CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

Chasing the Northern Lights in remote landscapes

- Pallavi Pasricha

For those who haven't ticked off the Northern Lights from their bucket list yet, now is the moment. This spectacular phenomenon will be at its most brilliant until March 2026 because the sun's activity, which triggers the spectacle, is at a decade-long peak. However, instead of heading to the usual hotspots in Sweden or Finland, go off grid to remote Arctic outposts where darker skies due to dim town lights make the celestial display more dazzling. Picture watching ribbons of green and purple dart across the sky from a lakeside village deep inside the world's happiest country, a mountain peak in a national park in Sweden, near 5000-year-old stone formations in Scotland or a beach strewn with icebergs in Iceland. So, pack those warm layers and head for a quieter date with the phenomenon called 'Aurora Borealis.'

NUUK, GREENLAND

Where else in the world can one watch the Northern Lights from the city centre of a capital city? Home to just 20,000 people, lights are muted in Greenland's biggest city allowing the coloured ribbons of purple, pink and violet to shine more vividly. Visit museums like the Greenland National Museum or Nuuk Art Museum and sample local delicacies made with musk ox and seal at restaurants in the day before heading to the centre of town at night to watch the sky come alive. The legends local relate make the experience more magical.

According to Inuits, the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic, the dancing lights are the spirits of the dead playing games with a skull. While everything is within walking distance, Qinngorput, about five kilometres from the city centre, is another good spot to hunker down for the display.

Closest Airport

Nuuk International Airport

Where to stay

Hotel Hans Egede; https://hhe.gl/en/