The City of Tromsø

Archeological excavations show that the area of Tromsø has been inhabited since the last ice age, the oldest remains date back to about 10 thousand years ago. Back then the region gave place to the Sámi and the Norse both of which have left us with many documentation of the time. While the northernmost viking settlements were further south from Tromsø, its area was mainly inhabited by the Sámi who are the indigenous people of northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lappland and the northern part of Russia. You can read more about them later.

The name of Tromsø has unclear origins, but there're some reasonable theories, one of which is that it's made of two words, Trums and øy. The first part is said to be of Old Norse origins and means "strong current" and the second part simply means "island" (it's øy in Norwegian and ø in Danish). Both Sámi and Norse settlement remains have been found in the area dating back to the Iron Age.

The first church in Tromsø (on Tromsøya island to be specific) was built in 1252 by King Haakon IV and at its time it was the northernmost church in the world. The Church of Saint Mary in Tromsø near the Heathens, as it was called was a simple, wooden church that didn't survive the time, but it was a significant steppingstone at the time for the Kingdom of Norway. 

It wasn't until the 17th century that Tromsø became a truly relevant mark on the map, when it was given the right to trade fish. It accelerated its population and economy so quickly that in less than 50 years Tromsø gained the title of municipality. 

By the 18th century Tromsø became the centre of the Polar expeditions (hence the name "Norway" since it's the way to the north). As the Polar Expeditions and the amount of fish and goods subtracted from the fish boomed the economy of Tromsø so did the population and its importance. In fact, Tromsø developed faster than the south of Norway thanks to its trading with England and France. With the wealth came fassion and culture, and for the suprise of many the people of Tromsø appeared to Norwegians in the south as if they lived in Paris. And this is how Tromsø got one of its nicknames, Paris of the North.

It wasn't until 1905 that Norway gained full independence from Sweden. This separation was necessary because of fundamental differences within, between the two realms and Sweden had to accept the votes of the magority. This day is one of the most important days for Norwegians, besides Consitution Day, the 17th of May. This day marks the day when the constitution of Norway was written in 1814 when Norway gained independence from Denmark after centuries of Danish rule.

The Polar expeditions were some of the most daring adventures at the time. Many were dreaming and theorising about the Northe and the South Poles for ages prior, hoping to find something hidden and secret there. The firts person in recorded history was Robert Peary, or as he claimed, he reached the North Pole in 1908. Many boudted him for his claim though. Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian ecplorer also had the ambitions to reach the North Pole himself, but after hearing Peary's claim he changed his plan and aimed for the South Pole instead. He and his crew set sails in 1910 and only then did he reveal his new plan to the crew that they're heading south instead of north. It took them a year and a half to step on the South Pole in late 1911. Roald Amundsen was also the first to ever sail the Northwest Passage in 1911. We can only imagine the struggles they had to endure on the seas, many might romanticize these explorations but they claimed many lifes. Amudsen disappeared on a rescue mission to Svalbard in 1928 together with his crew. We suggest you to visit the Polar Museum in Tromsø to learn more about him and the Arctic Expeditions.

Up until the nazi invasion in 1940 the city was a raising star. Unfortunately the war left a heavy mark on Tromsø and the whole region. After the war has ended, however, Tromsø gave refuge to many from the surrounding areas. By the 1960's the population of Tromsø trippled and developed quicker than ever before. In 1964 the airport, and in 1972 the University of Tromsø opened as well (which is the northernmost university in the world, by the way) making the city the economical and cultural centrum we know it as today.

Tromsø's population today is almost 80 thousand, making it the 3rd biggest city of the Arctic. The city itself has three main parts, Tromsdalen on the mainland, Tromsøya the island that gives place to the downtown area and the airport and Kvaløya the island towards west.

Tromsø is often considered as one is the best places to view the Northern Lights, given its latitude and it makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations of the Arctic.

Although the Norhtern Lights is one of the most spectacular phenomenon one can witness, Tromsø has so much more to offer. Its unique culture, rich history, vibrant culture and exciting gastronomy. Our mission is to show you all there is to see and experience in, and around Tromsø, so you can take home a complete set of memories without missing out on anything.

The Sámi

The Sámi are the indigenous people of the northern regions of Scandinavia and Russia. They've been living in the northern parts of Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lappland and northern Russia for much longer than any of these counties even existed. The earliest settlements in these areas date back to 12 thousand years ago, although it's not sure wether they're related to the Sámi.

Neither their language nor their genetic map suggest relation with any other nations from the region, not even with the Finnish even though their languages have some similarities.

The first written documentation of the Sámi is from a roman historian from the year 98, but it is evident that they've been living here for much longer than that. The livelihood of the Sámi is by tradition built around nature, living in the harsh arctic. Since they lived and partly still live off the reindeer, they reside in large areas rather than in fixed settlements all year around. All the reindeers you might meet while in Tromsø are owned by the Sámi and are under the protection of the State of Norway. Again, please be respectful when meeting them on the road or on the street (you can easily meet them on Kvaløya).

The Sámi have a long and difficult history, we highly recommend you to visit a reindeer farm while in Tromsø to learn about their past, present and future.

Nature 

Tromsø is located in the far north of Europe about the same latitude as the northern part of Canada and Alaska. Given its position, many might think that it's always really cold here and barely anything survives  outside of the cities. But this is actually quite far from the truth. 

It is true that Tromsø is nearly as far north as physically possible, the closeness of the ocean hugely effects its climate. The Gulf Stream, that originates from the Gulf of Mexico stabilizes the temperature of the waters of the Northwest parts of Europe, hence of the coastal parts of Norway as well. The strong and relatively warm North Atlantic Current keeps most of Norway's coasts ice free throughout the whole year and keeps the temperatures of of the coastal areas relativelty stabil. The avarage winter temperature, thanks to this, in Tromsø is around -4 degrees Celsius and +12 degrees Celsius in the summer. On the same latitude though, only a few kilometers inland, towards east, you'll have much much colder winters. The winters of Lappland in Sweden and Finland are not for the light hearted, temeratures often drop below -30 degrees Celsius.

The winters are, perhaps not as cold, as you'd expect, but there's a lot of snow. But because of the mild temperatures, snowing often turns into raining which melts most of the snow several times every winter, and then the circle begins again. Since the temperatures are mostly close to freezing, the snow in Tromsø is often heavy and icy. 

The wildlife is nothing short of amazing either. Tromsø and its region gives home to many though creatures who thrive in the harsh Arctic wilderness. Around Norway, you'll find over 500 types of birds, 45 different fresh-water fish, 90 spieces of mammals and 150 types of marine fish.

To name a few of the most iconic animals you can meet while visiting Tromsø:

Reindeers are undoubtedly the most known and loved anilams of the region. It is very hard to tell how many live in the proximity of Tromsø, but around Norway there're around 25000. You can meet them as well, while visiting Tromsø, you can find reindeer farms close to the city. If you rent a car, be very careful because the reindeer don't use the roads according to our rules and they can be difficult to see from afar when the conditions are bad. If you'd like to visit a reindeer farm, keep in mind that they are private properties and you need to book your visit before you go. 

There are of course the moose as well, some of the largest mammals in the region. There living space is therefore also larger than of other mammals' and because of that they tend to prefer the areas with more forests and further from the coastline. So it's unlikely that you'll see them as easily as reindeers, but it can happen, especially if you drive around with a rental car. They are easier to spot and given their size and shape can be a pretty entertaining site to watch them move around, the males can grow as high as almost 3 meters and can weight around 700 kilograms. 

Atlantic puffin birds are some of the cutest animals under the sky according to many people, and it's hard to argue with that. They come to breed on the coastline every year, so if you visit between mid-April and August, you can meet them. Keep in mind that they're wild animals and choose to breed far from humans for a reason, so if you decide to go on a bird watching, be respectful and don't disturb them.

Chances are that you come across the majestic white-tailed eagle if you're lucky and go outside of Tromsø. They're Northern Europe's largest nesting raptors and the 4th largest of the world's eagles. 

Who you might meet while in Tromsø are the seals. They often swim into the fjords even in Tromsø so if you're lucky you can see them in the wild, or alternatively you can see them in the Polar Museum in Tromsø as well, check for the feeding schedule on their website.

Dolphins also like to swim around the fjords in Tromsø, and they usually show up in groups. If you're lucky enough to see them, you can watch them jumping and swimming around, enjoying life like we all should be.

Many people who visit Tromsø book a boat tour to see the whales in the fjords close by. Over 30 whale spieces live in the waters of Norway and you can see them if you visit between May and September. Some companies offer tours with smaller boats and the experience to swim with the whales which sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It could be, but not for the whales. We ask you to be aware of that many of these activities disregard the well-being of the whales for the sake of amusement which makes experts and activists highly concerned. There're not enough regulations in place when it comes to viewing of marine wildlife in Norway and many take advantage of this. If you choose to book such an activity, we ask you to choose responsibly. 

We can't avoid the seagulls nor to talk about them when it comes to Tromsø. There are 7 different spieces of seagulls live in Tromsø and if you visit during the summer you'll see that they take over the city. In the recent years the seagull population skyrocket in Tromsø due to the growth of the city and therefore the decreasing space the seagull have. Many people want to protect them, many want them to be controlled since they are quite aggressive in the nesting season and they aren't afraid to attack people protecting their territory or to get food. When you visit, please don't feed them nor bother them, they're still animals and not here for our entertainment. 

Last but not least, of course, let's talk about the Arctic Fox. Being one of the rarest animals in Norway, it's very difficult to find them. They mostly live in Svalbard (which is an island even furhter north) and somewhat furhter south in Norway and in the northernmost parts of Finnish Lapland. A decade ago there were only 50 breeding adults in the region, but thanks to the efforts to preserve and protect them this number went up to 300 by 2021. The Arctic Fox is a true survivor, an inspiring little mammal that adopted to the harsh arctic conditions. They're omnivores, meaning they eat berries, fish, insects and pretty much verything they can. Other than their impressive hiding and hunting skills they also mastered the skill of shelter building. They build burrows that can cover areas as wide as over 3 square kilometers. 

How to dress in Tromsø

In the winter, Tromsø is usually cold, even if it's not as cold as areas like Lappland. There is often wind and rain that hugely effects the sense of temperature.

So we recommend you to ware layers. Start off with a good base layer, woolen underlayers are the best since they breath and keep you warm, so top, trousers and socks. You can also use thermo underlayer, they are usually cheeper and get the job done as well, though synthetic fabrics might not be the best for some people.

The mid layer, ideally is a warm sweater, again, the best is wool. There's a reason why the famous Norwegian sweaters are made of wool, they are durable, warm and breath well. Alternatively you can go with something more simple, the most important thing is to avoid tight fit allowing air to keep you warm. Many don't know but it's actually the air around the body that keeps us warm, so choose something fluffy.

The top layer can make the difference between a great day and a miserable one. As you know already, there is wind and rain that you want to keep out, and nothing is fun when we're cold. You probably don't need the warmes and most expencive gear when it comes to coats, but make sure that it's windproof and waterproof. You'll thank yourself for it, I can promise you that.

Boots are pretty much the same as the coats, and since there's usually a lot of snow and slush in Tromsø, keeping your feet dry is crucial. Especially if you're joining us on a longer activity, having warm and dry boots will make life much nicer. Again, don't get something that fits your feet just right, you want air around your feet to keep you warm. If you buy wooled socks before coming, try on your boots to ensure that they're still not tight with the bigger socks.

Gloves are as important as boots, especially if you have cold hands. Unlike many thinks, the biggest gloves aren't always the warmest. Remember the principle, air keeps you warm. Therefor we recommend you to use mittens instead, they're significantly warmer than any glove. They might not be so easy to use, but cold hands are harder to deal with, in my oppinion.

Keeping your head warm is also very important, so make sure that you don't leave your winter caps at home, and to save yourself from a soar throat, have a warm scarf with you as well. 

It's a survival trick, and you can surely use it in Tromsø as well, have an extra pair of socks with you in dry place, just in case you get your feet wet.

Umbrella or raincoat? Well, unless it's windy, it's up to your preferences, but generally speaking, probably raincoat. Also remember that you need to carry it even if you don't need it.

Since Tromsø can be very icy, you probably want to get yourself a pair of spikes as well. These are easy to put on your boots and will significantly reduce the risk of falling on ice. The majority of accidents in the winter are tourists slipping on ice and breaking bones, that's not a club to join. You can buy these in every other shop in Tromsø, we suggest you to consider getting a pair.

What to do when you're cold out in the wilderness? First of all, don't panic, we've been designed to survive. Some tourists really like the hand and feet warming pads that they sell in most outdoor shops in Tromsø, but it's always more effective to warm up from the inside. We know that when you feel cold, you just want to sit and wait for it to go away, but it won't and doing so increases the risk of hypothermia. The best you can do is to move. As much as you can, using as many muscles as possible until you feel the blood warming you up again. Remember though, when out in the cold, the last thing you want is to start sweating, that also increases the risk of hypothermia by quite a lot. But if you do start to sweat, still don't panic (that, generally speaking doesn't help) just keep moving in a slower paste. Keep your body active, so you don't loose heat. 

In these cases it's very good to have an extra, dry pair of socks for example in your bag, but a T-shirt is a good idea as well. Getting rid of the wet clothes and putting on dry ones is something heaven must feel like.

In the summer, the main idea is the same, have layers ready. Remember that Tromsø has a lot of rain, also in the summer, and the weather can change in an instant. 

The winter is long, sometimes we still have snow in the end of May, so don't believe the calendar if you visit in the summer, it might very well still be winter here, even if you're already wearing shorts at home. It's always easier to take off a layer than to find something to put on once you're feeling cold. 

When it's sunny though, it can also be very warm. You'll say, 25 degrees Celsius isn't even warm in most places, but the sun is very strong here and we must protect ourselves from it.