Murmansk Oblast · Russia
Murmansk travel guide
Murmansk is a city in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, home to about 264,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- MMK25 km · Emperor Nicholas II Murmansk Airport
- Currency
- RUBRussian ruble
- Time zone
- Europe/Moscow
- Language
- Abaza, Adyghe, Aghul
About
About Murmansk
Murmansk (Russian: Мурманск) is the administrative center and largest city of Murmansk Oblast in the far northwest part of Russia. It is a major port city that is the world's largest and most populous city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of Kola Bay, with its bulk on the east bank of the inlet.
With a population of 270,000 (as of 2021, down from 470,000 in 1989, and 310,000 in 2010), Murmansk is the largest city in the Arctic and an important Russian naval base and commercial port. Unlike Arkhangelsk on the White Sea, its harbor does not freeze in winter. It was the last city founded by the Russian Empire. In World War II, known to Russians as the Great Patriotic War, Murmansk served as a port for the arctic convoys, and after the war became the Soviet Union's most important submarine base. This history provides a major reason to visit the city, museums and port.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Murmansk
See
As a relatively new city, Murmansk has few real sights apart from the giant statue Alyosha; architecture buffs will, however, be intrigued by the crumbling Stalinist architecture downtown. The architecture is complemented by trees and other vegetation receiving little care. Walking up into the nearby hills offers remarkable views over the city, Kola bay, beautiful lakes, and the surrounding completely barren mountains - revealing how far north the city really is.
- Alyosha Statue
- Nuclear icebreaker Lenin
- Memorial to the Soldiers and Seamen Who Died in Peaceful Time
- Monument to Waiting Women
- Arctic Research Institute Exposition
- Northern Navy Museum
- Murmansk Regional Museum of Art
- Regional Museum
- Shipping History Museum
Do
- Oceanarium
- Sport Complex "South Slope"
- Orthodox Monastery
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Murmansk
2 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Ogni Murmanska | 4.6 km | |
| Park Inn by Radisson Poliarnie Zori | 0.8 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Murmansk
Murmansk has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C; July is the wettest, with about 74 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Murmansk: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Emperor Nicholas II Murmansk Airport (MMK), about 25 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
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 and the central Five Corners Square. Avid walkers could cover the entire stretch of the central area from the Poliarnie Zori Hotel on the south end of the city center to the Alyosha Statue, on a plateau on the north side of the city, in less than two hours.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MMK · Emperor Nicholas II Murmansk Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Murmansk
Stay safe
Some neighbourhoods may be unsafe at night, particularly Rostu and Zhilstroy. Packs of stray dogs roam around suburban areas and have been known to attack humans carrying food. There are also bear sightings along the road leading to the airport. Although bears usually flee upon contact, mothers protecting cubs may be aggressive.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Murmansk: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Murmansk?
Murmansk has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C; July is the wettest, with about 74 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Murmansk?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Emperor Nicholas II Murmansk Airport (MMK), about 25 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Murmansk?
Russian ruble (RUB).
Nearby
Destinations near Murmansk
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.