Top Ten Scandinavia Classic Adventures

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Scrap the lights show at your local planetarium and head to Tromsv for the real deal. This picturesque Norwegian town is the best place in Scandinavia to watch this spectacular phenomenon. This display of light in the sky—which Aristotle described as resembling the flames of burning gas—can be seen only in the world's polar regions, and Tromsv is viewing at its best. The eerie effect is caused by particles from the solar wind getting trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. The lights"turn on" when particles collide with the top layer of the atmosphere, creating the effect of glowing red, green, and blue neon flames that wave back and forth like a curtain in the sky.

Check out the lights in this northern town, then hit the Tromsv planetarium. The town of Tromsv is accessible by air, coastal steamer or coach from Narvik.