Earlier this week I was lucky enough to be sent to Tromsø in the north of Norway. Tromsø is the town in the north that has most people living and working there. It is located 69 degrees north and often go by the nick name “Paris of the north”.
MS Polarstjerna built in 1949, one of Norway’s best preserved seal boat is stored in a specially designed dry dock, and it can be visited from June to August. In the dry dock under the “ice” there is an exhibition called SNOWHOW that highlights the innuit, sami people and people of the Arctic sea’s valuable insights when going on the polar expeditions. The boat is part of the Norwegian Polar Museum, even if it is not located close to the other part of the expedition.
Polaria is the world most northerly aquarium. It opened in 1998 and it’s focus is on the island of Svalbard. They have aquariums displaying local marine life as well as open tanks and display tanks containing rock-shore animals, baby fish and other child-friendly exhibits. The main draw is a big pool with trained seals in an arctic looking environment. Polaria’s design represents ice floes that have been pressed up on land by the rough seas of the Arctic.
There are no Polar bears on the Norwegian mainland, the Norwegian polar bears all live on the island of Svalbard. This sculpture is situated between the building of Polaria and the Fram centre a collection of 21 institutions doing research and outreach in natural science, technology and social sciences. They all aim to contribute to Norway’s sound management of the environment and natural resources in the north.
I got to spend a few days in this lovely city and the weather was lovely, crisp and sunny. This means it was prime conditions for seeing the Northern lights (Aurora Borealis). I was a bit unlucky and only got to see the back end of what had been a lovely display, as I was landing. But I hope I get the chance to go back up north to experience the northern lights on another occasion.
Tromsø is located on a peninsula and so there is a lot of access to the sea. I got to go on a lovely stroll around town, just before it got dark. This made sure that I got some fresh sea air after a day inside working. And I always like to stroll around places I don’t know to see the area.
I was, by far, not the only tourist in Tromsø. It being the largest city in the north of Norway, there are a lot that come to see the midnight sun in Summer and to be there in winter when it is covered in snow and you don’t see any bit of daylight. It is also a good place to experience the northern lights.
Weekend is treating me good, so far, even if it is raining quite heavily. Hope the same is true for you, maybe without the heavy rain bit…
Tromso was one of the places I visited when I backpacked round Scandinavia as a 19 year old. I arrived there by bus from Narvik and left by boat for Hammerfest after spending a day in the town. I have fond memories of northern Norway even now, a quarter of a century on.
That sounds like a very nice trip! I would like to go to Narvik and Hammerfest, but I have not got a chance yet. Tromsø was quite a nice town and I enjoyed my visit. Would be even better if I was not just there to work.
Ok – so where are the photographs of the MS Polarstjerna and Tromso Harbour. All I see is a building in the distance and well worn pavement outside some buildings ! 😦
MS Polarstjerna is in the building, and as it was closed to the public for the winter I did not get to go in and get a photo. And those old sea houses are there to represent the architecture that is prominent along the harbor.
Thank you for the tour of such a unique part of the world!
It was quite unique to me too as I have never been so far north before.
Sorry you missed those northern lights…I’ve never seen them either!
I got ro see a tiny bit. Made me crave moore.
I’ve been to the Canadian arctic before. Do they have to deal with permafrost when putting up buildings? The homes will move if you don’t do it right.
No, don’t think they do. You would have to go further north and more innland for that. But it is a problem on Svalbard these days.
Sadly, the polar bears living here in Alaska are threatened by climate change. Their sea ice is disappearing!
Sadly it is the same story over here.
Thanks! Now I have a reason to go to the far north next time I am in Norway.
It is lovely and in many ways very different from the south.