Polarsirkelen
66°33′ north, marked by cairns on the Saltfjellet plateau. North of here the sun does not set at midsummer.
The facts
| Elevation | 680 m |
| Coordinates | 66.7372, 15.4637 |
| Time to allow | 2 h |
What to see
- Polarsirkelsenteret Sight
- Saltfjellet Hike
In winter
The Arctic Circle Centre keeps a summer season. E6 over Saltfjellet is ploughed all year but is one of the country's most weather-exposed stretches and is regularly put on convoy driving — you cross the circle either way; it is the building that is shut.
Month by month
| Month | Daylight | Day high | Wet days | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 4.1 h | -7.5 °C | 15 | Closed |
| February | 8.2 h | -8 °C | 13 | Closed |
| March | 11.7 h | -5.7 °C | 14 | Closed |
| April | 15.5 h | -1.1 °C | 13 | Closed |
| May | 19.6 h | 3.3 °C | 14 | Open |
| June | Midnight sun | 9.1 °C | 17 | Open |
| July | 21.7 h | 13.7 °C | 17 | Open |
| August | 17.1 h | 12.4 °C | 16 | Open |
| September | 13.2 h | 7.5 °C | 16 | Open |
| October | 9.5 h | 0.6 °C | 16 | Closed |
| November | 5.6 h | -4.1 °C | 14 | Closed |
| December | 2.2 h | -6.3 °C | 16 | Closed |
Background
A polar circle is a geographic term for a conditional circular line (arc) referring either to the Arctic Circle or the Antarctic Circle. These are two of the keynote circles of latitude (parallels).
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
On these routes
- Trondheim–Bodø — The Nordland Line crosses the Arctic Circle — ten hours north to Saltstraumen.
- Oslo–Tromsø — The length of the country: Dovrefjell, the Arctic Circle, Lofoten, and finally the aurora over Tromsø.
- Oslo–Bodø — From the capital across Dovrefjell and past the Arctic Circle to Saltstraumen.