Travel with the expertsDiscover the World has been arranging holidays across the Arctic region for nearly 30 years, bringing home a countless number of people with a lasting memory of the surreal aurora borealis. But it isn't just about nature's own lightshow which, as everyone knows, is fairly unpredictable. Our four featured winter destinations offer so many distinctive holiday experiences that you may need our help to steer you towards your ultimate quest - to have a fantastic trip and of course, witness the northern lights. Our team of dedicated travel specialists visit our destinations regularly, keeping up-to-date with new developments. This means you can be assured the information and advice they provide comes from first hand experience. It isn't just our know-how and enthusiasm that sets us apart from the rest - our special direct flights to Swedish Lapland have helped us become the world's leading tour operator to the magnificent Icehotel. Visit the website discover-the-world.co.uk to read about our specialist holidays, see our impeccable business credentials and find out what previous clients have said about Discover the World. Then let us take you to your winter wonderland and maybe, just maybe, your rendevous with the northern lights. talk to the experts 01737 218 804 3"To stand beneath a sky filled with the otherworldly lights of the aurora is something many of us seek. To actually find those glowing waves of neon green and yellow, or discover billowing curtains of blue, pink and red amongst a dark velvet sky, is something you'll treasure for a lifetime."Images ©: RTH Sigurdsson; Kakslauttanen Holiday Village; Thorsteinn Asgeirsson; Hurtigruten; Daytours; SAAB; Cathy Harlow; Peter Rosen/Norrlandia; Iso-Syote; Visit-Finland.com; Hotel Ranga; James & Joanne Cochrane; Mel & Neil O'Leary; Mark & Lynn Roberts.

Some people fall under the spell of the northern lights simply by hearing stories or seeing pictures as a child. Others may have caught a fleeting glimpse, creating the desire to pursue them further. Undoubtedly the allure of the aurora is strong and even for those lucky enough to have seen the lights, once is never enough!For ancient peoples, auroral skies created wonderment and fear. Naturally, in the absence of a scientific explanation, much legend and lore surrounding the lights built up over the centuries. Vikings believed the glowing lights were reflections from the shields of the Valkyries, maidens who transported fallen warriors to Valhalla. Scandinavian fishermen called the sightings Herring Flash as they saw them as a sign of rich catches, believing them to be caused by light reflecting off vast shoals of lively herring. An ancient Finnish fable tells how a great fox would hurry over the fells swishing his bushy tail creating sparks as it struck the snow, hence their name for the lights - Revontulet, which means foxfires. The Sami firmly believed the displays were the energies of their ancestors flying across the heavens. Other indigenous people held a great respect for the northern lights which remains to this day - many older people in northern Sweden still remember to stay silent when the lights begin to dance, something passed down by generations The Northern Lights4 visit discover-the-world.co.uk/northernlights Iceland Sweden