Gastronomic tour: New Year's Northern lights on the Kola Peninsula

Breakfast is waiting for us at the hotel in the morning — we are preparing for a very eventful and beautiful day!

First, we are going to get acquainted with Murmansk, the largest city in the world, located beyond the Arctic Circle.

Murmansk is called the "Arctic Hollywood", so many films were shot here! We will visit all the iconic places and take a short walk around the center.

We will be given a guided tour of the legendary nuclear icebreaker Lenin, the world's first nuclear—powered vessel.

We will board, walk along the decks, go to the captain's bridge and look into the engine and reactor compartments. The ship was built to demonstrate the power of the Soviet Union, and the splendor of its finish is truly amazing. Yuri Gagarin, Fidel Castro, Richard Nixon were here.

We will also visit the Kursk submarine control room (a real, historical one), climb to the monument to the defenders of the Arctic, known as the Murmansky Alyosha, and take a trip to the seaport.

We will travel around the city in warmth and comfort by minibus, so we won't have to walk long distances. And, by the way, we always have warming and invigorating tinctures of northern berries with us.

Next, we will go to a unique master class on Arctic cuisine, which will be conducted by the brand chef of the resident restaurant of the Gastronomic Map of Russia. You can hardly cook such dishes yourself, because these are author's recipes!

Northern cuisine is known for its unexpected but incredibly delicious combinations. So, what awaits us?

The first course is freshly caught sea urchin with cloudberry sauce. Served on a plate with crushed ice and a glass of sparkling wine. This dish is the quintessence of sea taste and northern sophistication.

The second course is a scallop baked in its own shell. The delicate flesh is delicately shaded with grated parmesan and Philadelphia cream cheese, which add creamy depth to the taste. The dish is served with a glass of strong tincture of northern berries.

The third course is a real highlight! The brand chef marinates venison in lingonberries, red wine and cooks steaks. It is served with apple cream, mushroom sauce and a glass of red full-bodied wine.

The fourth and final course of the master class is a frozen dessert sorbet made from northern berries with cloudberry jam, yagel chips and mushroom caramel.

During the master class, the chef will share with us the secrets of cooking dishes and their beautiful presentation.

In the afternoon, we will cross the longest bridge in the Arctic, across the Kola Bay, and find ourselves on its other shore.

We will visit Abram Cape, a picturesque village that has become part of Murmansk. It offers an incredible winter panorama of the Kola Bay and the city itself.

Then we'll take a closer look at ocean-going ships and naval vessels. Here we will have the opportunity to go down to the water, because there is no embankment in Murmansk, which adds a special charm to this place.

After that, we will go to dinner to enjoy the flavors of local cuisine and share our impressions of what we saw.

They will be waiting for us at one of the best restaurants on the peninsula, which is also included in the Gastronomic map of Russia. The brand chef of the restaurant creates original concepts of Arctic cuisine according to his own rules, combining an innovative approach and old traditions.

We will try the Arctic fish soup on crab "milk" with Kamchatka crab meat, scallops, shrimps and cloudberries.

In the second course, we will taste Murmansk scallops on the "sand" of the Barents Sea with oyster grass.

The dishes are accompanied by a tasting set of four signature infusions of northern berries: lingonberries, cloudberries, raspberries with horseradish and blueberries.

The dinner will end with the author's dessert — "cloudberries and cedar under the snow", which is served with fragrant Arctic tea. A delicious combination of cloudberries with cedar sponge cake, crispy meringue and pine nuts.

In the evening we return to our hotel to gain strength before tomorrow's trip to the ends of the earth!

After breakfast, we will leave our hotel and go to the very edge of the Earth — to Teriberka! This is an amazing place on the coast of the Arctic Ocean, where only the ocean and the North Pole stretch beyond the horizon.

Teriberka is the only place in Russia that can be reached by road to see the Arctic Ocean. It's not a fast path, but it's definitely worth it. Are you ready? Then let's go! Do not forget that warming tinctures are always with us.

After the road, we will walk along the old Teriberka, swing on the famous swing, listening to the sound of the waves of the Arctic Ocean, and then head to the stranded ship, which has become a symbol of this coast.

For lunch, we go to a cozy restaurant with a picturesque view of the Tersk coast. The menu includes dishes created from local products and inspired by the beauty of the Arctic.

The first course will be sea urchins and scallops on ice, delicacies in their pristine purity.

The second course is velvety black venero rice with a light nutty flavor and the most delicate scallops with a golden crust. The dish is sprinkled with airy cheese crumbs, which adds depth to it, and complemented with green butter for freshness.

We will finish our wonderful lunch with a refined creamy dessert with delicate cheese caramel combined with fragrant northern berries, which add a pleasant sourness.

After lunch, we set off on a snowmobile trip (as passengers) to the famous beach, strewn with a thousand dragon eggs!

We will drive along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, enjoying the stunning views of the snow-covered Kola Peninsula. Don't worry: we will be provided with additional warm clothes on the spot.

Huge boulders of almost perfect shape give this place a unique atmosphere — this is truly a beach of giants! We will feel the fresh Arctic breeze and hear the beautiful legend associated with this amazing place.

After a walk through Teriberka, we return to Murmansk.

Today's dinner will be held in the author's restaurant with an open kitchen, where we will be offered to taste traditional Russian dishes prepared using local Arctic ingredients. Here, every dish is a discovery, and every taste is an adventure.

For the first course, we will taste olivier with crab accompanied by a glass of sparkling wine. The classic taste of your favorite salad takes on a new sound!

In the second course, we'll try a juicy shoulder of roast lamb. Tender meat soaked in the aromas of a wood-burning stove is harmoniously complemented by a bright lecho of juicy peppers and a glass of full-bodied red wine.

At the end of the dinner, we will be served a branded honey cake with chocolate cakes, sour cream ice cream, honey and crunchy blueberries. We are enjoying and exchanging impressions about the past day. After dinner, we return to the hotel.

Today, after breakfast, we will visit the brewery that has set a world record as the "northernmost commercial brewery in the world"! Here, beer is prepared according to an original recipe from pure northern water, premium quality barley malt and elite varieties of German hops.

On the tour, we will immerse ourselves in the art of brewing and get acquainted with all the stages of the production of northern beer. And then — the most delicious!

After the tour, we will be invited to a tasting: we will try the branded beers from the brewery — we will appreciate their character, aroma and taste. Aromatic snacks and generous portions of boiled Kamchatka crab will be served with glasses of frothy. We are discussing our impressions and continuing our acquaintance with the polar flavor!

Then we are on our way to visit the indigenous inhabitants of the Kola Peninsula, the Sami. Currently, there are about 1,500 people left. Their native home is the vast expanses of the tundra, and their most faithful companion is the reindeer.

We will learn all about the culture and way of life of the people, their history, traditions and way of life, get acquainted with national clothes and dwellings. And, of course, we will feed the beautiful deer with yagel from the palm of our hand.

Then we have a culinary master class in the Sami national dwelling. We will settle down on warm reindeer skins and taste traditional cuisine: rich Sami fish soup and reindeer tenderloin baked on coals. The perfect meal after activities in the invigorating cold! Over lunch, we'll talk about Sami and the Sami language.

After a busy day program, we set off into the heart of the snowy tundra. Among the snow—white expanses, we are greeted by a cozy country hotel, like a corner of warmth hidden in a winter fairy tale. For this night we will stay in double cottages with all amenities.

It's time to slow down a little, listen to the silence, breathe in the frosty air and feel the charm of the northern nature. And later in the evening, an Arctic sauna will be prepared for us, surrounded by a coniferous forest! We rest, steam and enjoy.

A little later, our whole sincere company gathers for a festive Christmas barbecue dinner in an incredibly cozy gazebo.

We will cook juicy meat over a live fire, cook fragrant mulled wine with spices and citrus fruits, taste northern delicacies and spend the evening at a large communal table in an atmosphere of real home warmth.

Outside the window there is Arctic frost and wild nature, and inside there is soft light, delicious dishes, unhurried conversations and stories about the legends and mysteries of the northern land from our charismatic guide. This is one of those moments that you want to keep in your memory forever.

Our evening doesn't end there.: We are starting the hunt for the northern Lights again! Away from the city illumination, in the absolute silence of the endless tundra, watching this natural phenomenon is even more magical — as if the universe itself reveals its secrets to us.

After an unforgettable day, we go to bask and relax in our comfortable cottages. Tomorrow we will be on our way home.

Today, after breakfast at the hotel, we will stop at the market to buy fish and venison (optional).

This brings our journey to an end — we will escort you to Murmansk Airport. Happy, rested, full of new impressions and memories.

Congratulations on a bright start to 2027! See you soon!