🇳🇴 Tromso: guide to the Arctic pearl of Norway
For those who find Finnish Lapland not northern enough, there is another Arctic challenge, Norwegian Tromsø. This is one of the northernmost cities in the world: only 2260 kilometers remain to the North Pole. For several months in winter, the sun does not appear here at all, and the short morning and afternoon hours resemble twilight. So, are you ready for one of the most unusual travel experiences of your life?
Tromsø at a glance
Tromso is a small Norwegian town 400 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle. Its population is only 77 thousand people. A quarter of them are students and teachers of the university of the same name. Yes, your intuition does not let you down: in spirit, Tromsø is a very youthful city. This is manifested in the abundance of entertainment infrastructure and the general driving atmosphere.
The two most important fears of tourists about Tromsø are quite justified: freezing and disappearing into the darkness. Fortunately, none of them is confirmed in practice. On the way to Tromso from Finnish Kilpisjärvi, I watched in horror as the thermometer crawled to minus 35 outside the window. But the Finnish tundra is located an order of magnitude further south than the Norwegian city.
It’s a paradox, but… 160 kilometers to the north and the temperature from minus 35 turned into a quite comfortable minus nine. That's what Golf Stream life -giving does! It is the warm ocean current that makes the climate of the coastal town soft. The record low temperature in Tromsø is just minus 18. Any resident of the middle zone has experienced more extreme moments in their winter life.
This does not mean that you should neglect warm clothes. A lot of walks await you, including in nature, so take care of your health.
What about the polar night? This really does happen, but rumor exaggerates things too much, literally and figuratively. In Tromsø, the polar night during the day resembles the white nights of the well-known St. Petersburg. The sun doesn't show up, but there's no darkness either. It turns out very atmospheric. You can enjoy this borderline state for five hours, and then it’s night like night. In order not to mope, Tromsey residents brightly illuminate their streets and houses. I have never seen such a lit city before.
How to get to Tromso
My northern route ran through Helsinki-Rovaniemi-Kilpisjärvi-Tromso- Oslo. You can repeat it in the same order or swap Norway and Finland.
How to get there from Rovaniemi
The capital of Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi, and Tromsø are connected by a bus route passing through the small village of Kilpisjärvi. I divided the route to Rovaniemi-Kilpisjärvi, covering it by Onnibus bus for 65 euros (flights sometimes disappear from the schedule due to low load), and Kilpisjärvi-Tromso by Best Arctic bus for 50 euros. Thus, you will not only be able to make a stopover in Kilpisjärvi, but also save 35-40 euros, because a direct flight from Rovaniemi to Tromso with Best Arctic costs 150 euros.
With the same success, you can take a direct flight from Rovaniemi to Tromso: an hour and a half journey, the money is similar. But then you will lose the opportunity to observe the nature of the Finnish tundra. And it's worth it, especially in the sunset rays.
How to get there from Oslo
The best option would be to take an airplane. And not necessarily low-cost. Both budget Norwegian and rated SAS offer flights of approximately the same cost. As you can see in the screenshot, it’s quite possible to find tickets in December for 100 euros round trip.
Aerophobes can try to use railway and bus transport. But it will be painful and expensive. Several transfers, more than a day on the road and the price tag is at least twice as expensive as air.
Advice on accommodation, food and local transport
They are banal: comfort in Norway is very expensive. You can travel to Tromsø on a budget, but you will have to deny yourself a lot.
Firstly, accommodation. I advise you to consider hostels, which, taking into account the youthful atmosphere of the city, look like a more than appropriate accommodation option. From my own experience, I can recommend CoCo Apartments Tromso – cozy, clean, close to the center. The night cost 50 euros.
The most modest trip to a cafe to have a snack with a tart starts from 15 euros per person. But more likely you will leave at least 30-40 euros there, and that’s without alcohol. A can of beer even in a store will cost 5 euros.
By the way, keep in mind: so that local residents do not pour alcohol into the northern depression, it is not sold later than eight (in the case of beer), or even six (with stronger drinks). On Saturdays, opening hours are even shorter, and Sunday is a completely dry day. Anything stronger than beer should be found in specialized Vinmonopolet stores. You can read more about alcohol policy in Norway here.
Tromsø has a convenient and extensive network of public transport. All main attractions and the airport can be reached by bus. But it requires preliminary preparation. The ideal option is to download the Troms Billett app in advance and link your bank card to it. The alternatives of buying tickets from machines or from the driver (who only accepts Norwegian kroner) will be a waste of time, since there are few machines and places for currency exchange. The ideal option is to purchase a 24-hour ticket in the app for 10 euros.
What to see
Well-lit Tromsø looks like the sun in the middle of an endless dark galaxy. Even in the frosty months it is pleasant to walk along it. The city has several parks, a harbor and fjords within walking distance. But there are several locations especially worthy of your attention.
Storgata
This is the main pedestrian street of the city, full of souvenir shops, cafes and simply cozy gingerbread houses. Multi-colored wooden buildings involuntarily prompt the question: can they really protect against frost? How can they! It is especially pleasant that the Norwegians illuminate their homes as much as possible to avoid polar gloom. In all my days of walking around Tromso, I saw only one unlit house. So it gives the impression of an endless fair.
Tromso Bridge
It connects the mainland and island parts of the city (yes, Tromso consists of two parts). The one-kilometer bridge is the northernmost bridge in Europe. Despite the winds sweeping over it, I strongly recommend taking a walk along it in the morning and evening. The bridge offers stunning views of the harbor and fjords.
And walking across the bridge is an adrenaline rush. The special design of the structure creates a feeling of swaying under your feet. The imagination itself will complete the piquant situation for the nerves. Just remind him that you are standing at a height of 38 meters above the icy water and you are kept from diving there by an 80-meter span floating in the air.
Arctic Cathedral
The bridge will lead to two main attractions of the city. The first of them is the Arctic Cathedral. The triangular shape of the cathedral resembles a glacier. The creators of the cathedral used the number three as the basis for the external and internal decoration. For example, on the main stained glass window they depicted the hand of God, from which three rays of light diverge – towards Jesus Christ and two people standing nearby.
В соборе периодически проходят концерты органной музыки, а также хоровые выступления. Послушать их можно за цену входного билета в собор: 70 крон или 6 евро. Расписание концертов можно найти здесь. Обратите внимание, что вход в собор возможен лишь в ограниченный промежуток времени, обычно с 12 до 17 часов.
Гора Флёйя
Вторая и главная достопримечательность материковой части города. Вы ведь мечтали об открыточных видах Тромсё как на фото ниже? Так вот, они делаются именно с горы Флёйя. Её можно покорить (используя пеший трейл Sherpatrappa), ей можно покориться (используя подъёмник Fjellheisen). Подъёмник стоит достаточно дорого — 210 крон (18 евро), не даёт ощущения эпохальности события и делает путь слишком уж прозаичным, абсолютно не соответствующим сказочным видам с горы.
Поэтому советую выстрадать шикарные виды Тромсё, пройдя трейл Sherpatrappa. Нет ни малейшего сомнения, что отдадите дань каждому метру данного подъёма, увидев, к чему он приведёт. В то же время должен предупредить: полукилометровая высота горы превращается в четырёхкилометровый поход, который займёт два часа времени. Это удел выносливых. А ещё и подготовленных: ни в коем случае не отправляйтесь на Sherpatrappa зимой без специальной обуви (как это сделал я)!
Чем выше забираетесь, тем больше снега и льда на ступенях. Беды с подъёмом ничто по сравнению с реальной опасностью спуска, когда можно поскользнуться и улететь на десяток метров вниз. Летальные случаи очень редки, но каждую зиму на вертолётах эвакуируют туристов с переломами.
Аквариум Polaria
Это самый северный аквариум в мире. И, разумеется, вся его внешность и внутренность возвещают об этом. Внешне аквариум перекликается с Арктическим собором. Он выглядит как глыбы льда, прибитые бурными водами Северного моря к берегу.
Обитатели аквариума также преимущественно северные. Среди них особый интерес вызывает популяция морских тюленей, обученных для выступления на публике. Детей несомненно заинтересует “арктическая аллея” аквариума. Помимо большого количества местной северной живности, тут выставлены оборудование для полярных исследований и даже искусственная вечная мерзлота.
Аквариум работает с 10 до 16:00 каждый день. Стоимость билета для взрослого 220 крон (19 евро).
Tromsø folkebibliotek
Или народная библиотека. Она продолжает список футуристичных построек города. На этот раз резкие ледяные формы собора и аквариума сменяются плавными морскими волнами.
Библиотека интересна не только с точки зрения внешнего вида. Вход в неё бесплатный и свободный не только для местных, но и для туристов. За чашкой тёплого напитка с книгой Кнута Гамсуна да на уютном диване приятно посидеть в окружении интеллектуальной публики.
Парк Charlottenlund и геофизическая KSAT-обсерватория
An unusual couple of attractions. Everyone recommends going to Charlottenlund Park to look for the northern lights. This natural island in the middle of a residential area can truly provide the main miracle of the northern latitudes. If the mission turns out to be impossible (and you can’t tell nature to share its wonders), then it will be nice to just take a walk in the park. By the way, here are life hacks on how to see the Northern Lights.
But if the soul categorically demands a miracle, then at least give it something man-made. Near the park, I unexpectedly discovered an alien landscape. Full of mysticism, the red illumination of the equipment directed into space, and also against the background of the total silence of the late evening, gave me the impression of being on a distant planet. Who knows, maybe this is an analogue of the American top-secret Area 51? But no, everything is a little more prosaic – this is the KSAT station of the geophysical observatory of the local university.
Ersfjordbotn and Kalfjord
Places of great prospects and unfulfilled hopes. People go there for the most accessible views of the fjords, which is wise to do in daylight (or twilight during the polar night). Northern lights hunters also go there (which should be done in the late evening). I bet everything on the second option and… lost. The Northern Lights never showed up. And it was no longer possible to see the fjords in the dark. However, better planning and more luck will hopefully help you.
Getting to these locations is easy. Kalfjord is located near the terminus of city bus number 42. There you can also change to commuter bus No. 425 and go to the Ersfjordbotn observation deck. In addition to beautiful views of the fjords and potential northern lights, you can admire a small waterfall that freezes almost completely in winter.