Neither color nor dawn: which regions will shine during the January holidays
In winter, the daylight hours are reduced, which does not prevent you from spending the New Year holidays brightly. At the same time, it is not necessary to travel hundreds of kilometers: festive colorful shows are going on all over the country, the main city squares, embankments and parks are decorated with illuminated installations and ice sculptures. Among the most popular tourist destinations among Russians are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and the Murmansk Region, travel planning services said. Where is the best place to observe a unique natural phenomenon — the Northern Lights, why tourists go to caves in winter and where to look for vivid impressions on the January holidays — in the Izvestia article.
Towards the Northern Lights
Tours to the Arctic regions of Russia, where you can catch the northern lights, will appeal to fans of vivid impressions. The best points for observation are in the Murmansk Region and the Yamalo—Nenets Autonomous District, the Avito Travel service told Izvestia. Excursions with warm stops are available in these regions, the route can be chosen through the tundra, Khibiny or the coast of the Barents Sea.
A comfortable overnight stay can be found in the city. In the Murmansk region, renting an apartment will cost 3.3 thousand rubles per day, in Yamal it is slightly more expensive — 3.6 thousand rubles, analysts estimate.
According to Yandex Travel, tourists most often start a trip to the Northern Lights from Murmansk, and from there they go to less illuminated locations with clear skies, for example, to Teriberka, a small village on the Kola Peninsula. During these New Year holidays, experts noted, a night in a hotel in Murmansk costs an average of 8 thousand rubles, in Teriberka — more than 21 thousand rubles. Among the popular destinations where you can observe the northern Lights are the Arkhangelsk Region, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District and Chukotka. According to analysts, the average price for a hotel room in these regions ranges from 6 to 8 thousand rubles per day.
To ensure that you "catch" the northern Lights, experts recommend planning a trip for 3-5 nights, and before leaving, look at the geomagnetic activity index on special sites — if it is more than four, then the chances of encountering the northern lights are higher.
The Tutu travel service confirmed that it is easiest to find the shining in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions, where it is easy to arrange a trip with a tour operator outside the city limits, and in Komi. In the Murmansk Region, at four sites — the Northern Lights residence, the Lapland Village complex, Titovka River Park and the Northern Lights outdoor recreation park — tourists will be able to observe a unique natural phenomenon in comfortable conditions, directly from a transparent domed tent. And in Komi, in order to see the northern Lights in all its glory, it is enough to take a taxi and travel a little outside Syktyvkar.
In the northern regions, it is necessary to bring high-quality thermal underwear, a windproof suit, thick-soled shoes, as well as a thermos and hot water bottles. In the cold, the equipment discharges quickly, so experts recommend purchasing a portable charger.
— You should stock up on self-heating body warmers, and protect your head and neck with a hat and hood from the jacket. To avoid frostbite, a special frost cream is useful," advised Natalia Anisimova, Director of Partner Communications Development at Tutu.
The Fun & Sun travel agency added that the Aurora borealis can also be observed in the homeland of Santa Claus — in Veliky Ustyug. According to the tour operator, a New Year's tour for five days, together with an excursion and train tickets, will cost 93 thousand rubles.
One of the main tourist attractions remains the village of Teriberka on the shores of the Barents Sea.
"Here, the northern Lights are reflected in the ice—free waters of the ocean, which creates an incredible picture," Elena Shelekhova, head of the OneTwoTrip press service, told Izvestia. — The infrastructure allows you to relax comfortably: there are many glamping sites and hotels with panoramic windows in Teriberka.
For travelers who want to combine the "hunt" for the northern Lights with a cultural holiday, a representative of the service advised them to go to the Arkhangelsk region. The best viewing points are located in the Malye Korely Museum-Reserve, as well as in villages on the White Sea coast — against the background of ancient huts and tent churches, emerald flashes of radiance look especially fabulous.
The city of Naryan-Mar in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District is suitable for lovers of exoticism and maximum brightness. According to Elena Shelekhova, Aurora can be multicolored beyond the Arctic Circle — purple and red flashes are added to the usual green. The search for radiance can be combined with ethnotourism, for example, to visit reindeer herders' camps in the tundra.
Where else can I go for the "light"
Experts recommended going on an excursion to the ice caves of Olkhon Island and its northern cape Khoboy, decorated with colorful lighting. It is most convenient to do this from Irkutsk: the average price for daily rent there is 2.9 thousand rubles, a hotel room will cost about three thousand. In Kamchatka, the backlight is turned on in the snow-ice cave of the Mutnovsky volcano.
People in the Lena Pillars National Nature Park in Yakutia
In winter, bright landscape lights and artistic illumination of the Marble Canyon are lit in the Karelian Ruskeala Mountain Park after dark. And in Yakutia, Lena pillars look majestic in decorative lighting. For rental housing in Karelia and Yakutia, you will have to pay about 3 thousand rubles and 3.8 thousand rubles per day, respectively, analysts estimate.
But Moscow remains the most sought-after New Year's destination out of competition, ATOR Vice President Aleksan Mkrtchyan is convinced.
— The whole of Moscow is a big open—air light show, the center is especially beautifully decorated. St. Petersburg is in second place in popularity, followed by Sochi by a wide margin. The top ten tourist destinations include the Kaliningrad Region, Tatarstan, Lake Baikal, and Crimea. If you're closer to the center, then the Golden Ring," ATOR's vice president told Izvestia.
Tourists were more likely to book hotels in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan for these January holidays, Elena Shelekhova confirmed.
— Moscow attracts with the scale and concentration of events. Tourists want to see the main Christmas tree of the country and visit the "Journey to Christmas" festival. The capital offers a huge number of free activities, and the festive illumination turns the city into one big photo zone. They go to St. Petersburg for the atmosphere of a European Christmas, and to Kazan for a unique synthesis of cultures at the junction of West and East," the expert noted.
During the January holidays, tourists most often go to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Yandex Travel confirmed. The Journey to Christmas festival is taking place in the capital this winter, and an ice rink, fairs and a light show can be visited at VDNH as part of the Warmer Together festival.
Avito Travel experts also recommended visiting the Ice Moscow festival. In the family circle" on Poklonnaya Gora — with an exhibition of sculptures, an ice Kremlin and a cascade of slides.
In St. Petersburg, a light show dedicated to Russian traditional crafts is being shown on Yakornaya Square until January 14, and the Kronshled ice festival with artistic lighting is open in the evening for families with children.
You can also go to Nizhny Novgorod for a New Year's mood — light shows, children's workshops and a fair are held as part of the Gorky Christmas Tree festival. About 700 festive events are also planned in Ryazan, including light installations and shows. Ice rinks and fairs are open in the city center, street performances and thematic programs are held. There will also be bright indoor events, such as holiday rentals at the planetarium. The average cost of a night in New Year's Ryazan is 8 thousand rubles. rubles, the analysts calculated.
An ice town with unusual sculptures and bright lighting has opened in Yekaterinburg for the New Year. And the city of Shuya in the Ivanovo region invites tourists to the Russian Christmas festival, which is known for light shows on building facades and retro decorations with illumination, the Ostrovok service said. Children will especially enjoy it: interactive performances and games are prepared for them there. The average cost of a night in Ivanovo during the New Year holidays is about 6 thousand rubles.
Tutu experts recommend going to the Kaliningrad region, where Tapiau Castle is illuminated by projections of knights in the evenings, and to Vladimir, where a light show dedicated to the exhibition "My Love — Russia" is taking place on the walls of the fine arts center. Tourists will also enjoy New Year's Suzdal, an ancient city that becomes even more atmospheric during the holidays thanks to the illumination. The average cost of a night in a hotel there will be 14 thousand rubles, and a bus from Moscow will cost 1.3 thousand.
Tourists are also attracted to Kazan due to the festive installations and Sochi due to the mild winter climate in the south. An excursion tour "To the Tatar Santa Claus" with a flight from Moscow, a hotel and meals for three nights will cost more than 50 thousand rubles, experts said.
Harbin, China, is popular among foreign destinations associated with light shows — every winter there is an ice and snow festival with light installations and illumination of entire neighborhoods. Dubai hosts a drone show in winter, during which you can see light paintings against the backdrop of skyscrapers, Ostrovka noted. Yandex Travel added that Seoul hosts a show with colorful lanterns and paper sculptures in winter. And in China, where the New Year is celebrated in February, the main decoration of the holiday will be a performance with "dragon dances", light shows and fireworks.
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