Visit Tromso – the cold city that will warm your heart

It was the time to switch my nature-based travel through Norway and visit Tromso city for a few days. There were no expectations, as nature is the gem of the land, not cities. But Tromso amazed me a lot, and this is the place that I want to come back to the nearest possible.

We had a few adventures from the beginning of our visit to Tromso. We reached Tromso after driving almost all night, since it still was 6 or 7 AM, we looked for a calm place to nap in the car until our Airbnb will be available. After driving around the island (yes, Tromso is an island), we reached a parking lot which is the best place to watch Aurora in the area. After a good nap in quite a public space, we drove from the road closer to the water for breakfast barbecue. The barbecue was great, but then we understood that we can’t drive back up to the road through the wet grass… Imagine us, digging the ground with bare hands (who would think that a shovel would be needed in a road-trip) and making tracks for us to drive out… But we managed 🙂

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Related post: Driving through Helgelandskysten – scenic route in Norway

The beautiful surrounding area

Tromso is located in an amazing area. I already mentioned that the city is an island. It is connected with other islands via beautiful Norwegian style bridges. The best place to have a full view of Tromso is from the Floya mountain. This is a must-see place when you visit Tromso. The mountain is a bit higher than 670 m. I have read that in about 30 mins it can be reachable by walking on foot. As in many mountains in Norway, there are some sherpa stairs. I have read it because I took the lazy way – cable car. For one person both ways cost around 25 Euros (one way – 15 EUR).

The views of the city and surrounding areas are just amazing… You can walk up to the peak, as the cable car takes you only to the plane. By the way, have you noticed the amount of snow? It was mid of July… Here you can really feel “the north”.

On top of the Floya there is a Norwegian cafe. If you walked all the way up, treat yourself with a hot drink and a portion of Norwegian pancakes. At least I did (even without walking up). Visit the official website for more practical information.

Hella – the top place for fishing in Tromso

I refuse to believe that while being in Norway, you will not take a fishing rod to your hands. At least once. Personally, I hate fishing, and usually, it seems like a “dirty” habit to me. All those swamps, feed, baits, etc. And usually no catch… But in Norway, I experienced “clean” fishing. You just sit on the rock, throw in a hook, and pull the fish out. The success ratio when fishing in the fjords is very high. And the fish are big. Got some records there myself 😉

So, where to go fishing during your visit to Tromso? There is a place called Hella. Hella is perfect not only for fishing but for all recreational purposes: hiking, camping, barbecue… It’s a great place to spend the afternoon with your family. The place is great for fishing because of the strong current which goes through it.

Despite of all great expectations, after a few hours, we left without a catch. But the evening and the sunset was just perfect.

Related post: 30 photos that will make you want to visit Lofoten Islands immediately

Visit Tromso – what not to miss

What I could least expect during my visit to Tromso, is that the city itself will be really cozy. As a Scandinavian city, It was expected to be cold and empty. But I have left with a warmed heart and a feeling similar to even some small Italian cities.

OK, I have to mention about the life under the city as well. Tromso has a wide network of tunnels. These tunnels include some underground parking and roundabouts… Roundabouts in the tunnels… Well, I have seen quite a lot of the world, but never a roundabout in the tunnel.

Coming back to the surface, as you will probably visit Tromso by car, park your vehicle in the street and go for a stroll through Tromso’s old town, or center. It has beautiful Scandinavian architecture and a walk along the pier could be one of the most pleasant experiences.

A stroll around the city

OK, OK, the most important thing to do when visiting Tromso is to watch the northern lights. That is unarguable. But if you are visiting in summer, like me, here are some things not to miss during your visit to Tromso :

Arctic Cathedral. This astonishing building is a symbol of the city. A beautiful iceberg-shaped church with incredible mosaics in the front.

Polar Museum & Skansen. This is like a small Tromso in the area and all the stories behind how Tromso became the “Gateway to the Arctic”. You will see the history of the area reaching even Svalbard and see the life of seal hunters and fishers.

Tromso Cathedral. Imagine, the Arctic Cathedral is not the main church of Tromso. The centrally located Cathedral is also no less impressive. This old wooden church was built 200 years ago. It is located in a beautiful area along the Storgata shopping street. A great place to relax.

Storgata street. This is the main shopping street in Tromso. Just walk along, do the window shopping, or real shopping. It’s full of Norwegian goods.

The following two places I really wanted to visit, so I will tell you about them more: Polaria Arctic Experience Center And Aquarium and Arctic Botanical Gardens.

Poliaria

One more iceberg-related building in Tromso. Polaria is more than an aquarium, it’s more than a museum. It goes along with the modern philosophy of saving the Ocean and saving the planet. A large part of the museum is dedicated to the glaciers and their changes during the last decades. The effect that our modern lives have brought. It’s the history in front of your eyes, and it makes you think deeper. Really.

Also, there is an aquarium with Arctic fish and nature. Visit the aquarium during seal feeding activities, which happen two times a day for the best experience. Personally, I expected a bit more from this activity, but when comparing to seal shows in other countries, this was average. Although, it might be less fun for viewers but more friendly for sea animals.

Visit Tromso’s Arctic botanical gardens

Be sure that when you visit Tromso, don’t forget to go to the world’s northernmost botanical garden. The first feature that I somehow want to mention is that it is open during the Summer months and it’s FREE. So well preserved and taken care of the place available for everyone without additional cost. The garden is full of plants that originate from the Arctic and Alpine regions around the world.

Did you see the photos of snow at the beginning of this blog? So on the same day in the other part of the city, there are a variety of flowers blooming. This place is a must must when you visit Tromso.

Gourman’s experience in Tromso

This blog post is already so long, but I cannot finish without my food experience when in the city.

Visit Tromso’s Oldest Pub Ølhallen. The most famous pub belongs to the oldest Tromso Mack brewery, which was established in 1877. Until 2015 it used to be the Northernmost brewery in the world when the Svalbard brewery opened.

Ølhallen has Europe`s longest tap beer tower with 72 different beers on tap. I have tasted only 2, and, personally, I’ve never seen such small glasses for beer… 175 ml of beer cost 5 Eur. You can’t get drunk easily in Scandinavia 😉

When I was searching for a place to eat in Tromso, Google gave me a few suggestions, one of which was A Dragøy AS. I was fully in for the adventure of tastes and ordered the two most popular dishes: the fish soup and fish and chips. What can I say? 100% recommendation!

How many experiences for only 2-day visit in this Arctic city. And this is the Summer edition. I hope to come back to Tromso during winter to view those northern lights.