Murmansk, Russia

Murmansk is a city and seaport in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, 12 km from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland. It is an important naval base, fishing and shipping port, and home to Atomflot, the world's only fleet of nuclear powered ice breakers.

Although Murmansk is long and thin, most sites of interest to visitors are within a fairly compact area in the city center. Prospekt Lenina is the main north-south thoroughfare through the city center. Attractions include the Regional History Museum, the Northern Navy Museum, the Alyosha statue and the huge Russian Orthodox Church. At the Oceanarium visitors can see trained seals perform in this white domed building.

Things to See and Do

* Museums
* Oceanarium
* Alyosha Statue
* Russian Orthodox Church
* nuclear icebreakers

Cruise Season - Oct - April
Currency - Ruble (RUB)
Language - Russian
Land Area - 150.5 sq km
Population - 400,000 approx
Electricity - 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus two hours to plus eleven hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 7

Port Location - The port is located in the centre of the village.

Travel Links - Murmansk Airport has multiple daily flights to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and limited services to other Russian cities including Sochi and Rostov-on-Don. There are also several flights per week to Tromso and Kirkenes, Norway. The airport is located about 40km south of Murmansk, near the town of Murmashi. Taxis cost 420-500 Rubles from the city center and make the trip in about 40 minutes. The 106 bus from the train station (stopping at Detsky Mir near the Poliarnie Zori Hotel) is less expensive but much more sluggish than a taxi.

A bus and catamaran service connects to Kirkenes at the northeasternmost tip of Norway. There are also occasional boats to Barentsburg, Svalbard.

By train, Murmansk is 35-40 hours from Moscow and 27-30 hours from St. Petersburg, depending on the train. The train station is located in the city center, one block downhill from Five Corners Square.

Murmansk can be reached by bus from Finland (Rovaniemi and Ivalo) and Norway (Kirkenes).