Explore the world's darkest and most sunlit cities

[jw5]

Explore the world's darkest and most sunlit cities​

Weather: you can’t always get what you want. Whether it’s sunny but too hot, or too cold and dark, it’s hard finding a place that has the most perfect climate. However, it’s nice to know where to go if you’re looking for a sunny city or a dark destination. The sun brings beach days and BBQs, while lack of light can be perfect for stargazing or getting some much-needed sleep.

 

[jw5]

Reykjavík, Iceland​

Starting off with dark destinations, this Icelandic capital has little daylight and long hours of darkness. During winter, the city is lit up with bright Christmas lights and auroras.

 

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Tórshavn, Faroe Islands​

Tórshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands. It's a freezing city, which apparently sees less than 40 days of sunshine every year.

 

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London, England​

London is famed for being one miserable city, weather-wise, of course. It doesn't get much sunlight, and gas lights still brighten the streets at night.

 

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Tallinn, Estonia​

Tallinn has dark winter nights, which are perfect for looking for ghosts or spirits, as is tradition in the Estonian capital.

 

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Rjukan, Norway​

Rjukan is a small town in southern Norway, where towering mountains seem to almost touch the sky. From September to March, the area doesn't get much sun at all.

 

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Utqiagvik, Alaska, USA​

Utqiagvik is the most northern point of the US. The city, formerly known as Barrow, can go two months without sunlight every year.

 

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Stockholm, Sweden​

Stockholm is a dark city, one of many that celebrates St. Lucia Day, which is a holiday intended to celebrate light.

 

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Helsinki, Finland​

The Finnish capital is submerged in darkness during winter. Daylight in December can last for just six hours.

 

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Oslo, Norway​

During winter, Oslo has short days and long nights. It's said that Norway has five seasons, with a "dark" and "light" winter.

 

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Flagstaff, Arizona, USA​

In 2001, Flagstaff became the first International Dark Sky City. You can even spot Pluto from the city's Lowell Observatory.

 

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Glasgow, Scotland​

Glasgow apparently gets just 50 days of sunshine every year.

 

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Birmingham, England​

Birmingham is another British city that gets little sunlight. It's a cloudy place, with dark wintry nights.

 

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Cologne, Germany​

Cologne gets just over 1,500 hours of sunlight every year.

 

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Vaduz, Liechtenstein​

Cloudy all year round, Vaduz is a dark city in Liechtenstein. The "cold season" lasts nearly four months, from November to March.

 

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View attachment 178105

Reykjavík, Iceland​

Starting off with dark destinations, this Icelandic capital has little daylight and long hours of darkness. During winter, the city is lit up with bright Christmas lights and auroras.

Omg that’s terrible with long hours of darkness.

 

[ginfreely]

View attachment 178107

London, England​

London is famed for being one miserable city, weather-wise, of course. It doesn't get much sunlight, and gas lights still brighten the streets at night.

I remember the London office that I visited decades ago, the food court already got a revolving belt for people to return the trays and dishes. And the dirty dishes are kept out of sight. Very nice. Very high tech! Spore is decades behind indeed.

 

[jw5]

Hamburg, Germany​

The winters are long in Hamburg, with around seven hours of daylight during winter.

 

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Yuma, Arizona, USA​

Now, the sunny cities. Yuma is the sunniest place on Earth, according to the World Meteorological Organization. The arid Arizona city has around 100 days of 40+°C (104+ °F) weather every year.

 

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Aswan, Egypt​

Aswan is Africa's sunniest city, with over 10 hours of intense sunlight every day.