The unknown Norwegian city with the longest summers in the world

In the surreal glow of the midnight sun, Bodø basks in a strange netherworld of night jogs and early-hours exuberance

It was as I plunged into freezing Arctic waters that it became clear: Bodø is a place of extremes. This may not be surprising – some 67 degrees north, the tiny Norwegian city is comfortably above the Arctic Circle. But an insistence that this former fishing outpost was something of a frontier felt more like an intelligent bit of marketing than reality. And then I was deep in the water, gasping for breath, and it all started to feel a lot more legitimate. 

For most of the year, Bodø is shrouded in darkness: winters seem interminable, indoor life chugs sleepily on, and the freezing temperatures make outdoor pursuits a fool’s errand. But this was summer – when the midnight sun shines continuously between mid-April and mid-August – and it is then, I discovered, that Bodø comes alive. 

My first night was spent at the Roast rooftop bar, feeling totally disorientated by the fact that it was still light at the witching hour. I had expected to be exhausted, jet-lagged, almost – but it’s an oddly rejuvenating thing: my body simply could not comprehend that it should be asleep. This is the sort of energy one dreams about on a trip; able to really take advantage of every second you’re in a place and not get tired. 

In fact, this is something the Norwegians seem to feel, too. They are evidently keen to make the most of their extended days. Seemingly unaware that it was the actual middle of the night; families strolled along the harbour front and groups jogged past as if it was the morning. The city was certainly, insistently awake.