Near Reine, the sun stays below the horizon for a few weeks around the winter solstice – roughly mid-December to early January. It's not pitch-black: around midday there are several hours of blue and pink twilight. From January the light returns quickly. It's a quiet, cosy and very photogenic time, with long nights for the northern lights.
"Polar night" sounds like weeks of total darkness. In Lofoten it's something else entirely – and many people who come once want to come back for exactly this.
When it happens
Lofoten lies well north of the Arctic Circle. Around the winter solstice, the sun stays just below the horizon all day. Near Reine, this period lasts from roughly mid-December to early January. Mountains can block the low sun for longer in some places.
How dark is it really?
Not as dark as you think. Because the sun is only just below the horizon, there are several hours of twilight every day around midday. The sky turns deep blue, then pink and orange towards the south, then blue again. Snow reflects every bit of it. Photographers call it the blue hour – here, it lasts for hours.
What it feels like
Quiet. Roads are empty, villages are lit with candles in windows, and the days have a slow rhythm: a walk in the twilight, a long lunch, candles lit by mid-afternoon, a sauna, dinner, a check on the sky for the aurora.
What to do
- Photograph the twilight in Reine, Hamnøy or Henningsvær.
- Watch for the northern lights – the long nights mean many hours of darkness.
- Christmas in Lofoten – candles, lights in the windows and seasonal food.
- Sauna. It's never better than in the dark.
Tips
- Plan outdoor time around midday.
- Bring a headlamp for walks.
- Drive carefully – roads can be icy and it's dark much of the day.
- Embrace it. The polar night is not something to endure. It's the reason to come.
See also: Lofoten in winter.
Good questions
When is the polar night in Lofoten?
Roughly from mid-December to early January near Reine; the exact dates depend on where you are on the islands and on the terrain around you.
Is it completely dark during the polar night?
No. The sun doesn't rise, but it's close enough below the horizon that you get hours of twilight around midday – often in beautiful blue and pink tones.
