar explorers.
The port of Murmansk is included in the corresponding list of ports through which foreign citizens arriving for tourist purposes by ferry are allowed to enter the Russian Federation and stay in the territory of the Russian Federation for 72 hours without visas.
