Go Citybreak: Tromsø in the Norwegian High North is the perfect spot to party those long nights away, but don't forget to catch the best light show in the world, writes Deirdre Melvin
WE SOAR over countless uninhabited islands on the approach to the Norwegian city island of Tromsø. This is a region that the Norwegians refer to as the “High North”. We are now on the same latitude as Siberia or Alaska where the winter darkness lasts from November until mid-January. The main motivation for most travel to Tromsø is for a glimpse of the aurora borealis or to work and study in the booming polar economies of oil and Arctic research. Asian tourists travel with a singular purpose – to conceive under the Northern Lights in the belief that it gives their offspring the best possible start in life.
Locals exploit this extended night enthusiastically, with a festival for every week throughout the winter and spring. In the 1970s this compact picturesque port town was labelled “sin city” as its attitudes were far more liberal than the rest of Norway. Banish the vision of an Ibiza on ice from your mind, though, and replace it with a vigorous pub/club scene that revolves around the festival of the week, a new art exhibition or a music album launch. This is a city of culture vultures disposed to welcoming intelligent clubbers. In every bar you meet the most marvellous personalities; every second individual seems to be involved with music and all are insanely proud of local electronic heroes Röyksopp.
Tromsø’s cosmopolitan flavour can be attributed to the 133 nationalities in its population of 65,000, a size slightly smaller than Galway city. The streets are packed together – a necessity for heat before the arrival of oil – and a mere 10-minute walk from the centre you’ll find beautiful wooden houses originally designed as holiday homes. Some inspired engineering has resulted in tunnels under the mountain, permitting you to travel from the airport to the downtown area within 15 minutes.
Walking upwards from the harbour and into the main square, Stortorget, at 4:30pm on a Saturday, I could hear cover bands belting out tunes and the cafes and bars were already bustling. The dress code in this town is practical yet funky. Snow boots teamed with cute dresses, colourful scarves and warm coats are de rigueur.
If you are based on the south side, start in Café Circa, with its huge hot-drink menu and nice laid-back lounge feel. If you find yourself on Tromsø’s north side, pop into Perez, a friendly tapas bar. Arthur is a rock bar with welcoming bar staff and you can escape the heavy guitar music in the comfy outdoor smoking area. Driv is a three tier bar on the docks where you might encounter a debate, a poker game or a hands-in-the-air rave all in the same evening. The certainties across every pub are the local tasty beer Mack, flickering candles and plenty of board games.
Cafe Sann is an open-planned bar with a trendier crowd, making it perfect for people watching. The night should always finish at my favourite bar, Verdensteatret Kafe. There are a lot of endearing attributes to this unpretentious late hang-out, which is located in the lobby of Norway’s oldest cinema. As well as pulling pints, the bar staff pull vinyl from the wall to spin behind the counter. There is no dance floor but dancing spontaneously erupts regardless. You’ll notice a second influx of punters after midnight when more locals come out to play. Alcohol is expensive, so locals tend to have a few at home before going out for the night. Off-licences have odd opening hours so use your flight to stock up. Norwegian Air, although strict on carry-on luggage, seems to turn a blind eye to the transparent duty-free bags carried on laden with booze.
On Sunday, quiet spaces and comfy coffee shops are the order of the day as the town almost completely shuts down, as if in a collective hangover. You can soothe a throbbing head by easing yourself into the hush of the numerous and often free art galleries and museums, or getting into those mountains on the neighbouring islands.
Moving far away from the city lights increases your chance of seeing the aurora borealis. The sporting disciplines of snow shoeing, cross-country skiing and kick sledding are immensely popular but when I visited the mild weather meant the hills were covered in glassy ice instead of the snowy powder required. However, the sky was crystal clear, increasing the chances of viewing mother nature’s light show.
The best time to see the Northern Lights is between 6pm and midnight so I opted to spend the evening at the Tromsø Wilderness Centre on nearby Kvaløya or Whale Island. The centre is home to 300 beautiful dogs that you can visit in their personalised kennels, and you are given a comfy body suit to keep you snug while you hope for an appearance of the spectacle. The chances are good as the Northern Lights appear on average 100 nights per year.
A reindeer stew dinner was served around a wood fire inside a wooden tent modelled on the indigenous Sami style. The melt in the mouth meat is seemingly without any fat and is closer to the richness of beef than venison.
After dinner, there was little to occupy the group as we sat in dark, freezing field. Questions were asked about the phenomena and answered scientifically by the guides.
About 10 minutes before the bus was due to leave, a faint green smudge appeared in the sky. The intensity increased and suddenly a shimmering lime-green arc stretched across the bay, floating in and out of sight for up to 20 minutes. Our driver allowed us an extra 15 minutes before beaming the bus lights and hauling us in. It was a premature end to a beautiful experience.
Go there
There are no direct connections between Ireland and Tromsø. Norwegian (norwegian.com) flies direct from London Gatwick to Tromsø on Tuesdays and Saturdays only. Connections are also available via Oslo. To view the Northern Lights, contact Tromso Wilderness Centre, 00-47-77-696002, villmarkssenter.no
Where to stay, eat, drink and go
5 places to stay
Radisson SAS Hotel. Sjøgata 7, 00-47-77-600000, radissonblu.com. Located by the harbour, this is an upmarket yet comfortable hotel. The breakfast buffet is sumptuous and varied.
Amalie Hotel. Sjøgata 5B, 00-47-77-664800, amalie-hotell.no. Sandwiched between luxury hotels, the Amalie looks plain but offers the same great location without the frills.
City Living Tromsø, Grønnegata 48, 00-47-77-781050, cityliving.no. These self-catering apartments have an ideal city centre location.
Anemone Bed and Breakfast, Hochlinvegen 21, +47 77 68 65 15, anemone.skaland.co. Bed and breakfasts are not common in Norway and when you do come across one, it's called a home stay. This one is 30 minutes by bus from the city centre.
Tromsdalen Camping. 9020 Tromsdalen, 00-47-77-638037, tromsocamping.no. The youth hostel is closed during the winter but the campsite has two-bedroom bungalows to rent.
5 places to eat
Sivertsens Cafe. Vestregata 48, 00-47-77-655434. In the basement of Rådstua theatre house you'll find this vegetarian restaurant. The menu is limited but tasty and easy on the wallet.
Aunegården. Sjøgata 29, 00-47-77-651234, aunegarden.no. It's full of little nooks and crooks, and down the very back of the restaurant you'll find an open fire. The menu is varied and has local and international dishes.
Sjømatrestauranten Arctandria. Strandtorget, 00-47-77-600720, skarven.no. This is a fish restaurant that focuses on Arctic cuisine. It's shamelessly touristy but with local dishes including seal, shark, whale and reindeer on the menu, it's memorable.
Il Mare. Stortorget 2, 00-47-77-689666. This restaurant serves Japanese and Norwegian dishes. The sushi is disappointing and expensive but my catch of the day was terrific. Its dockside location provides a beautiful view.
De 4 Roser. Grønnegata 38-46, 00-47-920-40444, de4roser.no. This place has a great café with some decently priced food options on the ground floor, and a luxurious restaurant on the first floor. The location is further south in the city than the rest.
5 places to drink
Perez. Skippergata 6, 00-47-92-233313. A tiny and lively tapas bar.
Studenthuset Driv. Søndre Tollbugate 3b, +47 77 60 07 76, driv.no. This spirited student venue on the harbour is a cafe by day and a nightclub by evening.
Artur. Storgata 57, 00-47-77-647985. A dark coffee bar during the day that becomes a crowded, rock-orientated bar at night.
Circa. Storgata 36, 00-47-77-681020. An easy-going bar with an extensive hot-drinks menu to complement its lunches. It fills with young professionals in the evenings.
Kafé Verdensteatret. Storgata 93b, 00-47-77-753090, verdensteatret.no. What is not to love? Housed in the lobby of Norway's oldest cinema this could become your home away from home.
5 places to go
Perspekitivet Museum. Storgata 95, 00-47-77-601910, perspektivet.no. Here you can view exhibits on old Tromsø and have some fun identifying existing buildings.
Tromsø Kunstforening. Muségata 2, 00-47-77-655827, tromsokunstforening.no. This art gallery houses exhibitions in a neo-classical building that began life as a museum in 1894. The result is a stately yet welcoming venue focusing on contemporary art.
Polaria. Hjalmar Johansensgt 12, 00-47-77-750100, polaria.no. This is a stunning building themed on Arctic wildlife yet the gift shop is almost bigger than the exhibition. It's a nice diversion for children.
Fjellheisen cable car. Sollivegen 12, 00-47-77-638737, fjellheisen.no. Put on your walking boots or grab some skis to enjoy the mountain-top moor. You are exposed to the wind at this height so wear extra warm clothing to really enjoy soaking up the view, or hide inside by the open fire in the cafe.
Tromsø Museum(University Museum). Lars Thørings Veg 10 (Take bus 37 from Fredrik Langes gate), 00-47-77-645000, uit.no. This is worth the bus trip to see some more of the island and its exhibits about the Sami people and life in the arctic circle.
Hot tips
The tourist office is quite possibly the trickiest place to find on the island. Take a leisurely stroll along the dockside and you’ll find it just past the luxurious Rica and Radisson hotels. The staff are wonderful in person but rubbish by e-mail. Happily, its website, Destination Tromsø (destinasjontromso.no), is informed and accurate.
Bureau de changes are not standard in banks and are more expensive than using an ATM. If you have cash to convert into kroner, use a post office.
Hot spot
Skipsbroen. Rica Ishavshotel, Fredrik Langesgate 2, 00-47-77-666400, rica.no. With its panoramic views of the sea, this is just the place to sip a cocktail and watch the sunset.
Shop spot
The city’s main shops follow the spacious Storgata pedestrian street, and house familiar high-street brands alongside boutique stores selling sturdy footwear, heavy knits and elegant home furnishings. In the local mall Nerstranda (Steen and Strøm), Nerstranda 9 you’ll find a selection of shops specialising in urban street wear.