Tromsø A Favorite of Mine:
For me, Tromsø is steeped in Arctic Exploration history and that just may be why I enjoy Tromsø. It was from Tromsø many of the Arctic Expeditions were outfitted by a Chandler (A dealer of specialized provisions, supplies, or equipment, such as a ship's chandler who supplies boats and ships.) before setting out to the unknown. Many an expedition made Tromsø their first stop upon returning, oft times years later. I see the mighty Ice Ship Fram docked and sailing away and returning to Tromsø.
Humans first set foot on Tromsøya island’s shores some 10,000 years ago. The area was originally inhabited by the indigenous Sámi people, who lived off fishing, reindeer herding, and hunting.
Norse settlers arrived around the 12th century, and the town began to grow as a trading post, although it remained a frontier town until the 18th century when Bergen lost its monopoly on the trade in cod. Tromsø jumped on the opportunity, rising to become a major Arctic trading centre whose liveliness so surprised visitors they dubbed it the ‘Paris of the North’.
In the 19th century, Tromsø gained prominence and prosperity thanks to its strategic location for Arctic whaling. The town also became a centre for scientific exploration, hosting renowned Arctic expeditions led by figures like Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, who often chose Tromsø’s hardy and nature-wise residents to join them on their landmark expeditions to the North Pole and Antarctica.
By the 1900s, the city had become a cultural and educational hub, thanks to institutions such as the University of Tromsø, founded in 1968.
Today, Tromsø is a hive of Arctic research and adventure tourism. It’s also experiencing a revival of Sámi culture, with joik (throat singing), duodji (Sámi handicrafts) and language classes and support from the Centre for Sámi Studies at The Arctic University of Norway.
Thanks to its location north of the Arctic Circle, you can witness the magic of the Aurora in winter and the 24-hour Midnight Sun in summer.
In front of the Sami Shop one can find these four stumbling blocks. One can find these all over Europe. These brass stones represent a location where during WWII a person was arrested and sent to a concentration camp. I make sure visit them when we are here.
The city holds titles for the world’s northernmost university and botanical garden, and offers an eclectic mix of festivals, such as Tromsø International Film Festival, The Northern Lights Festival and Bukta rock music festival. The city’s dining scene is impressive too, awash with fresh, locally sourced seafood.
We were off the ship a few minutes past 0800 and went directly to the Visitor Information Center. From previous visits we knew we can get bus tickets and information. Our plan was to get a day bus pass and visit the botanical gardens. It is about 3 miles out of town near the university.
We passed the church and the local pub on our walk to Polaria.
Used to be the Northernmost.
Alas, the Info Center did not open till 1000 and several of the bus routes had been diverted due to the music festival. Change of plans, we decided to walk to Polaria an aquarium and Arctic wildlife info center. It is funded by several organizations to bring awareness of the Arctic Eco Zone. As we arrived 30+ minutes early we took a seat out front of the facility to await their opening.
While awaiting, a gentleman on a bicycle came around the corner being led by a Norwegian Elk Hound. He stopped and his most friendly dog ran over to me begging for attention. We chatted for about 25 minutes about dogs, Tromsø, the state of the world and more all while his pup demanded attention. Soon the facility opened. We don’t know why we have never visited here before during our previous trips to Tromsø. This is a well done facility and is continuing to expand. I am glad we arrived early before the crowds.
At 1030 they had a Bearded Seal feeding exhibition. They have three captive seals. Two of the seals were harvested as young female pups in Svalbard and the male came from Russia. After their feeding, we chatted with the staff and learn much more. I learned that any captive animal by law can not be released back into the wild. These seals receive weekly check ups and their diet is closely monitored. They are trained to some tricks and this is good to keep them active and receive mental stimulation.
There are 3 very well done short movies covering the subjects of behind the scenes, Svalbard wildlife and the Northern Lights. Then there are several small aquariums and other interactive displays. As I said all is very well done and well worth the visit as we spent 2.5 hours there.
With changed plans and it being past 1200 we decided to return to city center and get a hot dog.
Sadly, the hot dog bar was closed. We later learned the reason being today was the last day of Bukta the rock music festival. For the three days of the festival the hotdog bar is closed.
As we were not ready to return to the ship on such a beautiful day, we decided to get lunch in the city. A 7-11 hot dog or pizza did not sound appealing.
There is a chain of pizza shops we have seen all over Norway called Peppe’s Pizza. We decided to give them a try. We got a small pepperoni and it was not bad at all. I am afraid I will be too full to have much a dinner tonight.
We meandered the streets back to the waterfront where we boarded the ship.
Should one be planning a trip to Tromsø, I will highly recommend the Troll Museum and the Arctic Exploration Museum.
Earlier today when we returned to our room we found a “Polarsirkel Sertifikat” commemorating our crossing of the Arctic Circle.
We will make a stop tonight to take on fuel, as there is a fuel shortage in Longyearbyen. We are now just outside of Tromsø taking on supplies for Longyearbyen.
These were unscheduled and added to our itinerary. Soon it will be off to dinner and I am looking forward to this evenings presentation on Sami Culture.
Tomorrow we get to visit Bamse the Sea Dog.
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