Highlights of Tromsø Norway, Where the Gulls Never Sleep

We visited this lively, northern city a few weeks ago, and given its far northern location means this time of year, the sun never sets; sounds like a soap opera title. 😉 This continuous daylight seemed to excite the gulls, and they were loud and talkative all day and night. I would wake up in the middle of the night to hear them screeching. It didn’t bother me though, but I did wonder when they slept; winter maybe? Anyway, it’s also a lively party town, so on Friday and Saturday nights, in addition to hearing gulls, we also heard humans partying and having fun until the wee hours of the morning.

Tromsø, located in the Arctic Circle, is the 12th largest city in Norway and has much to offer; museums, stunning views, food, wine, brews, and a multitude of outdoor activities; it’s a really cool place to visit. We seemed to have planned our visit at the right moment since all of the exceptionally friendly locals we talked with said it had been cold and rainy for the past month, but while we were there it was sunny and pleasant. I guess we brought the warm weather with us from France. As I mentioned, there is much to do and see in this lively town; here were the highlights for us.

1. Fjellheisen Cable Car. The cable car will take you from a quiet residential neighborhood in Tromsø to Storsteinen, 421 meters above, in just a matter of minutes. There was a band playing at the top when we arrived, which instantly put smiles on our faces. It sort of made us feel like royalty arriving at a grand reception. Here you’ll find many hiking trails and amazing views.

It’s a popular location for paragliding. I can’t imagine jumping off a cliff like this young man!

The cable car runs every half hour and costs about €15 for a round trip ticket. There’s a restaurant at the top, so you can enjoy a nice meal after exploring the area.

2. Troll Museum. If you’re interested in folklore and fairytales, check out this interesting museum. You’ll learn much about these mythical creatures, their habits, habitats, and characteristics. Apparently, they come in all shapes and sizes, live in caves, and can be quite nasty.

This is a great museum for kids of all ages (unless they’re easily frightened), with some hands-on activities for anyone interested.

3. Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden. This is the northernmost botanical garden in the world. It opened in 1994 and is operated by Tromsø University Museum. It contains plants from alpine and cool locations of all continents as well as Arctic plants.

We even saw some plants from our home states of Oregon and Washington. We spent most of the morning here, wandering, taking photos, and theTravelsketcher found some great opportunities for sketching.

4. Tromsø Cathedral. Built in 1861, is Norway’s only Protestant Cathedral built out of wood. There has been a church on this site for many centuries, dating back possibly as far as the 12th century.

5. Tromsdalen Church. Also known as the Arctic Cathedral was completed in just one year and opened in 1965. This active Lutheran church was built of concrete and is visible from many locations around the city.

6. Fiskekompaniet. This must be the best restaurant in town, in our humble opinion at least. Terry had herring followed by shrimp and I had Arctic char. The food was impeccably presented and equally delicious. The sommelier spent quite a lot of time with us as we reviewed the extensive wine list, and he gave us his thoughts on the wines we considered. The exceptionally friendly and helpful staff seemed to love their work and enjoyed interacting with the customers.

Tromsø is relatively easy to get to; we flew there on Finnair from CDG with a quick layover in Helsinki. English is widely spoken, which makes it easy to communicate. However, Norway is quite expensive, so be prepared to spend lots of krone for most things if you visit.

What do you think of Tromsø? As always, I would love to hear from you so please leave a message if you’re so inclined.

Wishing you grand adventures,

Tricia