Tromso, the largest city in Northern Norway, has always been known as the Gateway to the Arctic, a famous starting point for seal and whale hunting and polar expeditions. Among the most famous are those of Amundsen, Nansen, and Nobile. Up here, we are approximately 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, where the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun are the undisputed protagonists of the Arctic winter and summer.
Also known as the Arctic Capital and the Paris of the North, the city is divided into three parts: the city centre is located on the island of Tromsøya, while the rest of the city extends from Tromsdalen to the island of Kvaløya (Whale Island).
The Tromso area has been inhabited since the last Ice Age, as demonstrated by some archaeological finds of ancient human settlements. The first historical sources on Tromso date back to the Middle Ages, when various populations such as the Norse and the Sami lived here.
In 1252, King Haakon IV of Norway built the first church on the island of Tromsoya, which at the time was the northernmost church in the world. At the same time, he built a city wall to defend the area from enemy incursions from Karelia and Russia. At that time, Tromso was a frontier town, a title it later lost as the border gradually retreated to its current position.
The 20th century was marked by the Second World War, during which Tromso temporarily became the capital of Norway. Although it suffered no damage, the city still experienced the nightmare of war: the Tirpitz, a German Kriegsmarine battleship, was sunk nearby, and in 1942 the Nazi concentration camp of Krøkebærsletta was opened, holding over 2,000 prisoners, who were later sent to other camps in Norway and Germany.
Tromso can experience both the Polar Night and the Midnight Sun. From late November to approximately mid-January, the sun never rises above the horizon, while from mid-May to approximately mid-July, the sun never sets. These two periods are the first things to keep in mind when planning your trip to Tromso.
Tromso is the world's northernmost university city and boasts a rich cultural calendar and a vibrant nightlife in its many pubs. During the day, it offers several interesting places to visit, both in the city center and outside.
Tromso is one of the Norwegian cities certified as a Sustainable Destination and is quite a pleasant visit. It's a city rich in history and culture, surrounded by stunning mountains and fjords, and can easily be explored in two or three days. In this article, we'll provide you with all the information you need to plan a perfect visit to Tromso.
1. Storgata
Tromso's small, charming center is home to the largest number of old wooden houses in all of Northern Norway. Along the main pedestrian street (Storgata) are most of the buildings that survived both World War II and the 1969 fire that destroyed the city.
The oldest house dates back to 1789, while in Stortorvet Square there is the old Town Hall, dating back to 1864 and which housed the police station and prison for over a century, and the Music Pavilion, dating back to 1892. Also in the square is the Rakettkiosken, the oldest kiosk in the city, opened as a newsstand in 1911.
2. Tromso Cathedral
Also in the city centre is the splendid Tromso Cathedral (Tromsø Domkirke), the northernmost Protestant cathedral in the world and one of the largest churches built entirely of wood in Norway.
The cathedral stands on the site where King Haakon IV of Norway built Tromso's first church as a royal chapel in 1252. This small church was succeeded by two others, one in 1711 and one in 1803, before construction of the current church began between 1860 and 1880.
Its interior is very beautiful and distinctive, with large side stands, an altar, and a painting depicting the Resurrection. It also houses two organs: an ancient manual one dating back to 1863 and an electric one dating back to 2017.
3. Arctic Cathedral
The Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen), built in 1965, is the city's iconic building thanks to its distinctive structure inspired by the Northern Norwegian landscape . The 11 aluminum-clad concrete panels on each side of the roof vaguely resemble the shape of colliding blocks of sea ice, but also the tip of an iceberg or a Sami tent.
The interior is very bare, but it's worth a visit just to admire the large stained-glass window . It depicts the hand of God emanating three rays of light: one through Jesus, one through a woman, and one through a man. The church's organ has 2,940 pipes and was built in 2005 in a modern style, perfectly in harmony with the rest of the structure.
4. Polarmuseet
Not far from the city center is the Polarmuseet, Tromso's Polar Museum, which tells the story of the Arctic and the city's history. The museum was inaugurated on June 18, 1978, on the 50th anniversary of Roald Amundsen's fateful flight aboard the Latham. The building in which it is housed dates back to 1830 and was used as a customs warehouse until the 1970s. The adjacent building, dating back to 1840, houses the museum's administration.
Inside, the museum houses several rooms that recount the hunting expeditions to Svalbard that took place between the 17th and 20th centuries. These early hunting expeditions focused primarily on walrus, seal, and reindeer, later moving on to whales. The rapid decline of the walrus population in the 20th century shifted attention to hunting Arctic foxes and polar bears, reaching as far as Greenland to hunt musk oxen.
Other rooms of the museum host various exhibits on the first research expeditions to the North Pole. The first room features models of five famous aircraft that shaped the history of Arctic expeditions between 1897 and 1928. These include the seaplane with which Amundsen attempted to reach the North Pole in 1925 and the airship Norge, in which Amundsen, along with Nobile, flew over the North Pole for the first time in 1926. The subsequent rooms are dedicated to the historic exploits of Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen.
Take some time to wander among old objects from the era and black and white photographs to immerse yourself in the history and exploits of these courageous explorers.
5. Fortaleza de Skansen
The Polar Museum is located in the oldest part of the city, home to Tromsø's oldest building: Skansen Fortress. The fortress was built on a promontory at the narrowest point of Tromsø Sound and was surrounded by sea on three sides and a moat on the mainland.
The dating of the fortification is uncertain and varies from the 11th to the 15th century, although it appears to have been mentioned in the 13th century, along with the construction of Tromsø's first church. Skansen, along with the seven buildings constructed between 1789 and 1850 that comprise the old customs house, was designated a historic building in 2000.
6. Arctic University Museum
Also worth a visit is the Norwegian Arctic University Museum in Tromso, the oldest scientific institution in Northern Norway. It houses several exhibitions exploring the history and culture of the Sami, the Northern Lights, and the lives of the Vikings.
7. MS Polstjerna Museum
Another interesting museum to visit in Tromso is the Polstjerna Museum (MV Polar Star), a ship used for seal hunting. Built in 1949, it was specifically designed to withstand the conditions of the Arctic Ocean. The ship sailed for 33 hunting seasons and, sadly, brought home more than 97,000 seals.
She was retired in 1981, and in the same year, the ship was acquired by the Arktisk Forening (Arctic Society). In 2005, the covered museum where the MV Polstjerna now stands was opened, and it is possible to visit the interior. With the help of an audio guide, you can hear the history of the seal hunt that took place aboard the MV Polstjerna.
The museum also hosts the Snowhow exhibition, which explores what polar explorers such as Amundsen and Nansen learned from the indigenous peoples of the Arctic.
8. Polaria
Another interesting stop is Polaria, the world's northernmost aquarium and a research center established in 1998 to disseminate the research conducted at FRAM – the High North Center for Climate and Environmental Research. Not surprisingly, the building's structure represents the ice floes driven ashore in the Arctic regions.
The facility's main goal is to raise awareness of the impact our actions have on the climate and the environment. In addition to the exhibits, it also features a small aquarium with Arctic fish, mollusks, and plants, including cod and king crab. The aquarium is also home to four seals: two bearded seals and two harbour seals. The only thing we found a little sad was the show put on during the seal feeding hours. If you'd like to see them in their natural habitat, visit Svalbard!
9. Mack Ølbryggeri
If you have time, also visit the historic Mack Brewery, founded in 1877, which produces 18 different beers. Each one better than the last. For a long time, it held the title of the world's northernmost brewery, but has now been surpassed by Svalbard Bryggeri. Here you can take a guided tour of the brewery, then go and taste a few beers in the historic adjacent pub, the Ølhallen Pub, the oldest in Tromso, having opened in 1928.
10. Northern Lights Planetarium
If you'd like to learn more about the Aurora Borealis, we recommend visiting the Northern Lights Planetarium, Norway's largest planetarium. Here, an interesting documentary is shown daily, detailing the science, history, and myth of the Aurora Borealis. It also discusses the constellations of the night sky and journeys through the solar system and the universe to distant galaxies.
11. Arctic–Alpine Botanic Garden
A trip to Tromso in summer isn't complete without a visit to the Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden, the world's northernmost botanical garden, featuring arctic and alpine plants from every continent. The best time to visit is during the flowering season, which typically begins in early May and continues until the snow falls, usually in October.
Inside, among many others, it hosts various species of plants from South America, Africa, the Himalayan blue poppies from Tibet and various flowers from the Falkland Islands.
The botanical garden is open all year round, there are no fences or gates and admission is free.
