Tromsø Things to Do Tips by FletteMette

Polaria is the Norwegian centre for polar knowledge - an information- and experience centre focusing on issues regarding the Polar Areas and the Barent Region. This sounds rather boring, but the aquariums, the seal pool and the movies make this a popular place for kids. The building looks quite interesting (see photo) - I've seen it being compared to a "pile of books", but it is *supposed* to resemble ice floes pushed up against the shore... ;o)

At Polaria you'll find information about Norways activities in the Arctic and the Antarctic, there are some arctic aquariums and a seal pool. You can watch the seals being fed and trained every day at 12.30 and 15.30.

What really makes the visit to Polaria a great experience is Ivo Caprino's beautiful film about the islands of Svalbard - truly breathtaking pictures of arctic landscapes and animals..! (Svalbard (Spitsbergen) lies in the Arctic Ocean, and this is the northernmost part of Norway - many arctic expeditions have started from these islands)

Entrance fees:
Adults NOK 95
Children NOK 45
Senior citizens NOK 80
Students NOK 65
Family NOK 250
(2 adults + up to 3 children)

Opening hours:
May 18th - Aug. 22nd: 10 - 19
Aug. 23rd - May 16th: 12 - 17

Polaria also has a café & a quite nice (but expensive) gift shop.

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Phone: + 47 77 75 01 00
Address: Hjalmar Johansensgate 12
Website: http://polaria.no/en/

The Norwegian Reindeer Racing Championship (!) takes place in the main street of Tromsø - this competition has been held in Tromsø the past few years, and it is supposed to become a yearly tradition. The race is part of the celebration of the Sami national day, which is on February 6th - the race takes place on a Sunday close to this date, during the Sami Culture Week. (In 2008 on Sunday 10th.) The Samis are the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia. Traditionally the Samis were nomadic reindeer herders, and the reindeer are still an important part of the Sami culture even though many Samis now have changed to a more modern lifestyle. (Please read more about the Samis on my Norway page)

So, what's this reindeer racing all about? Lycra-clad guys (and gals) are attempting to stay upright on their skis behind the *very* fast reindeer - looks quite amazing...!:o) The actual race doesn't last all that long - pairs of contestants race one another, and the winners move on to semi finals and finals.

There's a small (not very impressive) Sami market in town during the weekend the championship is held, usually offering various Sami handicrafts (called duodji) - like knitted mittens and hats, reindeer skins, products made from reindeer bones and antlers, knives... You may also try traditional Sami food - the "bidos", a reindeer stew, is very popular. There are also a couple of concerts with traditional Sami music.

You'll notice quite a few Samis in town during this weekend, wearing their colourful traditional clothes - it's quite exotic, even to most Norwegians... :o) If you plan on travelling to Tromsø during the winter, the Reindeer Racing Championship could definitely add some extra zest to your visit!

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Address: Storgata - the main street of Tromsø

This quite striking church, situated on the mainland close to Tromsø Bridge, was finished in 1965 - the architect was Jan Inge Hovig. The Arctic Cathedral is a bit of a symbol of Tromsø, and one of the most well-known churches in Norway.

The light colour and the large, angular shape of the church can easily be associated with an iceberg - but if you go to idyllic Sommarøy, an hour's drive from Tromsø town centre, you'll notice the island of Håja to the north of Sommarøy - with a shape very similar to the Arctic Cathedral, and possibly a source of inspiration to the architect behind this Tromsø landmark..? Have a look at my "midnight sun"-tip under General Tips, for a picture of Håja. (And my "Off the beaten path" - tips for more info on Sommarøy)

The stained glass window of the Arctic Cathedral is one of the largest in Europe, and covers the entire eastern wall of the church - an area of 140 square metres. The interior is decorated with grand chandeliers, representing hanging ice formations. The décor of the interior of the church is quite simple, but it really is beautiful.

Admission Price:
Adults 25 NOK
Children free

Opening Hours:
01.06. - 15.08. Monday - Saturday 10 - 19, Sunday 13 - 19
16.08 - 31.05. Every day 16 - 18

Sunday Service 11 - 12

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Address: Tromsdalen, near Tromsø Bridge

There are, of course, a number of outdoorsy activities and excursions available in Tromsø and surroundings - many of which involve snow!

These are some of the tour options you've got if you're in Tromsø in the winter months (but be aware that snow isn't "guaranteed" until January / February, and the snow tends to melt some time in April).

* Northern lights tours. There are many different tours available, some focus more on photography. You don't really need to go on a tour to see the northern lights, you can of course see the aurora from the town centre as well - but the display might be a bit more impressive when the city lights don't disturb the view. Sometimes it might be cloudy in Tromsø, while the sky is clear further inland - and some tour operators will drive pretty long distances in their hunt for the aurora. Some aurora tours are combined with other activities, such as "sami camp" visits, reindeer / farm visits, dog sledding, or dinner (often reindeer stew, "bidos", traditional Sami food) in a lavvo (Sami tent).

* Kicksled / spark rides (see my local customs tip for more info), combined with aurora watching

* Aurora watching by boat

* Dog sledding (often combined with lunch / dinner, overnight trips are available)

* Reindeer sleigh rides

* Snowmobile safaris

* Snowshoeing

* Ice fishing (and regular fishing)

* Cross-country skiing

* Visits to a "Sami camp".

See the website below (Tromsø tourist information office) for info about prices, tour operators etc.

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Website: http://www.destinasjontromso.no

You don't need to go on an organized tour to play in the snow while you're visiting Tromsø, just buy a "rompebrett"- lit. "bum tray" - and go sledding in Charlottenlund!

The "bum trays" are small plastic thingies (just about big enough for your to sit on!) - they probably have a proper English name, I asked a British friend but he had never seen anything like it before... ;o) Climb up to the top of the hill, sit down, grab the plastic handle with both hands and off you go! Fun for kids - and for slightly childish adults, too. ;o)

Charlottenlund is a very pleasant area on top of Tromsø island - within walking distance of the town centre (walking there shouldn't take more than half an hour or so). Ask at your hotel, they'll know where it is and will be able to show you on a map. The Charlottenlund area is very popular among families with children, and can get somewhat crowded in the weekends if the weather is nice - so I prefer to go play there in the evening, when the area is quieter.. ;o)

The rompebrett are pretty cheap (around 50 NOK or less, I'd guess) - I bought mine at the OBS supermarket here in Tromsø (near the airport), but you should be able to find one in the city centre as well; try shops such as Europris and Nille (where they sell all sorts of junk, there's one near Burger King in Storgata) and also toy stores and sports equipment stores.

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If you're in Tromsø on a clear night between September and April, you should spend some time staring at the sky..:-) Find yourself a quiet place, where the light from the city doesn't disturb your view too much - and enjoy the dancing, glowing Northern Lights.

A little science...: The Northern Lights are caused by charged particles emitted from the sun - when these particles hit the atmosphere of the earth, they collide with gas atoms. Part of the collision energy is used for excitation of electrons in the gas atoms - and when the excited electrons return to their normal state they emit greenish (which is the colour most commonly seen), purple, bluish or red light: Aurora Borealis!

There are Northern Lights all year long, and in all types of weather - but for you to see them the sky has to be clear and dark - that's why you can't see the aurora in summer.

Tromsø is among the best places on earth to watch the spectacular Northern Lights, as the city is located in the centre of a zone of high auroral activity - here in Tromsø we see the aurora on practically every single clear winter night. Some nights the show is more spectacular than others - but if the weather is clear, it is very, very likely that you will get to see the aurora.

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Take the cable car to the top of mount Storsteinen for some excellent views of Tromsø and the surrounding islands.

Mount Storsteinen only reaches 420 metres above sea level, but the views from up here really are great - and makes the cable car ride well worth doing, even though the actual cable car ride only takes 5 minutes, and isn't terribly exciting.

There's a cafe / restaurant and a kiosk on top of mount Storsteinen, and also a souvenir shop (you can even send your postcards from here;o)

There are often paragliders flying off Storsteinen - quite entertaining to watch, and if you feel like joining them contact Tromsø Hang- and Paraglider Klubb: www.thpk.no Tandem paragliding flights are available.

If you're feeling sporty, the hike up to mount Fløya is nice and easy - there are hiking trails all over this area. The hike to Fløya and from there towards Bønntuva, down to the Tromsdalen valley and back along the path in Tromsdalen is very nice, but will take you 4-5 hours. (Get a good map before setting off on any hikes in the Tromsø mountains!) (If you're feeling *really* sporty, skip the cable car altogether and walk up on mount Storsteinen - there's a trail to the north of Fjellheisen.)

The cable car opening hours vary quite a bit, and depend on the weather. Check the website for details. The cable car is usually not operating in winter (October - March), and during late autumn / early spring it usually operates weekends only.

Prices (return tickets only! More in my tourist trap tip...!)
Adults: 95 nok
Children 3 - 14: 50 nok
Bike: 35 nok
Family (2 adults and up to 5 kids): 250 nok

Down only: Adult 50 nok
Children: 30 nok

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Phone: +47 77638737
Address: Solliveien 12, Tromsdalen
Directions: Tromsdalen, near the Arctic cathedral. From the Arctic cathedral walk south for 700 metres or so - there are signs to point you in the right direction.

You can also catch bus 26 from the town centre.
Website: http://www.fjellheisen.no
Other Contact: post@fjellheisen.no

While you're in Tromsø, you should of course grasp the opportunity to check out some of the town's various "world's northernmost" this and that... :o) The list is long, and I can't verify that everything's totally & completely true, but here are some of the "world's northernmost" stuff Tromsø claims ownership to:

* Top division football team: Tromsø IL
* Brewery: Mack
* Glass blowing studio: Blåst
* Mosque
* Catholic bishop
* Protestant cathedral
* University
* Film Festival
* 18-hole golf course
* Mountain cable car
* Planetarium
* Botanical garden
* Burger King!

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There are lots of reindeer near Tromsø - you don't even have to go hiking in the mountains to run into Rudolph and his friends, you might very well see reindeer while driving along the roads of Kvaløya. The reindeer are not particularly shy, and you might get pretty close to them.

The Sami are indigenous people of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. The Sami people in Northern Norway have traditionally lived mainly off domesticated reindeer herding, following the herds on their annual migrations. (There are still some Sami reindeer herders, but nowadays many Sami have other jobs.) The reindeer provided the Sami with both food, clothing and shelter. The antlers and bones were made into tools, and connective tissue like ligaments and tendons used to make sewing thread. The reindeer can also be used for pulling sleighs. (But unfortunately I haven't seen any of Santa's flying reindeer - yet.)

The reindeer in some of my photos look a little scruffy - those pics were taken in June, when the reindeer are shedding their thick winter fur. The reindeer are whitish in winter, and light brown in summer, both male and female reindeer have antlers. During winter, the reindeer digs through the snow to find food, mainly lichens and moss, especially reindeer moss. In summer they feed on leaves of trees and shrubs, as well as herbs and grass.

You'll find reindeer meat served in most Tromsø restaurants - but personally, I'd much rather see a reindeer alive in the wild!

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The town centre of Tromsø is very compact (ok, that's just a nice way of saying that the town is tiny...;o) - and walking from one end of the town centre to the other won't take you much more than 15 minutes... ;o) You don't have to venture far from Storgata to realise that large parts of Tromsø consist of wooden villas surrounded by gardens, and that the town centre is made up by not much more than a couple of streets.

Storgata (literally "the big street") runs in a north-south direction and defines the centre of Tromsø - when asking for directions in Tromsø, you'll most likely get an answer based on the location of Storgata...;o) A quite long part of Storgata is a pedestrian street, with lots of shops, restaurants and cafés.

Towards the northern end of Storgata you'll find Stortorget (literally "the big square" - not very imaginative street names, hey;o) - the town's main square, opening onto the harbour.

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Address: Storgata
Directions: *The* centre of town