12 beautiful places to experience the Midnight Sun

There’s something special about watching sea and mountains glow in the warm light of the midnight sun on a clear summer evening — especially from one of these beautiful scenic spots.

Ryptinden, 585 moh.

Ryptinden in Sømna offers one of the finest midnight‑sun hikes in southern Helgeland. The trail has a few demanding parts, but it leads through varied terrain — from lush farmland and mixed forest to open coastal mountains. With views of the midnight sun over Vega and Brønnøy in the north and west, and Sømna’s gentle landscape in the south, this is one of Helgeland’s hidden gems.

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Torghatten, 258 moh.

The walk through the famous hole in Torghatten is one of Helgeland’s most visited hikes, but far fewer continue up to the top. The ascent is more demanding, with steep sections and some scrambling. With good footwear and a bit of effort, the view from above is worth it — the midnight sun over the Helgeland coast and the many islands around Brønnøysund. The hike takes about an hour, and if the steep steps feel too challenging, the evening sun can still be enjoyed on the easy walk along the water.

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Rabothytta, 1200 moh.

Norway’s most striking DNT cabin sits 1200 metres above sea level in the Okstindan mountains along Villmarksveien. Surrounded by ancient glaciers and Northern Norway’s highest peaks, visitors can catch the midnight sun shining through the windows around mid‑June. Parts of the trail may still be covered in snow, but it usually carries well.

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Petter på skjæret

Frode Lillesunds statue av dikterpresten Petter Dass er et mektig syn, der han står høyreist og streng på sitt skjær i Herøy. Den 10 meter høye bronsestatuen viser en scene fra en av mytene om Petter Dass som svartebokprest, hvor han rir på Fanden selv for å komme frem til en gudstjeneste i København. For å se statuen i midnattssola må du ta turen ut med båt eller kajakk, for eksempel på en guidet kajakktur fra Herøy. Å ligge rolig i de solbadede bølgene, å oppleve å bli liten i landskapet, er en stor opplevelse.

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Åkvikfjellet på Dønna, 293 moh.

Åkvikfjellet sits on the edge of the larger island of Dønna, offering wide views of the island‑rich Herøy archipelago to the south. At 280 metres above sea level, it’s a modest peak reached in about an hour at a steady pace. The trail is mostly easy with a few steeper parts, and from the top visitors can watch the midnight sun drift over the Træna peaks and the golden horizon.

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Dønnesfjellet, 125 moh.

Dønnesfjellet may be small at just 125 metres, but the view is generous. From the top, visitors look out across the low landscape in northern Dønna, with Lovund and Træna set against a soft, glowing horizon. Few places offer more view for so little effort. The peak can be reached either by the road from the east or the forest trail from the south, starting near Dønnes Gård and the medieval Dønnes Church.

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The Seven Sisters, 1037 moh.

Few mountains on Helgeland are as well known as the Seven Sisters. This dramatic row of seven peaks rises steeply above the island of Alsta, each around 1000 metres high. Every summit is a demanding hike and requires respect for both terrain and weather. But in good conditions, reaching one of the peaks as the midnight sun colours the mountainside is a memorable experience.

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Hammarøyfjellet i Nesna, 447 – 760 moh.

This long mountain ridge stretches behind the coastal village of Nesna, offering several viewpoints depending on how far and high you feel like walking. Even the lowest point, called Utsikten (“The View”), gives a wide panorama of the islands offshore. The trail to Kjølen (447 m) is mostly gentle with a few steeper sections. Continuing to the top of Hammarøyfjellet (760 m) involves more demanding terrain, but the view for the top is amazing.

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Lovund

The island of Lovund sits like an emerald between the islands Træna and Dønna, slightly apart and with views in all directions. The open landscape facing the ocean leaves little that blocks the midnight sun, so on the island’s north side it can be seen from most places. Whether visitors head up Lovundfjellet, watch from Lundeura where the puffins fly, or enjoy the view from the hotel rooftop, the horizon is always close.

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Husøy i Træna

It almost feels like being on the horizon itself, when you stare towards the see from the Træna islands, one of Helgeland’s outermost islands. From Husøy, the midnight sun can be seen from the Petter Dass Chapel on the north side, with the Træna peaks on Sanna forming a dramatic backdrop. From there, a coastal path runs along the west side of the island down to Elgen, a statue built in memory of the moose that once bewildered itself all the way out here by sea. The entire walk offers open views of the summer sun, the Træna mountains, the sky and the ocean.

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Rødøyløva, 443 moh.

Rødøyløva is one of the most recognisable mountains on the Helgeland coast, rising like a resting lion just north of the Arctic Circle. The reddish rock catches the evening sun with a warm glow, and the sea below becomes a deeper green in contrast. This is Northern Norway’s first national hiking trail, and the trail to the 443‑metre summit is crafted with stone steps and clear markings. The hike is short but steep, and the viewpoint at the top is one of the finest along the coast.

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Engabreen, 125 moh.

The glacier Engabreen in Meløy is an arm of the larger Svartisen glacier, and it rests heavily on the mountain slopes over Holandsfjorden. Svartisen is Norway’s second‑largest glacier, and in summer it’s only a short boat ride and walk from Kystriksveien across the fjord. Being close to a glacier is always striking, but a guided midnight‑sun hike on the ice takes the experience even further. The evening light creates strong contrasts against the deep blue ice, and the low sunbeams shine deep into the glacier, creating colours and reflections found nowhere else.

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