Lofoten, an archipelago of island off the coast of Norway, is a beautiful place registered as a UNESCO Heritage Site. These islands may have been settled 11,000 years ago, and there is a great reason why. Despite being inside the Arctic Circle, Lofoten has average high temperatures in the 50s and 60s (Fahrenheit) in the summer (although it has seen the 80s), and average lows barely creeping below freezing in the winter. This temperature anomaly is attributed to its location in the Gulf Stream. The islands of Lofoten are therefore a preferred home for fish, birds, and land animals of the Arctic, not to mention plant life.
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Yet being in the Arctic Circle still has the effect of months-long daylight in the summer, and months-long darkness in winter -except when the Northern Lights are shining. This lends itself to an internationally-known bicycle race in summer called the Insomnia Race that covers the entire archipelago and takes place during the midnight sun. Read about Lofoten and see lots of gorgeous pictures at Kuriositas.
(Image credit: Henrik Johansson)
Source: neatorama