The Port of Tromso, Norway
ABOUT
Tromso is situated on the island of Troms and is often referred to as the `Gateway to the Arctic’. It has been inhabited since the end of the Ice Age and relics found date back up to 10,000 years. It used to be the headquarters of seal and walrus hunters and the starting point for several Arctic expeditions. Today it centres on other industries including tourism and is the home of the most northernmost University in the world.
Population in 2023 was listed as just under 78,000.
Currency is the Krone.
THINGS TO DO
There are lots of things to do in and around Tromso and it is well worth looking at organised trips to get the most out of your visit.
Indeed you may be spoilt for choice – how about taking a ride on a husky sled, or try driving one yourself; reindeer sledding; take a trip on a snow mobile; a variety of boat tours looking at the scenery and perhaps spotting a whale or two; of course there are various opportunities to find those illusive Northern Lights.
Norway is largely a cashless society nowadays so cards are pretty much essential. Oh, and nothing is particularly cheap!
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
OUR FIRST VISIT TO TROMSO
Our first visit to Tromso was on board P&O Cruises Aurora.
Taking stock of the scenery surrounding us was one of our favourite activities. However the photographs cannot quite capture the beauty surrounding us.
Whilst trugging through deep snow isn’t perhaps a favourite thing to do, it did lead to the Husky centre for our dog sledding trip. We both enjoyed this tour but for Lindsey, it was probably the best trip EVER. We were given information about the dogs, their breeding and training. Then we roamed through their kennels to make their acquaintance (they love to have a fuss). The sled trip itself was amazing, the scenery stunning, the atmosphere pure serenity. It has to be done to be believed – and yes we shall go back. To get a flavour of what we mean why not take a look at the video below.
OUR RETURN TO TROMSO
Our second visit to Tromso could not have been more different. The weather was cold, damp and snowy rather than the beautiful sunshine we had on our previous trip. You can see the difference between the photos above and those below.
The sail in to the port, again aboard P&O Cruises Aurora was much more reserved. We did not book a trip on this occasion so once docked we left the ship and took a shuttle bus into the town intself. These shuttle busses are chargeable with P&O Cruises unless you book on a Select Fare in which case they are included.
Cathedral of the Church of Norway
The shuttle bus took us into the centre of Tromso. It is quite easy to find your way around, but take care if there is snow and ice on the ground.
Our walk took us past the Cathedral of the Church of Norway. It is the only Norwegian Protestant cathedral made of wood.
Thought to have been built on the site of previous churches, this cathedral was completed in 1861.
The building originally had seating for nearly 1000 worshipers. However today some of the benches have been removed and the capacity is about 600.
Used for more than worshiping, the cathedral was open on the day of our visit and was putting on an organ recital. We sat and listened to the music on not one, but two church organs. It gave us time to enjoy the simplistic beauty of this building.
Troll Museum
During our visit we also found the Troll Museum. Not knowing a huge amount about the myths and legends behind Trolls we thought this would be an opportunity not to be missed.
The museum is the first of its kind in Norway to use Augmented Reality (AR) technology. There are two halls one for the road of trolls and the other showing the home of the sea troll. It promises fun for all the family with exhibits, games and a library. Adult tickets are 200nk each (about £14.50) so not particularly cheap. Unfortunately we were very disappointed. Whilst some of the models were good and it may be an interesting family entertainment for an hour or so, it is not something we would recommend.
Tromso is quite a nice town to stroll through. There are quite a number of shops to visit, including at least one that is of a tourist nature. There are also cafes and bars that are avaialble. We found a cafe that was particularly quaint and full of locals. English is spoken widely so there was no problem ordering a hot chocolate and cinnamon bun.
Back at the ship we were able to enjoy the sights of the city into the darkness of the evening. As you can see below some of the colours were very interesting and taken without filters.
OUR VIDEOS
To check out our experiences in Tromso just click the videos below – and if you enjoy the content simply `Like’ and `Subscribe’ to see more (subscription is free)