Places
The Norwegian town where the sun doesn't set for 76 days
Hammerfest, the world's northernmost town, spends summer in continuous light — and winter in the dark.
Hammerfest sits at 70° 39' north, further north than any other town on the planet. From mid-May to the end of July the sun never drops below the horizon: 76 days of uninterrupted light.
The price paid in winter
The symmetry is merciless: between late November and mid-January the sun does not rise at all. Locals compensate with daylight lamps, with being outdoors at any hour, and with a tradition of coffee drunk slowly, without hurry.
The town was rebuilt from scratch after 1944, when retreating German troops burned it off the map. Today it lives on fishing, liquefied natural gas and aurora tourism.