The only place in the world where there is almost no time is, in fact, an island off the coast of Norway. It’s called Store Sommarøya and it houses the tourist village of Sommarøy, a true little-known pearl of the Arctic Circle. In this place, for three months, the sun does not set.
The magical land of Sommaroy PHOTO sommaroy.no
Almost everywhere in the world, after day comes night, and people live according to a 24-hour schedule, seven days a week, four weeks in a month. Depending on this schedule are the stability of air flights, the running of trains, the working hours of employees, the closing and opening hours of shops, restaurants, bars. Basically, we all live according to the rhythm dictated by the clock and the schedule established in society based on it. Oftentimes, this lifestyle proves too stressful for many Earthlings. But there is a place where time is measured differently, indeed, say those who live there, it is the only time-free place on the globe. It is about the arctic paradise, unique in the world, at Sommarøy.
The island of endless nights and days in the far north
The island of Store Sommarøya, or simply Sommarøya, is located off the western coast of Norway, close to the Arctic Circle. Administratively it belongs to the municipality of Tromso, Troms County, Norway. The island is one square kilometer and is 36 kilometers away from the city of Tromso. Sommarøya is also connected to other islands by bridges. On this island is a fishing village called Sommarøy. This village and the island on which it is located is an important tourist destination in Troms County.
It is considered a real pearl of the north. And this is thanks to the incredible landscapes, dominated by the aurora borealis, but also to the beaches with extremely fine white sand. Sommarøy is a fairy-tale village, surrounded by picturesque nature and the Arctic Ocean. Despite the extreme latitude, the island of Sommarøya has an oceanic-moderate climate with subarctic climate accents. The average temperatures do not fall below two degrees and the annual temperature is around 4 degrees Celsius. What is shocking about Sommarøy is the alternation of time. More precisely, here are among the longest nights and days. On the island of Sommarøy, during the winter, it is night continuously for three months. That is, from November to January the sun does not rise. Then, after a spring at the Arctic Circle, the endless day follows. For another three months, the sun does not set at all. That means it’s daytime, non-stop, from May 18th to July 26th.
The only country that wants to be free of time
Sommarøy has 350 inhabitants. Obviously, the number of tourists far exceeds that of the locals. Due to its peculiar feature of the day lasting three months, it is not abnormal to see young people going swimming at 2.00 AM or people painting the house at 1.00 AM. Even children ride their bikes on the street at 4:00 AM, for example. And that’s because the sun doesn’t set at all and most locals divide their time pretty much as they want. Less so are those who provide emergency services and those who work on a permanent basis in the hotel industry. There are two big hotels on the island. This is precisely why the Norwegian island and small town are in high demand. You don’t have to go to bed when the sun goes down. Because the sun doesn’t set at all, for three months. For a tourist it is pure magic.
Kayaking through the wilderness of the Arctic Circle PHOTO sommaroyadventure.no
You no longer depend on the clock. Many tourists leave their watch at the entrance to the village, on the edge of the bridge, and live timeless. That is precisely why the locals started a campaign to be “freed from the tyranny of the clock”, declaring themselves the first time-free zone.All over the Globe, people are dominated by stress and depression. In many cases this is caused by the pressing sense of time, the strict schedule. We will be a free time zone where everyone can live their life to the fullest. Our goal is to provide maximum flexibility 24/7. If you want to mow your lawn at 4 in the morning you are free to do it,” confesses Kjell Ove Hveding, the head of the free time campaign, for the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, also quoted by The Guardian.
A rare freedom
Tourism specialists in Norway say that the locals’ idea is interesting, but only from a marketing point of view, to attract more tourists. Otherwise, it would not be feasible. First of all, because it has to align with a program respected all over the globe. They cannot deliver, for example, what they fish in the middle of the night because in other cities or countries there will be no one awake to pick up their products. Children must have a schedule at school. So do the hoteliers, who say they would have a hard time without a check-in and check-out time. In addition, medical specialists say that the human body works according to a precise clock that cannot be circumvented. It’s about those circadian cycles, of sleep.
Hiking through the far north PHOTO sommaroyadventure.no
“Our body has adapted to this 24-hour cycle, generated by the Earth’s rotation. We cannot turn against evolution, and that is what is happening in this place. They go against what we are programmed to do”says Hanne Hoffman, assistant professor at Michigan State University. That is why people living in regions like Sommarøy with nights exceeding 90 days and similar days are advised to expose themselves to diffuse fluorescent light or artificial darkness depending on the season. And this to preserve his health. The circadian rhythm, adapted to a 24-hour system, is vital to regulate the body.
Main attractions in Sommarøy
Beyond the endless days of summer, Sommarøy is sought after by tourists for the beauty of the landscape and the picturesque village. The locals live exclusively from fishing and tourism. From Sommarøy you can take incredible walks through the fjord area, through the wilderness of the Arctic Circle where you can meet herds of reindeer, arctic foxes, seals and all kinds of animals specific to the area. Interesting are the local traditions, picturesque picnics on the white sands of Sommarøya or kayak tours on arctic waters. From September to March, you can see the arctic lights, the northern lights, at Sommarøy. Often the northern lights stay in the sky for nights on end turning the place into something magical.
Sommaroy panorama PHOTO travelandtourworld.com
Tourists can stay on the island, where they can find all kinds of hotel units, from traditional ones for an authentic experience in the arctic zone to modern hotels with sauna, jacuzzi, treatment bases. Sommarøy can be reached from the city of Tromso. It’s a 52 kilometer drive through mountain passes, fjords and picturesque fishing villages. Tromso can be reached from Romania by plane. You can take it, for example, from Târgu Mureș and you will pay around 50 euros per person, if the ticket is purchased in time. The journey takes around eight hours by plane. From Tromso, the island of Sommarøya is easily reached by car after a 50-minute drive. Accommodation in Sommarøy can be easily found on the internet at decent prices.
