One of the main attractions of the city of Tromsø is the Lutheran Church, also known as the Arctic Cathedral, which is one of the main symbols of the national heritage. Built in 1965 according to the design of Jan Inve Hovig, it impresses with its appearance even from afar. Made in the form of two triangles merging into each other, it resembles an iceberg floating under a clear sky. In winter, its white walls fit perfectly into the snowy landscape, and in profile the cathedral merges with the silhouette of the mountains.
The cathedral is famous for its stained-glass windows, which, in fact, are the largest in Europe. Their height exceeds 23 meters, and it took almost 11 tons of glass to manufacture. The main stained-glass window of the altar part of the authorship of Victor Sparre depicts the hand of God, from which three rays of light depart on the figure of Christ and two nearby apostles. The cathedral is especially beautiful in the early morning, when the orange dawn ray of the sun illuminates the stained-glass window and gives it a mystical depth and mystery.
The main old organ of the cathedral was replaced in 2005 with a modern one with 2940 pipes. During the service, the entrance to the cathedral is closed, but you can listen to its amazing soulful sound during the numerous concerts that are held under the arches of the cathedral.
Polaria Museum
In 1997, an unusual museum with the melodious name "Polaria" was founded in the city of Tromsø. It is part of the Polar Research Center run by the Norwegian Department of the Environment. And symbolically, the museum building itself is made in the form of snow-white ice blocks.
Inside the museum there is a panoramic cinema, which shows exciting films about the life of rare animals and plants. Mesmerizing shooting from a helicopter creates the effect of presence, carrying the viewer over the glaciers of the Arctic.
In addition, there are many aquariums with northern inhabitants on the territory of the museum. Tourists especially fell in love with lahtaham seals, also called sea hares. These are unusually kind and friendly creatures, willing to communicate with people and amaze with their intelligence.
The northern lights layout will seem incredibly spectacular to you. Thanks to modern technologies and the architecture of the hall, its flashes and overflows are difficult to distinguish from the real ones.
And what sights of Tromso did you like? There are icons next to the photo, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.
Alfheim Stadium
Alfheim Stadium is the world's largest artificial turf football stadium. The stadium opened in 1987.
The stadium's capacity is 7,500 spectators. In 1990, 10,225 people visited the stadium when the match against Rosenborg was played.
The stadium houses offices, shops, restaurants and conference rooms.
The Storgata pedestrian street is the only main street in Tromso.
Here are all the main attractions, shops, hotels and entertainment venues of the city. You will have the opportunity to see the northernmost Protestant cathedral in the world, built in 1861. Once it belonged to the city merchant community, which traded with Russia. Next to it is a monument to Roald Amundsen.
At the opposite end of the street is the Art Museum of Northern Norway, which displays paintings by artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. Also on the main street are several well-known bookstores and a modern library building.
Tromsø bridge
Tromsø Bridge (Norwegian: Tromsø brua) is a road bridge across the Tromsø ysundet strait in Tromsø, Norway. It connects the mainland (Tromsdalen) and the island (Troms & oslash ya) parts of the city. The first cantilever bridge built in Norway. It is one of the attractions of the city.
Prior to the construction of the bridge, transport across the bay was carried out by a ferry. The idea of building a bridge or tunnel arose in 1948. The final draft was reviewed and approved by Parliament in 1955. The project was designed by renowned Norwegian architect Erling Viksjö (Norwegian Erling Viksjø). The government has given commitment to support and permission to collect tolls. In 1958, the construction of a permanent road bridge began, which lasted 2 years. The bridge was opened to traffic in March 1960. The grand opening of the bridge took place on July 3, 1960 in the presence of Norwegian Prime Minister Einar Gerhardsen. In 1963, the bridge was awarded the prestigious Betongtavlen Architecture Prize.
At the time of its construction, it was the longest bridge in Northern Europe. The cost of the bridge crossing was NOK 14.5 million. In 1990, a tunnel (Troms & oslash ysund Tunnel) was built 3 kilometers north of the bridge, which took on part of the traffic load.
The bridge was one of the most popular suicide sites in all of Norway. In 2005, an additional high fence was installed, which received the unofficial name of the "suicide fence". On April 17, 2008 Tromsø Bridge was declared a Norwegian cultural heritage site.
The most popular attractions in Tromso with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Tromso on our website.
TOURIST ANSWERS:
Tromsø is located in the northern part of the country. The city is noisy, lively, surrounded by mountains, fjords and islands. Despite the harsh climatic conditions, the people lived here during the last glaciation and in the Iron Age, however, the city of Tromso began to be called only at the end of the 18th century. Since the Middle Ages, the city has been an important trading point. 
And from 19 there was already the residence of the bishop, a shipyard and a college. The town lies 400 km north of the Arctic Circle, so such scientists as the Norwegian Amundsen and Nansen and the Italian traveler Nobil began their research journeys from here.
During the Second World War, the residence of the Norwegian government was located in the city, and therefore Tromso managed to avoid the bombing.
More than 60 thousand people live in the city (and this is the eighth largest city in the country). Moreover, it can be noted that the town is extremely multinational. Judge for yourself: representatives of as many as 100 nationalities live here! Including Russians and Finns.
And the town is also known to fans of Röyksopp electronics - the members of this group were born in this town.
As for the sights of this city, then, first of all, this Arctic Cathedral (Tromsdalen kyrkje or Ishavskatedralen), the symbol of the city. 
The Lutheran Church, in fact, is officially no cathedral, but only a parish church. But what difference does it make to us, the building is so beautiful and unusual. 
This church was built in 1965. Externally, the building does not look like a familiar church. In general, this church consists of two merging aluminum triangles 35 meters high. As conceived by the architects, the church was supposed to look like an iceberg. Looks like you know! And yet, the church is similar to the island of Håja, which is also located in this area. Inside this building can fit 720 parishioners at the same time. As you enter the church, a luxurious stained-glass window in the altar immediately catches your eye. 
It was created 7 years after the construction of the church. The picture on the stained glass window depicts the hand of God, from which three rays of light emanate - on the figure of Christ and two people next to him. Three figures on the glass repeat the symbolism of the number 3, which is in the entire architecture of the building. And in this church there is an organ, it has been standing here for about 10 years. Therefore, organ music concerts are often held in the church building, and this is another sight! This cathedral is located at Hans Nilsens veg 41, in the Tromsdalen district.
Next, we go to Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Storgata 94. 
This is a Catholic church, and at the same time the northernmost Catholic cathedral in the world. The neo-Gothic church was built in 1861. The outside of the church has not changed much over time, while the interior of the church has changed several times. By the way, in the last years of World War II, refugees from Finnmark (such a region in Norway) were housed in this cathedral. 
In the late 60s, there was a strong fire throughout the city, many buildings were damaged, including this church. But it was restored and brought back to life. A few years later, the cathedral was visited by Pope John Paul II himself. The cathedral is visited by local residents of different nationalities, mostly Norwegians, Poles and Filipinos.
Tromsøy bridge (Tromsøbrua)- road bridge across the Tromsøysundet strait. 
Actually, it connects the mainland (Tromsdalen, where the iceberg cathedral stands) and the island (Tromsøya) part. The bridge in its own way is also an attraction, not because there is nothing else to see, but because this is the first cantilever bridge. And if this word does not mean anything to you, then just admire the bridge. Yes, and so you will admire when you move to the island, what really. 
Before the bridge was built across the strait, people moved from the mainland to the island by ferry. The fact that, in fact, it would be simpler with the bridge, they thought at the end of the 40s of the last century. Then for another 7 years they were considered and estimated, until, finally, the government approved the project. This and that, while the money was collected and the papers were signed - as a result, the bridge was built in the 60th year. Even the Prime Minister of Norway came to the opening of the bridge. By the way, at the time of construction, this bridge was considered the longest in all of Northern Europe (the total length of the bridge is 1036 m, and the width is 8 meters, above the water - 38 meters). 
And cars drove over it, drove over it, so much so that thirty years later they had to build a tunnel three kilometers to the north so that at least some of the cars would pass there. Interesting fact lies in the fact that the bridge was not only ridden and walked. People began to actively drop off from it. At some point, this bridge became one of the most popular places for suicides in all of Norway. Can you imagine? So, we had to install a high fence so that people would not fall out of the bridge. This fence was even nicknamed the "suicide fence". That's right, nothing! After that, the suicides chose other places for themselves for such an important matter, and the bridge, now “clean”, was declared a monument of the cultural heritage of Norway a couple of years later. So it goes!
You can also visit The Polar Museum, at Søndre Tollbodgate 11. 
There you can admire artifacts related to Arctic hunting and fishing. You will also learn here about the hunter Henry Rudy, who killed 713 polar bears, about the first female explorer in the Arctic, about seal hunting in the Arctic Ocean, about whaling and research expeditions. 
This museum has been operating since 1978, opened in honor of the 50th anniversary since the explorer Roald Amundsen left Tromso and went on his expedition. 
The exhibition hall is located in a building called Sjøhuset. This is the oldest house in the complex, it was built in 1800. It houses both temporary and permanent exhibitions.
Get to Cathedral at Sjøgata 2 (Tromsø domkirke). 
This cathedral is notable for being the only Norwegian cathedral built of wood. 
The church was built in the Gothic style. It is probably the northernmost Protestant cathedral in the world. With over 600 seats, this is one of the largest stave churches in Norway. The church originally had 984 seats, but almost half of the pews were simply removed to make room for tables at the back of the church. The cathedral was built in the second half of the 19th century in the center of Tromso, on the ruins, where, in all likelihood, there was a church from the 13th century. A little later, a bell tower was added and a bell was hung. 
The interior of the church was somehow completed only by 1880. In general, the cathedral cost the local administration dearly, but what to do! Well, in appearance the church is rather modest, gray-yellow, with a green turret, there are stained-glass windows in front of the church
What else. Visit the bars of the city and taste the local dark and light beer, very popular in the city and beyond.
And you can on the funicular climb to a height of 420 m above sea level and dine in a cozy restaurant, at the same time enjoying a beautiful view of the islands and mountains.
Helpful answer?
Tromso is a youthful and crowded city. And all because of the University located here, the northernmost in the world. You can explore the central part of the city on your own. This is an easy task as the center is small and located on the small island of Tromsey. Walking along the main Storgata street, you can admire the variety of wooden houses, and when you go to the Stortorget market square, you can see the harbor and the Arctic Cathedral on the other side. You can get to the cathedral by the bridge. They connect the main part of the city with the mainland. By the way, the road Tromsoy bridge across the strait is one of the sights of the city, since at the time of construction it was considered the longest in Northern Europe.
arctic cathedral deserves attention not only from the outside, but also from the inside. It is the symbol of the city. This is perhaps the only cathedral whose architecture resembles an iceberg and snow.
Its stained-glass window is the largest in Europe, and the Czech crystal chandelier resembles an ice sculpture made of icicles, ice crystals and ice threads. The rest of the decoration of the cathedral is quite laconic.
You can visit on your own Polaria Museum which is like ice blocks being forced out of the water. A ticket for an adult costs 14 euros, for a child - 7 euros. In this place you can watch a panoramic movie, visit the Arctic aquarium with flounder, starfish, or look at various exhibitions. The museum has the opportunity to watch the feeding of seals at lunchtime (12:30). And then go into Arctic Alpine Botanical Garden. Flora lovers will like this place, as it contains various high-altitude plants from all over the planet. In addition, the garden is open around the clock.
In order to appreciate the surrounding beauty, you should take the funicular to the observation deck on top of Storsteinen. You can get to the starting point of the ascent by bus number 26. Since the lift is open until midnight, it is possible to see the midnight sun or the northern lights. It is not recommended to take children with you to the mountain, as the playgrounds are not equipped with protective barriers. The ticket costs 3 euros.
Those who cannot see the sowing from the mountain can make up for it in Northern Lights Observatories located on the territory of Northern University. In this magical place, it is created artificially. The observatory offers entertainment for both adults and children.
The city attracts the attention of guests elegant Cathedral. It is entirely made of wood and decorated in the Gothic style. Its interior decoration differs from the Arctic Cathedral and delights with a majestic altar and a beautiful pulpit.
For beer lovers there is an opportunity to take a tour of the most northern brewery the world of Mack Bryggeri, where you can see the production process and taste the dark drink.
Basic moments
The city is famous for being the northernmost in the world ... yes, in fact, almost everything: a church, a convent, the residence of a Catholic bishop, a brewery, a botanical garden, a planetarium, a football league, a university, etc., and etc. Obviously, the style of Tromsø is determined by its location within the Arctic Circle. The city became famous in the 19th century. and to this day has remained such as the center of the Arctic hunting, then as the "Northern Paris" due to the amazing level of education and culture in such a remote place. Tromsø is the starting point for the daring expeditions of the Arctic explorers Amundsen and Nansen.
The compact island city does not lose its former originality and charm over time. There are also many modern buildings that meet the needs of its inhabitants: after the Second World War, Tromsø has grown greatly. One of the most striking examples of local architecture is the oft-photographed Arctic Cathedral, completed in 1965.
Sights in Tromso
arctic cathedral
On the mainland, next to the bridge, there is an interesting architectural structure - the Arctic Cathedral (or the Cathedral of the Arctic Ocean), erected in 1965 by Jan Inge Howig, a symbol of the long polar night and the northern lights. The main plot of the bright stained-glass windows of the cathedral (height 23 m) is the Resurrection of Christ (Opening hours: June-Aug. Mon-Sat. 10.00-17.00, Sun. from 13.00).
Museums
Expositions of the city museum can be seen in three places. The exhibition in the city center at Storegata 95 is dedicated to the history of Tromsø and the life of young people (Opening hours: Sept.-Mid. June Tue-Fri. 11.00-15.00, Sat-Sun. 12.00-16.00, mid-June-Aug. daily. 11.00-17.00). The open-air museum "Folkeparken" in the south of the city exhibits 13 peasant and manor houses and a magnificent exposition dedicated to fishing on Lofoten Islands. In "Straumen gard" on the island of Kvaloya - peasant houses of the 19th century. Opening hours: June. - sept. daily depending on the weather.
In this beautiful museum, you can see both Amundsen's personal belongings and items that he took with him on an expedition to the South Pole (Opening hours: mid-May-mid-Sept. daily 11.00-15.00, other times Mon.- Fri.).
Cathedral
In the center of Tromsø rises the cathedral (1861) with magnificent stained-glass windows. Once there was a church (1250), erected by King Haakon Haakonsson. It was around it that the first inhabitants of the future city settled. Now the cathedral is the largest neo-Gothic temple in Norway, built of wood.
Tromsø Museum
Be sure to check out the Tromsø Museum in the People's Park - 2 km from the center. Its collections introduce visitors to the nature, history and culture of the region. Of great interest are objects of Sami life and culture. The museum is very interesting for children (Opening hours: June-Aug. daily 9.00-20.00, other times Mon.-Fri. 8.30-15.30, Sat.-Sun. from 12.00/11.00).
Scientific and educational center "Polaria"
On the street Hjalmar Johansgata 12 in 1998, the Polaria scientific and educational center was opened, where you can see the animals of the Arctic. Arctic fish and other marine life live in the center's large aquariums. The museum especially delights children (Opening hours: May-Aug. daily 10.00-19.00, Sept.-April 12.00-17.00).
Planetarium "Northern Lights"
In the northernmost planetarium in the world (Nordlysplanetarium) on the campus of the University of Breivik, you can see various celestial phenomena, such as the northern lights. Video films in various languages.
Around Tromsø
Storsteinen lookout
In the alley behind the Cathedral of the Arctic Ocean is the lower terminus of the Fjellheisen funicular. From here you can climb to the Storsteinen observation deck (height 420 m). In good weather, it offers fantastic views of the surroundings, especially during the midnight sun. The hospitable restaurant "Fjellstua" awaits those who are hungry (Funicular opening hours: May-Sept. 10.00-17.00, in good weather 21.00-0.30).
whale island
To the west of Tromsø is the island of Kvaloya (Kvaloya, whale island), in the east connected to Tromsø by the Sannessund Bridge (1.2 km). It is worth going there and seeing the rock paintings in Skavberg - near Straumhella (in the south of the island, R 862); their age is 2500-4000 years.
Lyngenfjord
About 70 km southeast of Tromsø you will find the Lyngen Peninsula - a truly arctic paradise with snow-capped mountains (over 2000 m). The Lyngen Alps are unspoiled places and a fairy tale for nature lovers and rock climbers. Lyngenfjord (about 80 km) - one of the most magnificent fjords in Norway - goes south from the foothills of Lyngstuen (395 m above sea level). From Tromsø, first take E 8 to Nordkjosbotn, then follow E 6 to the north.
Mount Store Jegerwastind
To the north of Lyngseidet (from Tromsø on R 91) rises the majestic mountain Store Jegervastind (1596 m) - a gift for climbers. It was first conquered in 1898 by the Englishman William Slingsby, but since then the mountain has not lost one iota of its attractiveness for his colleagues, who still consider it very interesting from a professional point of view and are constantly developing new climbing routes. The ideal starting point for most routes is the Jaegervasshytta hut on Jaegervatnet lake.
Sport
Tromsø Half Marathon Polar Night
A unique sporting event (Morketidslop) takes place at the end of the first week of January. Start and finish - in the city center. Distance - 10 km.
ski marathon
In early April, a ski marathon is held in Tromsø. The 40 km long track is laid in the vicinity of the city in amazingly beautiful places.
Festivals
International Film Festival
The Tromsø Festival is held annually on the third week of January. It is the largest film festival in Norway.
Northern Lights Festival
At the end of January, the Northern Lights (Nordlysfestivalen) music festival is held - a meeting place, first of all, for innovative composers. The festival program consists, as a rule, of works of classical and modern music.
Marathon "Midnight Sun"
The northernmost marathon in the world takes place in mid-June. Competitions are popular all over the world.
midnight sun
Excursions
On the funicular "Fjellheisen" you can climb to the Storsteinen observation deck (height 420 m; Schedule: May-Sept. 10.00-17.00, May 20-Aug. 20 until 1.00 am).
Arrival
Hurtigruten liners call at the port of Tromsø every day, in addition, this is the final destination of the summer cruise to Svalbard. There are air links to Oslo and other major cities, including Longyearbyen on Svalbard.
When to go
November to March to see the northern lights and the wonders of winter.
Should know
In 1944, the German battleship Tirpitz was sunk in the Tromsø area, which led to the death of more than a thousand German sailors.
The northern Norwegian town of Tromso, together with the immediate surroundings, where there are no heavy industries, is recognized as one of the cleanest areas in Europe.
The capital of the region of the same name in Norway, the city of Tromso, is interesting to tourists not only from a cultural and historical point of view, but also from a natural point of view.
The starting point of all Arctic expeditions of the 19th century, the city of Tromso, which has the largest husky dog farm in Norway, is proud of its wild areas, where bears and wolves, wolverines and lynxes live in complete safety, where, in their original form, characteristic for this band, specimens of the polar fauna.
Having placed its treasures on numerous small islands, connected with the mainland Tromso by tunnels, bridges, ferry and air traffic, this city attracts tourists with its beauty.
Woven from the boundless ocean, majestic mountains, mighty fjords, rapids and quiet valleys, the natural canvas of the Tromso region pleases the eye of lovers active rest, impregnated with the aroma of northern freshness.
Climbing fans in Tromso can challenge the tall gray giants, and those who want to emerge victorious in the battle with the water element should dress in an appropriate suit and go in for exciting rafting in Tromso.
Lovers of unhurried contemplation of the northern beauties are invited by the Reisaelva River, along which a special excursion boat follows, as well as climbing mountains, on which tourists can pick delicious northern berries while walking in Tromso in summer, and go skiing in winter.
And, of course, the city, which is located on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and the region as a whole, cannot but boast of excellent fishing in Tromso, in whose waters one of the largest fish stocks in the world is recorded.
Endowed with many epithets, the city of Tromso is noticeably different from other northern villages in Norway, where peace and quiet reign. Called the "Paris of the North" -Tromsø surprises tourists with non-arctic colorful pictures of city life. Vibrant cafés and pubs, lively street musicians and entertainers, lively evening entertainment, a host of cultural venues and the world's coldest brewery make up this Norwegian corner.
The vibrant nightlife in the vastness of Tromso makes the leisure time of the numerous youth of the city more intense. Lighting up in white nights at discos and nightclubs, teenagers hardly gather in the morning for lectures at the northernmost university in the world with an extensive research base.
Often referred to as the "Gateway to the Arctic" - the region of Tromso, is a kind of "door" to the friendly world of the Sami, Kvens and Norwegians, who have inhabited these latitudes since ancient times.
The rich cultural heritage of the multilingual Tromso, the opportunity to get acquainted with the customs and way of life of the locals make it even more charming and attractive.
Acquaintance with local traditions can start from the street and end in the famous Hologaland Theater, whose innovative productions accurately recreate the life and character of the northern peoples.
Located in the Northern Lights belt - Tromso, which occupies an incredibly convenient place for receiving information from satellites, studying the ozone layer and the environment, invites tourists to look into the Northern Lights educational planetarium and Entertainment Center Polaria, Marine Aquarium and Tromsø Museum.
Often surprising guests in the summer with a phenomenon unusual for local latitudes, such as a mirage, Tromsø has the northernmost observatory in the world, in which such phenomena are studied.
Not plunging into darkness in the white nights of Tromsø, it is ideal for an interesting romantic walk around the city, one of the main decorations of which is the Arctic Cathedral (Tromsdal Church), remarkable for its white clothes, surprising tourists with its curious architecture, which is a 23 meter hut.
To consider in a complex all the cultural and historical riches of Tromso, including colorful fishing shacks and a boat, anyone who is not afraid to take the funicular up Mount Storsteinen (420 m), from where a magnificent panorama of the city and its environs opens.
There is something to surprise guests and settlements close to Tromso.
Visitors to the port city of Harstad will meet with the world's oldest sailing ship "Anna Rogde" (1868), as well as with the world's heaviest land gun - the gun Adolf (1943).
The shrimp farm and the exciting water park located in Harstad will not leave indifferent tourists. In addition, Harstad, which has a Medieval church (1250) and Rökenes Square - a trading place and an inn of the 16th century, invites vacationers to a colorful summer theater festival, where professional artists and amateurs demonstrate their art.
A little north of Harstad, in the same area of Tromso, is the charming Vogsfjorde archipelago, which can take exactly a year to carefully develop, because it consists of 365 islets of different sizes.
The Vikings were the first to pave the way to the Vogsfjord, whose history and culture can be found in the local history museum of the island of Gritoja.
Part of the Vogsfjord archipelago, the second largest island in Norway - Senja - gives travelers the opportunity to make an impressive polar safari in the National Park.
You can also learn about the life of northern animals in the subpolar zoo of the town of Bardu, but you can admire the grandeur of the 269-meter Molissfossen waterfall only in Reisadalen.
In addition, in the vicinity of Tromso, guests of Norway will have the opportunity to visit the old shopping area of Havnes on the island of Uleija, as well as the shipping museum in Gratangen.
Direct flights from Tromso Airport to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk make traveling to Norway's northernmost kingdom more comfortable and exciting.
Tromsø is called the northernmost major city in the world. Well, yes, if we consider a large city with a population of about 70 thousand people, and that is exactly how many people currently live in Tromsø, then this is a clinical fact. Of course, the Chinese will smile at such a statement - they even have a larger population in the villages. But Europe is not, and here locality, where more than fifty thousand people live, can be safely considered large. Although if you raise the bar quite a bit - well, for example, up to 100 thousand inhabitants, then you won’t see Tromsø the top line of the rating of the northernmost major cities in the world as your ears - the first place will immediately be taken by Russian Norilsk, which, according to geographical indicators, lacks some kind of victory before then 19 minutes north latitude, it's only 35 kilometers. But be that as it may, it was Tromsø that promptly and smugly put on this honorary status, which attracts numerous tourists. Well, what, whoever got up first - that and slippers.
For those who have forgotten, I will briefly recall the content of the previous day. In the morning we tried to figure out what point in Europe really is. By lunchtime, we got to the bottom of the truth, and set off along the coast to the south, reaching the largest in Northern Europe in the evening. Then, at night, we settled in hidden in the clouds above another picturesque fjord ... The next morning we continued south and, after making at least a dozen stops for photographs and cutting off a hundred kilometers thanks to the by no means cheap Norwegian ferries, we finally drove into Tromsø.
It was already too late for breakfast and it was still too early for lunch, so, for some reason, for some reason we went to the Polaria Arctic Museum to watch a show with funny bearded seals, which are better known as sea hares.
We got in just as the show ended.
After watching a good film about Svalbard in a local cinema and finding out that there was absolutely nothing else to watch in this museum, we went for a walk around the city.
Tromsø is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The most powerful of them reach a height of a thousand meters, this is quite enough to protect the city from the cold arctic winds.
Thanks to the nearby warm Gulf Stream, the climate in Tromsø is quite mild. Winters, for example, are noticeably warmer here than in my native one, which is about 1,100 kilometers south.
The water in the straits does not freeze at all in winter, so the brave Norwegian sailors can go to sea on their ships all year round.
But snow - a little less than a fig. In record years, the height of the snow cover reaches two and a half meters.
Because of its northern location, Tromsø is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Arctic". Indeed, as we already found out at the very beginning, the city is located in the north. And local enterprising residents very skillfully speculate on this fact, deftly substituting the epithet "the northernmost in the world" for everything that is possible. It is in Tromso that the northernmost brewery in the world is located. And the northernmost university in the world. Where do you think the northernmost cathedral in the world is located? And the northernmost football club in the world? And the planetarium? What can I say - and he should be looked for here.
Tourists like all this very much, and they are happy to come here from all over the world to spend their hard-earned money. Local residents are also happy: on the one hand, there is something to drink for, on the other, there is something to drink for. A rare example of a win-win strategy in action.
Tromsø is also often referred to as the "Paris of the North". It is not clear why, but this status was attached to the city in the 19th century.
I don't know what Tromsø is like in winter, but it's very nice here in summer. Many wooden buildings have been preserved in the city center. The oldest of them have been resisting the harsh northern nature since the 18th century.
The historical center of the city is located on the island of Tromsøya. Two symbols of the city are clearly visible from the old harbor - the Tromsø Bridge and the Arctic Cathedral, which looks like a huge concrete hut.
Tromsey bridge. The height is 38 meters, which allows large yachts and cruise ships to pass freely under it. Because of its height, the bridge attracted suicides from all over Norway for several decades.
Arctic Cathedral. Although, in truth, it is called a cathedral only to attract the attention of gullible tourists, but formally it is an ordinary parish church.
Bright colors are an essential attribute of northern cities. Otherwise, a long gray winter can be brutalized with boredom. If this suddenly happens, the Tromsø Bridge is always at your service. True, in 2005 they put up a high net against suicides, but if you set a goal, then you can always find ways to solve this problem.
In the background is the slope of Mount Storsteinen. Its height is just over 400 meters. A cable car leads to the top, from the upper station of which countless paths scatter in different directions, along which you can take various walks.
With one such small walk, we decided to entertain ourselves at the very end of the day. Only four minutes - and we are at the top.
A narrow path winds along the slope, coquettishly hiding behind the next bend of the mountain.
The views are spectacular.
The weather is the most beautiful.
Our mood is excellent.
We climb to the nearest peak.
On the stones we meet a sign of some local tourist club - one of its routes passes here.
Time is running very fast, and the hand of my watch is rapidly entering the finish line in its next 24-hour run - there is just over an hour left before midnight. Despite the rather late time, the sun does not even think of hiding behind the horizon - it is still a polar day.
In general, the midnight sun is one of the symbols of Norway. Of course, you can be surprised at the luminary floating in the middle of the night across the sky, at any point on our planet located. So Sweden, and Finland, and Canada, and the USA (I'm talking about Alaska), and our boundless Russia initially had a great opportunity to stake out this brand.
But it just so happened that it was the Norwegians who were the first to calculate the potential profits from tourists arriving to look at the never-setting sun, and after it became obvious that it clearly smells of money, they quickly declared this natural performance their national symbol.
Of course, acquaintance with the midnight sun was my long-cherished dream, the fulfillment of which, among other things, was supposed to be served by this whole difficult trip to the northern borders of Europe. And when I finally got to these distant lands, capricious Norwegian weather came into play, trying to spoil all my beautifully arranged plans. We arrived in Northern Norway for only four days, and this is not so much, given the absolutely bleak statistics on the number of sunny days here per year, as well as the completely unpredictable nature of the local weather.
Every evening I looked at the sky with hope - whether the Scandinavian gods will be on my side today or not. We spent the first night in Norway on. There, the hope of the midnight sun was washed away without a trace by a sudden rain at the very end of the day. We spent the second night in the mountains - in. There, the hope for the midnight sun was dissolved in a veil of clouds clinging to the tops of the mountains. And only on the third day, when we got to Tromsø, the Scandinavian gods decided to help me. The weather cleared up.
Looking back today, I can confidently say that a polar day in the mountains is one of the brightest emotional events in my travels. Its importance can only be compared with...
I slowly made my way down the mountain. From time to time, shallow hollows came across on the way, at the bottom of which the sun was no longer visible. I even sometimes began to be tormented by doubts: what if all this is just a good old fairy tale, and it is impossible to see the sun in the middle of the night in the sky.
But as soon as we got out of another hollow, the sun again calmly rose above the horizon line.
The walk ended. We returned to the upper station of the cable car. The clock showed exactly midnight. The sun hung over the horizon. One less dream.
