Where to Experience 24 Hours of Daylight in Europe This Summer

Ever wish your vacation days could last just a little longer? Then you may want to book your next getaway to a spot with 24-hour sunshine. 

In May, Monteriver, a river tour company, released its findings of a new study analyzing the European cities with the longest daylight hours in June. To find out which spots have the longest days, it analyzed data from Astropixels and Time&Date.

It found that three destinations experience 24-hour daylight in June: Murmansk in Russia, Bodø in Norway, and Rovaniemi in Finland.

This natural phenomenon is known as the “Midnight Sun” and occurs in regions north of the Arctic Circle each summer, where the sun never dips below the horizon line. As Space.com explains, it’s caused by the “Earth’s axial tilt as the planet orbits the sun.” This tilt, it says, “causes one hemisphere to be angled toward the sun and the other away from it, and it is why there are opposite seasons in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.” 

During the June solstice, the North Pole is tilted toward the sun. “From the northern polar region, the sun never appears to set below the horizon. This is when the northern polar region experiences the midnight sun and the southern polar region experiences 24 hours of darkness, known as the polar night,” Space.com adds. 

And while, yes, it can be a bit disorienting for those not used to it, it’s also a major tourism draw for those looking to squeeze every last drop out of a summer adventure.

In Bodø, Norway, that extra light means more time exploring some of Scandinavia’s most dramatic natural spaces. Travelers here can also go on a short drive to Saltstraumen to view the world’s strongest tidal current. Travelers can also hike the Børvasstindan mountains for spectacular views or simply bask in the sun at 3 a.m. just because they can. 

In Rovaniemi, Finland, also known as the official hometown of Santa Claus, travelers can bike through its forest trails, go foraging for wild berries, or hang out by the serene Kemijoki River. Locals also love a good sauna followed by refreshing dips in cool water, and welcome guests to try it out for themselves, too. 

It’s worth noting that Murmansk, Russia, the largest city located entirely within the Arctic Circle, also experiences 24-hour sun; however, the U.S. Department of State has all of Russia under a level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory, making travel here impractical and potentially dangerous, for now. 

And while they don’t experience that same round-the-clock sun, hot spots like Reykjavik, Iceland, also made the list, with 21 hours and eight minutes of sun, along with Helsinki at 18 hours and 55 minutes, and Oslo closely behind at 18 hours and 49 minutes. 

On the flip side, sun-soaked southern favorites like Athens and Madrid, despite being well-known for their summer heat, ranked as the last two on the list, as Madrid receives just over 15 hours of daylight and Athens receives just 14 hours and 48 minutes of daylight.