Tromso, Norway: A Winter Wonderland, Scientific Delight, and Cultural Melting Pot

For this holiday, we decided to do something a bit different than the classic “winter escape.”

Most dream of white sand beaches, and a climate jump from freezing to tropical, and normally we do as well; but this year we craved a different white. ‘Give us all the snow,’ we said. And so we drove right into the heart of winter, to one of the most wintry places on earth: Tromso, Norway. And I don’t regret it one bit.

---

Why the heck would she pick the Arctic? You may wonder.

For starters, I love extremes. If I set out on a journey, I want to see something odd and wondrous that I can’t see anywhere else. I love that about the earth, no matter how much you see, there will always be infinite more things to learn and experience.

Expanding on that, it is in this unique and dark place that the most amazing experiences happen. Something that you just can’t get if your main idea of a vacation is warmth and comfort. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of cozy times had during this trip (there are firepits, warm ginger tea, and wool blankets at every turn) .  I definitely had to let go of the ‘indulgence and ease at every moment’ ideal of typical vacations.

That being said, Tromso, in my opinion, is the one stop shop for everything wintry. Dog sledding. Northern lights chasing. Whale, elk, puffin, seal, reindeer, you-name-it watching. Snowmobiling. Snowshoeing. Skiing. Ice climbing.

Everything. And we took full advantage of these activities while we were here.

---

Northern Norway in Winter is a mind- blowing experience

  I was a sponge, absorbing the sensational experiences of what felt like supernatural events (rainbow skies from Polar Stratospheric Clouds, mingling of Orcas and humpbacks, the sound of water behind a big blue frozen waterfall while ice climbing) and this left me in awe and curious. Foreign lands often do this for me; but for this trip, I inherited even more sensations and knowledge than usual- heightened by the darkness, the cold temperatures, and quick changing weather. It felt like we entered the world’s coolest science class.

And it was beautiful outside of just sightseeing, as this trip was a beautiful blend of action and contemplation. The dark nights gave us the opportunity to really dig into an extreme array of human experiences. We set out and did so much each morning, but the nights were often reserved for learning about the culture, the amazing landscape and wildlife, and chatting with locals and guides. I am grateful for the countless knowledgeable and kind people we met.

Also, we had impeccable timing on all of our tours, dodging blizzards while whale watching and clouds parting just long enough to enjoy a bit of the aurora borealis so this, of course, added to our exuberance.

---

The City:

Tromso is situated at 69.7°N latitude, or 217 miles above the Arctic Circle and 1,408 miles from the North Pole. To put it in perspective, the capital of Norway, Oslo, is about the same distance away from Tromso as the North Pole is- so Tromso is extremely far north, to say the least. This, along with the fact that we arrived just six days after the winter solstice, made for a very dark experience.

Outside of the city reaches, are deep expanses of uninterrupted wilderness and fjords. Yet, Tromso is alit and twinkling during the winter months. It looks as though a warm glow of fairy lights was strung between every building and this definitely provides an air of hospitality in the perpetual darkness.

Tromso has an eclectic charm that I have never experienced before. It is both old and new, Norwegian yet worldly. It has this undeniable fisher’s frontier vibe about it. Antique, wooden whale boats and old, fancily- fonted store fronts are all around. You feel as though you have stepped back in time to the 1800’s, an explorer welcomed into a small and undiscovered town. Yet, it has been discovered, as it accommodates nearly any cultural taste. Tromso is often called “The Paris of the North” and I can imagine why. It has this romantic and artsy quality to it, yet it is much more quaint than the Paris in France. Surprisingly so, the city is extremely diverse and worldly and honors this in the many museums.           

Tromso stands out from other European cities. It does not feel steeped in religion although most every store and restaurant closes on Sundays. And notably, Norway remains in the top three most expensive countries in the world so beware of outrageous costs (unless you are from Iceland or Switzerland). Be prepared to pay $15 for a beer and $30 for a casual meal. Oddly enough, you can save .50 cents on oatmilk here (but that was the ONLY thing cheaper).

Arctic Temperatures

I bet you thought as I did: that far north probably warrants temperatures of -20 and below.

Well, would you believe me if I told you that Tromso is warmer than my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? Temperatures ranged from -2 to +4 degrees Celsius (28-40 degrees Fahrenheit). The gulf stream brings a much warmer climate than other super- northern cities.

Polar Night

In actuality, the sun stops making an appearance around Thanksgiving and doesn’t come back up until mid- January. Hence the term “Polar Night,” as if these two months are one continuous and long night. But to be clear, it is not pitch black for this entire time. The sun may be below the horizon but it’s light still reaches Tromso, called Civil Twilight, for about 2 hours a day. As for the rest of the time, Norwegians know you can’t just go to bed when it is dark out, so they have adapted pretty well to carrying on normal activities in the dark. They have been doing it for centuries, and the Sami people before them. And as I said- the whole city seems to twinkle with all of the warm hued lights locals string.  So don’t fret, there are plenty of sights to see and things to do despite the lack of sunlight. Some would argue this time is the most abundant time of the year to visit, experience- wise.

Sami People

I was pleased to hear so many references about the native peoples- the Sami. Some say the Sami were the first Homo Sapiens to arrive in Europe. They were in Scandinavia for thousands of years, herding reindeer, before the Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish people arrived. They used to be nomadic but had to settle in one of the four new countries when they started to differentiate from one another. They were oppressed for centuries, and I am sure they still are in various spheres but they are being honored and heard now more than ever. Almost every tour I did throughout our trip mentioned the Sami people or their culture. Like the Tromso Ice Domes, which had a room dedicated to Sami people.

Ice Domes

The Ice Domes, located in the heart of the Lyngen Alps, about an hour and a half from Tromso city, are rebuilt every year at the start of Polar Night and torn down towards the end of the winter season. It is a hotel and bar made solely out of ice and snow. Each room has a different theme, depicted in ice sculptures, which the guide graciously illustrated- themes such as the Norwegian wilderness, Vikings, and traditional Sami attire.

Aurora Borealis

Norwegians often refer to this much sought after natural phenomenon as a personification, “Lady Aurora” they say lovingly. She is gorgeous and mysterious- and her presence, hard to grasp. Tromso sits in the green belt so that increases your chances to see her but it is absolutely not a given. Challenges include: cloud covering, light pollution, low auroral activity, time of year, and year dependent on the solar cycle.

Your best chances being: a clear, dark night in winter, away from any cities, with a high auroral activity, at the peak of solar activity.  Solar maximum occurs around every 11 years- the next one being ~2026.

So really, you need equal parts knowledge and luck in order to find her.

The next thing you need to know about Lady Aurora is that she is not as strong as in pictures. We were fortunate to see the Aurora Borealis three different times. Two of three times were underwhelming. It looked like a white sun beam appearing on the horizon. Yet the last time, the colors were clearly seen with the naked eye and dancing all over the sky.

*Fun fact green and red colors are made from solar energies mixing with oxygen and blue and purple are made from nitrogen.

Next up on things to experience in Tromso are guided tours. The following are once-in-a-lifetime tours that I highly recommend while in Tromso: dog sledding, whale watching, and traversing the Lyngen Alps via snowmobile.

Dog Sledding

Mijo and I try to be conscious tourists. We have fallen into quite a few traps when we first started travelling but now do copious amounts of research and use our intuition before booking tours. For some, dog sledding may raise some red flags. Are they treated with respect? Are they happy? Are they overworked? We of course wanted to know these answers, as well. Although my research came back overwhelmingly positive especially for the tour we were looking at, I suppose the only real way to know is to see it for yourself. This is what I saw, felt, and experienced:

Are they treated with respect?

There were three main dog handlers on site. One was training us in mushing, the other was tending to the dogs, and the third was floating between. The “human trainer” stressed how important it was to learn carefully and think wisely while dog sledding in order to not injure the dogs. ‘Don’t let the sled get too close to the dogs, run alongside the sled on any uphill gradient, stop the sled immediately if the dogs get tangled.’ He was very serious about this. The woman who tended to the dogs was outside feeding and providing water to the dogs whenever we first arrived, she was getting them ready as we were training, she was petting them and keeping them calm while waiting for us to finish our mini dog sledding course, and she provided them water and took off their harnesses when we came back from the run. She did not leave their side for the whole time and even when we went in to eat dinner, she stayed and tended to them. All three employees spoke very highly of the dogs and you could see they genuinely adored their furry companions.

Are they overworked?

A lot of people don’t know the extent of exercise that an arctic dog requires. It is in their blood to be constantly on the move and they have monumental strength and abundant energy. Most of the dogs I met were 7, 8, or 9 years old but had the energy of a puppy, no question. The dogs we met take 2 runs a day ranging from about 30 minutes to 1 hour each. In the summer, they have programs for volunteers to take the dogs for hikes to keep their endurance up. There is one person in the sled and the other is guiding. On the snow or ice, this sled is easy to pull no matter the weight of the people on top, especially considering each sled has four to five dogs pulling. Our dogs were extremely fast and easily maneuvered our sled. When we would stop to talk to the guide, our dogs would jump and bark and play in the snow, impatiently waiting for us to continue. As for the cold, the dogs actually thrive in sub zero climate.

Are they happy?

Of course this is subjective but these were some of the happiest and sweetest dogs I have ever met. When they would see you walking over to the sleigh, they would bark and jump with out-of-this-world excitement. The second you took your foot off of the brake, it was go time for them- immediately springing into action. After the run, they were visibly more calm and content. Naturally, I had to pet every dog at the camp and every single one would lean against me while I pet him/her, sit on my lap, or lick my face.

There is a saying that most anyone who has been involved with dog sledding would agree with: ‘Dog sledding is the farthest thing from cruel, what is cruel is owning a husky or malamute and keeping them as regular pets, indoors, and away from getting enough exercise.” And after our tour, I wholeheartedly agree.

Whale Watching

Reason #500 for going into the Arctic Circle: whale watching. Whales and Killer Whales, or orcas  (which are NOT whales at all but rather part of the oceanic dolphin family)  go up north to chase herring, hence the reason they are in and around Tromso.

Amazingly, we saw families of Orcas, Humpbacks, and Pilots while on our tour. We were in the middle of a fjord surrounded by striking snowy mountains, and this alone was worth the boat trip. If you want an up close and personal experience, pay a little extra and go on a RIB boat. You can get as close as a few feet away from these majestic animals.

Fun fact: Killer Whales get their name from killing and eating whales, not from being a whale itself. The name used to be “Whale Killer” but for some odd and confusing reason, it was switched.

Snowmobiling

Snowmobiling is like a jet ski on the snow. Wickedly fun and impossible not to smile when you are riding one. We rode one that you have to balance the weight while you turn, shifting your entire body from left to right so you don’t flip over… that sounded pretty complicated so I let Mijo take the lead as driver. We drove throughout forests and mountainsides and over streams throughout the Lyngen Alps.

And about half way through the tour, the guide let me jump on the back of his snowmobile and he took me nearly 100km/ hour (about 60 mph) and it was exhilirating. A little bit scary, a lot a bit fun.

Tromso is perfect for thrill seekers, nature watchers, adventurers, families, and everything in between. Yet, a trip to the Arctic is not for everyone. If the loads of snow and darkness sound off-putting than this may not be the trip for you.

On the other hand, if you want to feel like extreme expeditioner and you have a long list of winter bucket list items you would like to check off in one trip- then Tromso is the PERFECT place for you.

Thanks for stopping by!

Takk for turen!