{"id":23096,"date":"2026-02-20T15:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T14:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/?p=23096"},"modified":"2026-02-24T09:42:46","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T08:42:46","slug":"what-is-the-aurora-certificate-by-best-arctic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/nord-norge-reiseblogg\/what-is-the-aurora-certificate-by-best-arctic\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the Aurora Certificate by Best Arctic"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are many ways to remember a Northern Lights tour in Troms\u00f8: photos, stories, and that quiet feeling you carry home after witnessing the aurora borealis. But Paolo, Best Arctic\u2019s Guide Manager, wanted to create something different: something you can actually hold in your hands. That\u2019s why Best Arctic now gives every guest a new Aurora Certificate<\/strong> at the end of each successful Northern Lights tour: a hand-drawn illustration designed to feel like a small journey, not a generic printout.<\/p>\n

He explains that when guests look at the certificate, he hopes they don\u2019t see \u201cjust a document,\u201d but a story that unfolds slowly<\/strong>, with details that reveal themselves the longer you look. Every element was placed intentionally. And if you follow the drawing around the page, you\u2019ll notice it\u2019s not random decoration, it\u2019s a guided path through Northern Norway, Troms\u00f8\u2019s polar history, and the experiences that bring people here in the first place.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

«Everything inside the drawing, including the lettering, decorative dots, and texts, has been created entirely by hand. I intentionally avoided computer fonts because I wanted the certificate to feel authentic, tangible, and personal.» <\/em>\u2013 explains Paolo, our Guide Manager.<\/p>\n

Below, Paolo shares the meaning behind the illustration: clockwise, the same way he built it by hand.<\/p>\n

A Fjord framing the Aurora<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cAt the top of the certificate, I start with a fjord framing the Northern Lights. Fjords are inseparable from Norway\u2019s identity<\/strong>, and especially from the landscape around Troms\u00f8. The fjord felt like the most natural \u201cframe\u201d for the aurora: dramatic, powerful, and symbolic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me the fjord is both protective and open<\/strong>, embracing the viewer while inviting them to look beyond the horizon. It becomes a gateway: a passage between what is familiar and what is unknown. And that is exactly what it feels like to chase the Northern Lights for the first time\u201d \u2013 explains Paolo.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mountains that inspire respect<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cOn the right side, mountains begin to rise. They are not exact replicas of a single location, although the furthest peaks were loosely inspired (more from memory than reference) by the mountains near Ersfjord, close to Troms\u00f8<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMountains are essential in Norway. They shape the land, the culture, and even the mindset of the people who live here\u201d \u2013 he mentions. \u201cBut I intentionally avoided making them look purely gentle or welcoming. Mountains are beautiful, but also demanding sometimes dangerous, unpredictable, and unforgiving\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the certificate, the mountains are meant to evoke something specific: humility and respect<\/strong>. They are stunning to admire, but they remind you that the Arctic isn\u2019t a theme park. It\u2019s real wilderness.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Forest depth, hidden mushrooms, and the stories beneath the surface<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cAs the scene moves downward, the wilderness becomes denser. Although birch trees exist in the region, I chose pine and spruce to create a sense of enclosure, something quieter, more mysterious, almost like the landscape is holding its breath\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHidden among the vegetation are tiny amanita muscaria<\/em> mushrooms<\/strong>, drawn so subtly that you might miss them unless you look closely. Their inclusion isn\u2019t random\u201d. Paolo explains that \u201camanita muscaria<\/em> is a mycorrhizal species, living in symbiosis with trees like spruce and pine through underground networks. I found that relationship meaningful (almost poetic) and wanted it to exist quietly within the drawing, like a secret layer under the visible world\u201d.<\/p>\n

He also mentions the mushrooms\u2019 cultural weight: northern folklore, Viking stories, and old narratives about animals like reindeer interacting with them. \u201cTheir psychoactive properties may have helped shape myths and fairy tales. For me, it\u2019s a way of acknowledging that the Arctic landscape holds more history than we can see\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The reindeer: Wild, independent, timeless<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Then comes the reindeer, one of the most instantly recognizable symbols of the North. Paolo explains that he chose to draw it alone and moving freely<\/strong>, not inside fences or controlled spaces.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven today, reindeer are not fully domesticated\u201d. He wanted to honor that independence. In the composition, the reindeer becomes a quiet witness to the land: timeless, resilient, and unmistakably northern.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Ice, a compass, and the North<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cAs you move toward the lower right, the atmosphere shifts. After presenting nature in softer, organic shapes, I wanted something harsher, so I introduced ice\u201d<\/strong>. Instantly, the drawing starts to speak about the North Pole, Svalbard, and the long history of expeditions into extreme territories.<\/p>\n

Nearby sits a compass<\/strong>, which Paolo describes as \u201cboth decorative and symbolic. It represents navigation and the human desire to orient ourselves within the unknown\u201d. Exploration, he suggests, is never truly random. It\u2019s guided by curiosity, courage, and direction, \u201ceven when the destination is uncertain\u201d \u2013 he says.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The airship: A quiet reference to Polar history<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Troms\u00f8\u2019s role in polar exploration is a key theme in the certificate. Paolo explains: \u201cThe city became increasingly important because of expeditions and missions heading north, and I wanted that legacy present in the illustration\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why an airship floats above the ice and northern sea, strongly inspired by the Italia airship<\/strong>, which crashed on May 25th, 1928. <\/strong>I avoided writing \u201cITALIA\u201d on the side, partly for balance and partly because I am Italian and didn\u2019t want to introduce an unintended bias\u201d.<\/p>\n

Still, the airship remains a deliberate reference: elegant, historic, and meaningful. For guests who know the story, it\u2019s a quiet nod. For everyone else, Paolo hopes it sparks curiosity and invites deeper discovery.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Whale and sea<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cBelow the airship is the northern sea, and a whale emerging from the water. I connects this to Troms\u00f8\u2019s maritime history, including the era when voyages and expeditions were closely tied to whaling. The whale is a symbol of scale: a reminder that nature is immense, and human effort, no matter how bold, happens inside something far bigger\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI imagined the airship moving towards the ice, northward with purpose. In my mind, water represents the south<\/strong>, and ice represents the north<\/strong>, reinforcing that classic idea of exploration pushing into harsher, unknown terrain\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Fram: Norway\u2019s Polar icon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

On the lower left, Paolo includes the ship Fram<\/strong>, a symbol of Norwegian polar exploration. \u201cThis it is not a random vessel: it was designed for ice conditions and used notably by Fridtjof Nansen<\/strong> between 1893 and 1896\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI drew it drifting within the ice as it did historically, because that was part of the strategy. Fram was engineered to withstand immense pressure, and for me it represents innovation, courage, and determination. Details like the wind generator help make it recognizable for those who know its story\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Troms\u00f8 on an old Map, with a sea monster and 69\u00b0 North<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the lower left corner, Paolo wanted something explicitly tied to Troms\u00f8 itself. \u201cI drew the island in the style of an old, engraved map. I added a sea monster<\/strong>, a decorative symbol of unknown dangers and mysterious encounters at sea\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAround the map I added 69 degrees north<\/strong>, acknowledging Troms\u00f8\u2019s location close to 70\u00b0N. For many visitors, reaching a place so far above the Arctic Circle is a milestone in itself, something worth marking\u201d \u2013 Paolo mentions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Huskies, bonfires, and Arctic experiences<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Moving slightly upward, the certificate transitions from history and wilderness into modern experiences. \u201cThe huskies pulling a sled act as a bridge between eras: dog sledding has deep roots, but it\u2019s still something people can do today\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI left the musher undefined to keep the scene timeless, belonging to the past and present at once\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbove the huskies, I drew people gathered around a bonfire in the night. This is a symbol of the polar night, and of warmth, community, and shared memory, exactly the atmosphere Best Arctic<\/strong> aims to create during Northern Lights tours: calm moments together under the Arctic sky\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Troms\u00f8 landmarks: Cathedral, Cable Car and the city <\/strong><\/h2>\n

As the drawing rises toward the upper left, Paolo brings the focus to Troms\u00f8\u2019s present-day identity. The Arctic Cathedral<\/strong> appears, \u201cdrawn from memory rather than strict architectural precision\u201d. Nearby are Fjellheisen (the cable car) and Tromsdalstinden, landmarks visible from the city center.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also included houses that gradually emerge and fade, illustrating Troms\u00f8\u2019s growth over centuries and how quickly urban life transitions into nature once you move outward\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The QR Code Frame<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In the lower center section, Paolo added a small decorative frame reserved for a QR code, allowing guests to find their northern light tour photos. \u201cI wanted this modern element to blend into the composition, rather than interrupt it\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pen, paper, and imperfection<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The only elements added digitally are the QR code and anything outside the illustration itself. \u201cI intentionally avoided computer fonts because I wanted the certificate to feel authentic, tangible, and personal. When I began working on this piece, I did not have a fully fixed plan. I had a general idea of elements I wanted to include, but the final composition developed organically over several days as I worked directly with pen on paper. I followed the same sequence described above, working clockwise, allowing the drawing to evolve naturally rather than forcing a predefined structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost importantly, I wanted every Best Arctic<\/strong> guest to receive something that reflects care, passion, and time<\/strong>: a certificate designed with meaning, not assembled like a template\u201d.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A small token that carries the Arctic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Aurora Certificate isn\u2019t just a souvenir. It\u2019s a visual summary of what makes Troms\u00f8 special: fjords and mountains, deep forest and hidden stories, polar history and modern adventure, and the simple human warmth of sharing a night beneath the Northern Lights. And when guests take it home, Paolo hopes the certificate does what the aurora often does: stays with you longer than expected<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are many ways to remember a Northern Lights tour in Troms\u00f8: photos, stories, and that quiet feeling you carry home after witnessing the aurora borealis. But Paolo, Best Arctic\u2019s Guide Manager, wanted to create something different: something you can actually hold in your hands. That\u2019s why Best Arctic now gives every guest a new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":23097,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23096","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winter","category-northern-light"],"acf":{"bloques_de_contenido":null,"img_hero_blog":"","img_hero_blog_position_block":"center","post_anchors":null,"titular_seccion_releated_post":"","post-relacionado":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23096","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestarctic.com\/no\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}