Krasnoyarsk Krai · Russia
Norilsk travel guide
Norilsk is a city in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, home to about 176,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- NSK35 km · Alykel International Airport
- Currency
- RUBRussian ruble
- Time zone
- Asia/Novosibirsk
- Language
- Abaza, Adyghe, Aghul
About
About Norilsk
Norilsk was founded because of the existence of a rich deposit of non-ferrous metals including nickel, cobalt, copper, platinum, and palladium. It was initially founded as one of Stalin's notorious gulags, in which political prisoners were used for forced labour in the mines. Founded before World War II, Norilsk and its mines and industrial plants, as well as a railway connecting the city with the port of Dudinka, were built with a large-scale use of convict labor from gulag prisoners.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Norilsk
See
Norilsk has several grand buildings in the center; however, it mostly consists of common, unremarkable apartment houses. Surrounding the city are vast areas of decaying industrial sites which are both depressing and fascinating at the same time.
- Norilsk Museum
- First House Norilsk
- Museum of Construction and Development of the Norilsk Railway
- Nurdi Kamal Mosque
- Black Tulip Memorial
Do
- Norilsk Polar Drama Theatre
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Norilsk
Norilsk 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; August is the wettest, with about 68 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 Norilsk: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Alykel International Airport (NSK), about 35 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting in
There have been people who have driven by river to Norilsk from the rest of Russia in winter, but there are no roads, so when the river is not frozen, the only way to get in is by plane, or by boat in the summer. Foreigners cannot visit Norilsk without a special permit, which is generally not granted to independent travelers. However, it is possible to visit on a guided tour with an approved company, which will handle most of the necessary paperwork for you.
Getting around
Buses are plentiful and go everywhere as a result of the harsh winter climate. Taxis are reasonably priced.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
NSK · Alykel International Airport
Questions
Norilsk: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Norilsk?
Norilsk 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; August is the wettest, with about 68 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Norilsk?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Alykel International Airport (NSK), about 35 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Norilsk?
Russian ruble (RUB).
Nearby
Destinations near Norilsk
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.