Things to do in Kola Peninsula
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Krayevyedchesky Museum
The varied exhibits of the Krayevyedchesky Museum include good features on Sami and Pomor history and the Anglo-American occupation. There's a good souvenir shop, and museum guides can be hired for city tours in English.
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Geological Museum
The town’s neat, widely spaced concrete-block architecture is hardly an attraction, but there’s a new, central Geological Museum
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Oceanarium
The mini, bubble-domed Oceanarium hosts splashy seal shows.
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Lake Semyonovskoe
Atop the hill 2km north of pl Pyat Uglov, Lake Semyonovskoe is the focus of the largest open space near the centre and a favourite playground for Murmansk. The lake is named after the would-be hermit Semyon Korzhnev, an old tsarist soldier who retired at the turn of the 20th century to a cabin on the shore and was the only resident for miles around. Imagine his disappointment when Murmansk appeared on his utopian horizon!
The lake and indeed much of Murmansk are overlooked by Alyosha, a truly gigantic concrete Great Patriotic War soldier from whose feet you can enjoy spectacular views over the city. The lake is frozen for much of the year but in summer people swim and…
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Blue Water Holidays
Murmansk is the starting point for July and August cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands on Russian icebreakers, an exotic and expensive experience where passengers see dramatic seascapes and, with luck, Arctic wildlife (the voyages last around two weeks). You will need to book well in advance and many agencies include flights from Helsinki or Moscow to Murmansk in their packages.
Cruise to the North Pole in one of Russia's nuclear icebreakers, or take a trip to dramatic Franz Josef Land or Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya in non-nuclear icebreakers. The ships are fitted out for passengers and some of the profits go towards the upkeep of Russia's icebreaker…
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Quark Expeditions
Murmansk is the starting point for July and August cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands, an experience where passengers see dramatic seascapes and scenery and, with luck, a good deal of Arctic wildlife. Book well in advance (many agencies include flights from Helsinki or Moscow to Murmansk in their packages). Voyages last around two weeks to the North Pole itself or to Franz Josef Land or Novaya Zemlya and Severnaya Zemlya.
The ships are fitted out for passengers and some of the profits go towards the upkeep of Russia's icebreaker fleet.
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Museum of the Northern Fleet
Naval buffs make the trek to the Museum of the Northern Fleet covering the founding of Russia’s first navy in Arkhangelsk, the Murmansk convoys of WWII and the modern fleet. The museum is within a turquoise, somewhat crumbling three-storey cultural centre fronted by anchors. Take bus 10 to the penultimate stop (‘Nakhimova’, opposite ul Admirala Lobova 43), walk on for 300m, then turn left and it’s 80m up ul Tortseva. Shimmy through the building’s foyer and the museum is to the left, within.
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Arcturus
Cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands on Russian icebreakers are an expensive experience, but worth it, if it's your thing. You'll see dramatic seascapes and scenery and, with luck, Arctic wildlife. (Book well in advance). You'll either travel in one of Russia's nuclear icebreakers - to the North Pole itself; or in a non-nuclear icebreaker - to one of the Arctic islands. The ships are fitted out for passengers and some of the profits go to the upkeep of Russia's icebreaker fleet.
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Purga
A naked derriere moons you at the top of the entry stairs forewarning of this place’s delightful craziness. Sit in cave-alcoves while bands play blues-rock and art students dressed up as fake grannies engage customers in hilariously nonsensical conversation. They also serve standard food (mains from R150), so you can make a night of it. Booking ahead is wise at weekends. It’s around 35 minutes south of the centre by trolleybus 6 then 30m west of bus stop Pervomayskaya.
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Geological Museum
The bright new Geological Museum is open to drop-in guests. Labelled mineral fragments are sold here as souvenirs. By appointment, more specialist visitors can arrange a guided visit to a second Mineralogy Collection on the top floor of the next-door Kola Scientific Centre. Friendly academics speak English but if you don’t have the geological background to pose relevant questions you’re likely to feel embarrassingly out of your depth.
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Sami History & Culture Museum
Under Stalin, the once-nomadic Sami (Lapp) people were brutally suppressed and forcibly collectivised. Of Russia’s roughly 1600 Sami, some 900 now live in the tiny administrative village of Lovozero (Luyavvr) where a little Sami History & Culture Museum displays 2000-year-old petroglyphs and sells various Sami crafts including reindeer-fur slippers and carved bone-work. Staff can arrange English-speaking translator-guides.
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Museum of the History of the Exploration & Development of Northern European Russia
To the non-geologist, Apatity's most interesting museum is the Museum of the History of the Exploration & Development of Northern European Russia, which has explanations in English. It features Russian Arctic expeditions (with unique drawings of Novaya Zemlya) and interesting archaeological material on the Kanozero and Chalmny-Varre petroglyphs and the nine ancient labyrinths around the Kola coast. There are also old Sami and Pomor artefacts.
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Poseidon
Murmansk is the starting point for July and August cruises to the North Pole and Arctic islands (Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya) on Russian icebreakers. The voyages last around two weeks and you'll see dramatic seascapes and Arctic wildlife. Book well in advance. The ships - either a nuclear icebreaker or non-nuclear ship - are fitted out for passengers and at least some of the profits go towards the upkeep of the fleet.
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Kola Travel
The main reason to come to this prosperous nickel-smelting city is to engage the services of experienced, multilingual Kola Travel, a Russo-Dutch travel firm offering an inspiring selection of Kola adventures including hiking, biking, rock-hunting, snowmobile safaris. Their 4WD trips include one to a middle-of-nowhere village where you can sleep in a comfy but traditionally styled turf hut.
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Hiking
In summer (about mid-June to mid-September) the Khibiny mountains provide the best hiking in northwestern Russia, in an expanse of flat-topped mountains divided by deep valleys, swift rivers and lakes. The highest point, Yudychvumchorr, rises 1200m above sea level. Don't treat these hills lightly: avalanches happen and the weather can be extreme, even in summer, so don't wander off without a guide.
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Mineralogical Museum
The Kola Scientific Centre's Mineralogical Museum, with 900 samples of Kola Peninsula minerals, rocks and ores, is a little more specialist than the Geological Museum but the colourful minerals from the Khibiny-Lovozero massif will impress anyone. Officially, visits should be prearranged, but if you ask at the reception desk of the building they'll probably send you on up to the museum.
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Old Ski Station
There are two main ski stations, on the north and south slopes of Aykuayvenchorr mountain at the foot of which the town stands. The lengths and steepness of the runs are comparable at both - good for both beginners and experienced skiers. The old ski station, on Aykuayvenchorr's northern slopes immediately above the town, is a little cheaper. Take your passport as ID to rent equipment.
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Yug Kola
Experienced tour firm Yug Kola can get you into additional museums, including the interesting two-room North-Russian Exploration Museum. Yug Kola also offers tailor-made mineral collecting, snowmobile and fishing tours. Its office is within Apatity’s conveniently central Hotel Ametist
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Rvanye Parusa
The fun, slightly silly sailing-ship theme upstairs comes with netting and golden mermaids. Meals range from potted elk (R195) and reindeer in blueberries (R195) to some good-value creamy fish dishes (R220). Downstairs choose from pizza, kebabs or steak washed down with beer from their microbrewery.
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Salma Cultural Centre
The Salma Cultural Centre is a cooperative outlet for over 200 Kola Peninsula artists and artisans. You'll find pictures and artefacts made from a host of materials including colourful sand/dust from local minerals, birch bark, stone, wood and ceramics. Prices are low.
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Bolshoy Vudyavr Ski Station
Bolshoy Vudyavr ski station, just across the mountain east of Kirovsk but 12km away by road, is the best of three ski stations with modern lifts (R40 to R50 per ride) and half a dozen downhill runs. Bring ID: you’ll need it to hire equipment.
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Regional Museum
The Regional Museum is located in the Kirovsk-25 mikro-rayon (bus No 1, 12 or 105), within an awesome mountain gap. Some experts believe that the neat removal of literally half a mountain here can only have been achieved through a nuclear detonation.
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Detsky Gorodok
Detsky Gorodok is a children's attraction consisting of a fake fort with swings, tunnels and climbing frames - plus a café where all ages can get a warming drink or snack. Located just up the street from the Church of the Saviour on the Waters.
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Restoran Spasatelny Krug
Classy but friendly, this stone-walled restaurant in the Seamen's Club serves lots of good fish, seafood and meat, and has a fine list of European wines. Service can be a bit slow as many dishes are prepared to order, but they're worth the wait.
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Traktir Kruzhka
Jolly, bustling mid-market restaurant with rural-Russia feel upstairs and cherry-blossom oriental touches beneath. A giant log bar is decorated with pots, pans and the odd axe. Food curiosities include fruit-and-chocolate sushi.
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