My First Aurora Experiences

First time seeing the northern lights is special. Every story is unique and I want to share what Elisabeth Machata from Austria said about her experience.

Elisabeth came to Vaasa, Finland, in October and stayed for four months. She joined my Aurora watchers’ Facebook group (called Aurora Österbotten) to maximize her chances of seeing the northern lights.

Elisabeth Machata in Vaasa — Elisabeth Machata from Austria spent four months in Vaasa, Finland.

During her time here she worked at a hospital. But why did she choose to come to Finland?

– It has always been a dream of mine to live in a northern country, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do so through the Erasmus program. [A program financed by EU. Editor’s note.] I decided to come to Finland, a place I had never been before.

– I didn’t have many specific expectations. I just wanted to get to know the culture, the food, the people, and the city. I planned to visit Helsinki, Turku, and Tampere, as well as explore the surroundings of Vaasa.

Aurora Borealis over Vaasa, Finland — Photo by Elisabeth Machata.

Seeing the Northern Lights for the first time

– I had never seen the northern lights before, and it was a huge dream of mine to experience them. I read a lot about it and researched social media to find people who knew more than I did and could tell me when and where to see them. That’s how I found your Facebook group, which I’m very grateful for.

– Seeing them was magical! The first time, the northern lights were only slightly visible, and I could only see them when I took a picture. But after a few attempts, I witnessed some truly beautiful ones, and the feeling of seeing them with my own eyes is indescribable. I still get goosebumps even when talking about it.

Seeing the northern lights for the first time — Photo by Elisabeth Machata.

Connecting to a Facebook group

Connecting with the local Aurora group on Facebook was incredibly helpful. I learned how to interpret the data from the app, and whenever I saw an alert on Facebook, I always ended up seeing some northern lights. The people in the group were very friendly and supportive, and it was a pleasure to see all the stunning pictures of the northern lights that others had taken.

The region, the people, the nature

I absolutely fell in love with Vaasa. I was born in Vienna, a city with 2 million people, so it was quite a change at first. But the longer I stayed in Vaasa, the more I got used to it.

I also visited places outside Vaasa, such as the Replot Bridge, the Kvarken Archipelago, and the Söderfjärden Meteor Crater. I absolutely adore the nature in Vaasa. The sea, the forests, the snow—it was all stunning. I saw many beautiful birds and even a few foxes.

Elisabeth managed to see the stunning Polar Stratospheric Clouds. They look surreal, but that's really how you see them. Photo by Elisabeth Machata.

The darkness wasn’t a problem at all for me; in fact, I loved it. It was wonderful when it got dark early, as I could enjoy many beautiful sunsets after leaving the hospital. I also enjoyed the cozy atmosphere in my Airbnb with candles every evening.

I will definitely come back, possibly in the summer, as many people told me Vaasa is even more beautiful during that time!

[The interview was done on Messenger in February 2025.]

The Aurora Österbotten Facebook group is found here.