Tromso, being above the Arctic Circle, is often referred to as ‘Paris of the North’ due to its lively atmosphere. Tromso is the world’s most northern university town and the largest city in the Nordic countries north of the Arctic Circle. The city lies between the sharp craggy peaks of the Lyngen Alps and combines wild scenery with urban life.
Northern Lights
It’s a common myth that being above the Arctic Circle, you chase the Northern Lights – not true! The Northern Lights are always there, especially in winter, but you need a dark and clear cloudless night to see them. What I didn’t know, is all those lovely photos you see are are in actual fact viewed through an SLR camera with a long exposure and not with the naked eye. Lucky for us, we had one! Apparently, if you also have an iPhone, there is an App for that as well. Anyway, I digress. The greatest chance and frequency to view the Northern lights in winter is between the hours of 6pm-2am.
Patience and dedication pays off … lots of patience and dedication! The Northern Lights might be visible only for a few minutes or most of the evening. They may be faint or very bright, they even may be dancing with green colours or even pink depending on the level of solar activity and how clear the sky is. What is never guaranteed however is that you will get to see them on any given night. The best advice is to have a few spare days up your sleeve just in case – and take lots of warm clothes including boots, with temperatures in winter often dropping down to minus 19 degrees C or lower at night depending on the location.
Dog Sledding with Alaskan Huskies
The notes read, ‘being above the Arctic Circle you will enjoy the arctic coastal nature with a fantastic view over Tromso’. No mention that there would be near whiteout conditions with snow blowing in your face from every conceivable angle.
After meeting our driver and team of 12 Alaskan Huskies and much barking, we set off on the exhilarating ride ahead. Tucked under a warm rug on the sled certainly helped to keep warm.
Having come straight from an Australian summer, it was also a test of human endurance, but not the dogs though. In fact, Alaskan Huskies are bred for their endurance and stamina are renowned for their work ethic in a harsh, windswept snow environment.
They are trained from a young age to be sociable and interact with humans. Consuming some 6,000-8,000 calories a day when working, their diet mostly consists of high protein foods like salmon.
There is a strong interaction between the driver of the sled and the lead dogs, who are the most experienced and understand commands from the driver – in Norwegian of course. Working as a team, they will sense when the driver is not assisting with the sled and slow down or stop right in their tracks.
Snowshoe Trekking
Above the Arctic Circle, this day is was what we call in the business, a ‘bluebird day’. Blessed with perfect weather in twilight conditions, we set off mid morning for a 3 hour hike and explored the surrounding wilderness area situated on Kvaløya Island.
With views back over Tromso and towards the Fiords, snow crunching below our feet, it was a majestic day.
Onwards and upwards!
Trevor
Insights
- Tromso, being above the Arctic Circle, is situated right in the centre of the Northern Lights zone and is therefore among the best places on earth to observe this phenomenon.Â
- Download the Aurora Forecast app to track the chances of viewing in real time.
Other attractions/activities to do in Tromso:
- Arctic Cathedral
- Polar Museum
- Tromso Gondola lift (Fjellheisen)
- Polaria Arctic Aquarium
- Mack Brewery
- Visittromso.no has further information.
- See Authentic Scandinavia for all activities.
