St. Petersburg family takes active holiday in Arctic
A family from St. Petersburg set off for impressions at the edge of the North
For Irina Kruglova, a trip to the Murmansk region became a way to escape the city bustle and arrange an active holiday. Together with her family, she drove to Apatity, visited Teriberka, walked along the cliffs, saw the Barents Sea, rode quad bikes across the Khibiny Mountains and tried Arctic foods. She says photographs cannot convey what a person sees in the North with their own eyes.
The route took the travelers to the Barents Sea coast
From St. Petersburg to the edge of all roads
The family explored cliffs, beaches and abandoned settlements
Irina and her family had already traveled to the Murmansk region in 2022. This time they again went by car — the road from St. Petersburg to Apatity took about 12 hours. They drove on gas and, together with trips around the region, spent about 25,000 rubles (about $310 at current rates) on fuel. Four people traveled in total.
The trip combined hiking, fishing and quad bike tours
They stayed with friends in a private house in Apatity — for free. Mushrooms and berries grew near the house, and forest surrounded it. The weather was also on the travelers« side: it was sunny, and, contrary to expectations, there were few midges.
Local seafood became one of the highlights of the journey
On the way to the Murmansk region, Irina noticed that a familiar stele at the border of Karelia and the Murmansk region had disappeared. In 2022 it was still standing, but in 2023 it was dismantled. On this trip the family could no longer find it, although they searched specifically for it, and they later found information about the dismantling online.
The Khibiny Mountains offered panoramic views of the Kola Peninsula
The main goal of the trip was Teriberka. But the choice of the North was not connected only with this place. Previously the family had vacationed in the south, visited Egypt, where they saw the pyramids and swam underwater, and also traveled many times to Karelia — both in summer and in winter. This time they wanted something different.
The family does not rule out returning in winter to see a different North
The North turned out to be a suitable option also because the family loves active holidays and walks a lot. In St. Petersburg they are used to forests and flat landscapes, while cliffs and mountain ranges give completely different sensations.
In Teriberka the travelers decided not to hurry and to cover as many routes as possible. They visited the nature park, the «dragon»s lair,« the beach with »dragon eggs,« Maloye Batareynoye Lake, a waterfall, the bird colony and the ship cemetery. They booked fishing on a rubber boat in the Barents Sea and saw seals on the rocks.
They walked past abandoned schools and old houses, visited sandy beaches and saw a whale skeleton. They met fishermen who come to the Barents Sea coast with tents and live there for three or four months — in effect, all summer. They also saw motorcyclists who, according to Irina, come at the end of August for their rally and are required to swim in the Barents Sea.
A trip to Toshechka on the Barents Sea coast left a particularly strong impression. There the road ends — beyond it remain only cliffs, tundra and the endless Arctic Ocean.
Irina says that there she constantly wanted simply to look around. According to her, in such moments you especially keenly feel the scale of the surrounding world and your own size against the backdrop of northern nature.
Four hours across the Khibiny and mountains that don«t let go
One of the most vivid adventures was a quad bike tour across the Khibiny. In four hours the family covered about 50 kilometers. One quad bike for two cost 12,000 rubles (about $150 at current rates).
The route passed through the largest mountain massif of the Kola Peninsula. The travelers reached a rescuers« base located at an altitude of about 900 meters and saw mountain views that, Irina admits, are hard to describe in words.
Another stop was the Geologists« Pass. That day the weather deteriorated: it was foggy and cold. At a distance of five meters from each other it was already possible to get lost. But it was precisely this severity that made the place unforgettable.
In Kandalaksha the family visited the Vavilon stone labyrinth — an archaeological monument.
Another day was devoted to the Bolshoy Vudyavr ski resort, which is located within the city of Kirovsk, on the slopes of Mount Aikuaivenchorr. The travelers rode the panoramic lift and admired views of the valley and mountain ranges. They also took photos by the sword of King Arthur.
But, according to Irina, photographs still do not convey the main thing — the emotions a person gets on the spot.
On the trip the family also tried local cuisine. They ordered food at fast-food outlets and stopped at cafes. What they liked most was fish — in any form — and scallops. They tried sea urchin, mussels and other seafood.
Some of the food they gathered themselves. When the tide began, they collected mussels on the shore. Irina says some were the size of a palm. They bought sea urchins from local fishermen, then cooked them at home and treated relatives and friends.
They did not buy souvenirs from the trip — they stopped doing that long ago. Instead they brought home impressions and the foods they managed to try or gather themselves.
The most expensive entertainment turned out to be lake fishing — Irina says she really wanted to try it, but the price turned out to be high. At the same time, sea fishing cost less.
«Any place has to be seen for yourself»
The travelers did talk with local residents. They seemed to Irina friendly, sociable and easy to talk to — they are in no hurry, so it was comfortable to converse with them.
Irina considers weather, nature and landscape the main differences between the North and the familiar St. Petersburg. Especially the mountain ranges that you can walk along.
Initially the family did not expect anything specific from the trip. They simply wanted to get away, rest and relax. But in the end they got far more impressions.
For Irina, the North turned out to be both harsh and calm. The cliffs, tundra, waterfalls, mountains and sea gave that very feeling of a reset for which the family went on vacation.
She says that after such trips a feeling of delight, strength, confidence, calm and serenity remains. And when you look back at the photographs after a while, the memories return with renewed force.
The family does not rule out returning to the Murmansk region. In winter, Irina believes, the North must look completely different — and that is another reason to come back.
On tourists in the Arctic
Earlier we reported on what struck residents of Kirov in the Murmansk region. Travelers from all corners of Russia, as well as from other countries, come to the Murmansk region and share their impressions.
The author of the blog «Travels in the Backcountry» walked through the quiet settlements of the Arctic and showed atmospheric photographs. We also reported on what impressed an artist from Yoshkar-Ola in the Murmansk region.
A tourist from Novosibirsk gave recommendations to those planning a trip to the North, and a resident of St. Petersburg honestly told about a journey to the Arctic.
A Chinese woman named Lulu came to Murmansk for the northern lights and described her adventures in a video. In addition, the Murmansk region became a place of power for a photographer from Veliky Novgorod.
A resident of Arkhangelsk set off to discover the winter Khibiny. A tourist from Voronezh showed colorful photos from his journey to the North, and a family from Cherepovets came to the Arctic in a motorhome.
We also reported on how a photographer from Vologda reached the Murmansk region in a 38-year-old car. And a Moscow artist, inspired by the Arctic, painted a series of paintings.
