Tromso Attractions
Post code: N-9000
Telephone code: 083
The Norwegian port of Tromsø lies between Narvik and Hammerfest, in latitude 69°39' north, on a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge 1,036m/1,100yd long and 43m/140ft high. The town grew up around a church founded in the 13th century and received its municipal charter in 1794. Tromsø is now the largest town in northern Norway, chief town of Troms county and an important fishing port, with a university, an observatory for the study of the aurora borealis and the meteorological station for northern Norway. In 1944 the German battleship "Tirpitz" was sunk by British aircraft off the island of Kvaløy. The midnight sun is visible here, in good weather, from May 21 to July 23.
Economy and transport
Tromsø has been, and still is, a base for expeditions to the Arctic (monument to Amundsen). Ships are fitted out here for fishing in the Arctic Ocean, and many fishing boats use the harbor of Tromsø as a base. The fast ships of the Hurtigrute from Bergen to Kirkenes and vice versa call in at Tromsø every day, and in summer this is the starting-point for cruises to Spitzbergen. There are regular air services between Tromsø and Oslo and other major Norwegian cities.
Tromsø has a high number of old wooden houses, the oldest dates back to 1789. The most notable attraction is the Arctic Cathedral, called "the opera house of Norway", because of its distinct appearance.
Telephone code: 083
The Norwegian port of Tromsø lies between Narvik and Hammerfest, in latitude 69°39' north, on a small island connected to the mainland by a bridge 1,036m/1,100yd long and 43m/140ft high. The town grew up around a church founded in the 13th century and received its municipal charter in 1794. Tromsø is now the largest town in northern Norway, chief town of Troms county and an important fishing port, with a university, an observatory for the study of the aurora borealis and the meteorological station for northern Norway. In 1944 the German battleship "Tirpitz" was sunk by British aircraft off the island of Kvaløy. The midnight sun is visible here, in good weather, from May 21 to July 23.
Economy and transport
Tromsø has been, and still is, a base for expeditions to the Arctic (monument to Amundsen). Ships are fitted out here for fishing in the Arctic Ocean, and many fishing boats use the harbor of Tromsø as a base. The fast ships of the Hurtigrute from Bergen to Kirkenes and vice versa call in at Tromsø every day, and in summer this is the starting-point for cruises to Spitzbergen. There are regular air services between Tromsø and Oslo and other major Norwegian cities.
Tromsø has a high number of old wooden houses, the oldest dates back to 1789. The most notable attraction is the Arctic Cathedral, called "the opera house of Norway", because of its distinct appearance.
Tromsø Museum
In a park 2km/1.25mi southwest of Tromsø center, reached from the Cathedral by way of Storgate and Strandveien, passing the University, is Tromsø Museum, with natural history and ethnographic collections (including a section on the culture of the Sami) and a number of old 18th and 19th century buildings. Near the museum is its aquarium.
Hours
May 15 to June 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
June 15 to August 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
August 15 to September 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
September 15 to May 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Cruise Port
From here, majestic cruise ships depart for distant ports of call. While docked, these mighty ships are a spectacle for all to see.
Elverhøy Church
To the west of the town center stands the Elverhøy Church (1802), a wooden church on a cruciform plan which from 1803 to 1861 was the cathedral of Tromsø. It was moved to its present site in 1975. Notable features of the interior are the altar and a medieval Madonna in wood.
Hella, Norway
(Near Tromso)
Some 30km/20mi south of Tromsø, on the east side of the island of Kvaløy, lies the village of Hella, with an open-air museum containing a number of houses from old Tromsø.
Between Leikanger and Hella is Kvinnafossen Falls. During the spring thaw, visitors that park on the road will feel the spray from the waterfall.
Between Leikanger and Hella is Kvinnafossen Falls. During the spring thaw, visitors that park on the road will feel the spray from the waterfall.
Northern Lights Planetarium
The Northern Lights Planetarium contains a Spitz 512 which was installed in 1989. Its dome measures 12.2 meters.
Skansen Museum
Near the west end of the Tromsø bridge, on the site of an old fort, is the Skansen Museum (local history and traditions). On the fjord, in a separate building, is the Polar section of the museum, which displays, among much else, fishing and other equipment from Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole.
Tromsdal Church
On the mainland, just before the Tromsø bridge, is the Tromsdal Church, a striking example of modern architecture (by Jan Inge Hovig, 1965), known as the "Cathedral of the Arctic". The whole of the east end is occupied by a stained glass window (140sq.m/1500sq.ft), "The Return of Christ".
Tromsø Cathedral
Southwest of the landing quay, in the center of Tromsø, stands the large wooden Cathedral (1861). The altarpiece, a copy of one in the Bragernes Church in Drammen, depicts the Resurrection. The church has stained glass by Per Vigeland.
Viewpoint
A cabin cableway runs up from a station to the south of the Tromsdal Church to a height of 420m/1,380ft.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
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