The night sky dances in bright colours

The Northern Lights are shrouded in many myths. Seen as harbingers of good or bad luck, these celestial lights have always possessed a magical aura and been deeply revered. In Japanese culture, for example, there is a belief that a child conceived under the Northern Lights will be blessed with particularly good looks and intellect, as well as good luck. Many Chinese also attribute special powers to the Aurora Borealis when it comes to conception.

There is a widespread belief that a child conceived under the Northern Lights will be a boy. This may also explain the above-average proportion of East Asian guests in regions where the Northern Lights can be seen regularly, especially between October and April. But Europeans, Americans and Canadians are also enchanted by the veils of light, which can be green, purple, blue, orange and/or red, and which perform their dances in the northern night sky for only a few moments or sometimes for hours.

Aurora packages in the Yukon

For some, chasing the Northern Lights is the main reason to travel, with destinations like Yukon, Canada’s most northwestern province, being a popular choice. Tobias Barth, the German operator of the Northern Lights Resort & Spa, located south of Whitehorse, reports a very specific and increasing demand. He caters to this not only with tailored aurora packages and a reliable wake-up service (an outdoor camera alerts guests when activity occurs in the night sky) but also with uniquely designed cabins.

The newly added Aurora Glass Chalets offer couples a crystal-clear view of the night sky, which sparkles brilliantly due to the absence of light pollution—all from the comfort of their beds. Other operators in the region, including those near the historic gold rush town of Dawson City further north, provide specialized tours to stunning natural sites and even offer a money-back guarantee if the Northern Lights are not visible, thanks to the region’s exceptional conditions.

Cold, cloudless night

Among other things, the guides explain how the Northern Lights are formed—through the interaction of charged particles, known as the solar wind, with the Earth's atmosphere. Generally speaking, the closer you are to the North Pole, the better you can see the Northern Lights. However, exceptionally high solar activity last year and this year meant that the spectacle could also be observed at more southerly latitudes—even in Switzerland. Either way, the prevailing weather and light conditions play a significant role. Ideal conditions for observation are a cold, cloudless night and a location preferably outside the city, so that the artificial lighting does not compete with the Northern Lights.

This phenomenon can be observed throughout northern Canada, including Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and especially the Northwest Territories. Aurora Village, located about 20 minutes from Yellowknife, has become a true pilgrimage site for Northern Lights enthusiasts. Offering heated seats for aurora viewing, cozy tipis for warming up, and absolutely no light pollution, this nature-inspired accommodation is a unique attraction. According to its own advertising, it is the «most popular aurora experience location in the world.»

Even Alaska, the largest and northernmost U.S. state, serves as a grand stage for spectacular auroral displays. The Northern Lights appear there in a dazzling array of colors and variations. It’s no surprise that winter has seen a significant surge in Northern Lights tourism. As soon as you leave the city lights of Anchorage and Fairbanks behind, the sky is ready for the great spectacle, which can sometimes last for hours. Goosebumps guaranteed!

Conveniently, the University of Alaska offers a reliable aurora forecast at www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast. At Alyeska Resort, located at the base of Alaska's most famous ski area, guests can even request an alarm to wake them up as soon as the Northern Lights make an appearance.

Bright greens

However, the «world capital of the Northern Lights» is in Norway. At least that's what the northern Norwegian city of Tromsø calls itself, albeit somewhat grandiosely. The fact is that when daylight gradually fades in autumn and the sun no longer makes it above the horizon, the Aurora Borealis steps in as a reliable source of light. Here, north of the Arctic Circle, auroral activity is exceptionally high, with the sky often glowing in vivid green tones for hours. Cruises aboard Hurtigruten ships along the Norwegian archipelago are especially captivating when you venture slightly beyond the city of 40,000 inhabitants.

The scientifically proven best place to witness the Northern Lights in their full intensity is in Swedish Lapland, specifically the area around Abisko, thanks to its unique microclimate. On clear polar nights, a unique phenomenon can be observed near the national park of the same name: the famous «Blue Hole of Abisko» opens up over the approximately 70-kilometre-long Torneträsk lake, a patch of clear sky even when the rest of the sky is cloud-covered.

A mecca for fans of the Aurora Borealis

The third Scandinavian country is Finland. In Luosto in the far north, guests of the Aurora Chalets, which have impressive window panes, are handed the Aurora Alarm on arrival, which starts beeping as soon as the Northern Lights make an appearance. The reliable functioning of the Aurora Alarm is ensured by the Northern Lights Research Center, which is located in the nearby town of Sodanklyä and provides the prediction to the hotels. External guests can also benefit from this and, if the forecast is good, take up their observation posts in Nellim on Lake Inari, Finland's third largest lake, for example—an extremely popular observation location.

There are many good reasons to travel to Iceland: geysers, volcanoes and the Thingvellir National Park, where the drifting apart of the American and European tectonic plates can be seen through imposing crevices and cracks. The national park is also a haven for Aurora Borealis enthusiasts, offering particularly spectacular views of the phenomenon.

Fancy something even more exotic? Then head to Greenland or the Faroe Islands. This small group of islands belonging to Denmark, located between the British Isles, Iceland and Norway, enchants its visitors with spectacular northern lights during the long, clear winter nights. The practically non-existent air pollution—which applies equally to the south and east coasts of Greenland—provides ideal conditions for this magical light display.