While many people head south for the winter to escape the cold, wet weather of Germany, why not dare to do the opposite and spend the winter in the far north of Norway?
Text & Photos by Laura Lichter & Henrik Hoffmann
Since 2017, my partner Henrik and I, Laura, have been travelling the world with our online business. Before the pandemic, we hitchhiked from Vietnam to India, bought a motorcycle there, and rode 35,000 kilometers to Germany. We converted a van into a self-sufficient home and travelled to Norway in the summer. A friend told us about working as a dogsled driver in the winter. Henrik was excited about the idea: a different kind of culture shock than the ones we experienced in Indian Varanasi or Pakistani Peshawar intrigued him immensely. However, I pictured us on the warm beaches of Portugal, not in the deep snow of Norway — with wool socks in winter boots three sizes too big! After the obligatory visit to the North Cape, our last stop before heading south was with an Australian-Norwegian couple near Kirkenes. There, we enjoyed watching the many moose searching for food on our Couchsurfing hosts’ property and the warm hospitality of our new friends. They managed to do what Henrik had failed to do in long discussions often ending in tears: they convinced me to overcome my fears and give the winter in Norway a chance.
At the End of Europe
We rented an apartment in the Pasvik Valley. Bordered to the west by Finland and to the east by Russia, it stretches about 100 kilometers from the Barents Sea in the north to the tripoint in the south, where Norway, Finland, and Russia meet. You can reach this area on foot in summer and by ski in winter. The region is located 400 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and marks the beginning of the Siberian taiga, the largest forest area on earth. From November to January, the sun does not rise here anymore, and temperatures drop to below —30 °C on some days. As compensation, the Northern Lights shine more brightly, and the snow reflects the moonlight on full moon nights. Northern Lights tours offer the opportunity to admire this natural spectacle with dog sleds, snowmobiles, or buses. The dark nights have their own charm and made us appreciate the return of the sun even more.
