Tromso

[Lirio]

Any suggestion for 2 days in Tromso?

[kruzseeka]

Any suggestion for 2 days in Tromso?

 

One thing I would try to incorporate into my time there if you like gardens would be a visit to the University Botanical Alpine Gardens - more or less opposite the dock and across the road. It's free and in July when we were there it was an absolute riot of colour - not at all what I expected from alpine planting. They had species from Alpine locations all over the world.

 

There is a gardener on TV here in the UK who did a TV series and wrote a book about 80 gardens around the world - this was one of them. It was a beautiful day and we spent a couple of hours there and throoughly enjoyed it.

[Lirio]

Good suggestion, thanks.

[TLCOhio]

Any suggestion for 2 days in Tromso?

 

From our one-day in Tromso on July 8, here are a few highlights and some visuals samples from my pictures for what we saw and did.

 

With 63,500 people, it is the seventh largest city in Norway and the largest in its northern area. It is known as the “Paris of the North”, is 186 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is located on an island. The city center of Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in northern Norway, the oldest house dating from 1789. The Arctic Cathedral, a modern church from 1965, is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. Its east wall is composed entirely of stained glass. The Polar Museum is situated in a wharf house from 1837, presents Tromsø's past as a center for Arctic hunting and starting point for many major Arctic expeditions. You are standing on a forest-covered island in a narrow sound, hemmed in by soaring mountains. A cable car travels up to the top of Mt. Storsteinen at 1,260 feet for views of the town, islands, mountains and water. The Polaria Arctic Center has sea life displays, an aquarium of marine life and trained seals. Its main street is Storgata with the town square opening onto the harbor. There is a daily open-air market selling flowers and crafts. Its two best dining places are Arctandria and Compagniet. Emm’a Drommekjokken get super high marks and is across from Tromso’s cathedral. For July 8, average high of 57 and low of 47; record high of 69 and record low of 42 on this date. Twenty-four hours of daylight. Latitude: 69.7° N.

 

Port info: http://www.tromso.havn.no/en/shiptraffic/cruiseships

http://www.destinasjontromso.no/english/index.html

info@visittromso.no

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 36,720 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

 

The Arctic Cathedral is the most famous in Tromso. Here is the front view of this church that seats 700 and was completed in 1965.:

 

 

 

This is the Arctic Cathedral’s interior view of its stained glass window on the east wall.:

 

 

 

From the mountain top, here is the “back” view of the Arctic Cathedral.:

 

 

 

Taking the cable car up to the top of Mt. Storsteinen at 1,260 feet provides great views of the town, islands, mountains and water. With our mid-day weather so sunny, it really helped enjoy this city in such a great setting.:

 

 

 

This is a view of the main part of Tromso’s central city, including the unique winged shape of its public library. The town has a 1000-car garage dug under the mountain for car parking.:

 

 

 

From the mountain top, this is a wider shot of the area showing the dramatic setting of this island city of Tromso and its nearby airport, bridges, mountains, etc.:

 

[kaisatsu]

Try to plan your visit to Polaria to coincide with the seal feeding. Very cute!

 

If you're active or outdoorsy, you can do some short hikes from the top of the cable car to get some fantastic views over the city and island. Beautiful! Basically just keep going up until you've gotten as high as you'd like.

 

A more unusual but still entertaining option is to do a tour of the Mack brewery - one of the last Norwegian breweries that's still owned by Norwegians. It was surprisingly interesting - and included samples at the end (a valuable commodity in Norge).

[TLCOhio]

A more unusual but still entertaining option is to do a tour of the Mack brewery - one of the last Norwegian breweries that's still owned by Norwegians. It was surprisingly interesting - and included samples at the end (a valuable commodity in Norge).

 

We didn't do that brewery tour in Tromso, but we did enjoy some of their beer. Great idea and wonderful fun. Below are a couple of my pictures to verify as to having been involved with this fine product of Norway. Love the name of Arctic Beer!! Note their "historic" fact that this beer was first on the North Pole.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 36,750 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

 

 

[Jules 1970]

How easy is it to see the major attractions of Tromso on foot and using public transport.It looks like a Big City

Sometimes you've got to concede that the Ships tour is the best option and this looks like the one.

Can anyone convince me otherwise ?

[TLCOhio]

How easy is it to see the major attractions of Tromso on foot and using public transport. It looks like a Big City. Sometimes you've got to concede that the Ships tour is the best option and this looks like the one. Can anyone convince me otherwise ?

 

As I noted earlier, Tromso is 63,500 people and the seventh largest city in Norway. Not really that large by comparison to most cities in Europe and the world. BUT, as my pictures showed, the Arctic Cathedral is across a long, long bridge and the big view from on the top of the major mountain overview are also at some distance from the central downtown area.

 

Doing on foot would not be very practical and/or time-efficient. There is some public transport in town, but with the limited population size here, I would not call it as being handy, quick, frequent, comprehensive. Does this help make the point about a ship tour being an option that help improve your logistics and make things much easier?

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 100,719 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[kaisatsu]

I will offer the counterpoint. If you don't mind a bit of walking, I think it's a very easy city to get around on your own. The walk from the part of the city center where the Hurtigruten docks and where our ship's shuttle dropped us off to the Arctic Cathedral was about 30 minutes, and half of that was through the city center with plenty to look at along the way. After the Arctic Cathedral, we walked to the cable car and then hiked further up the hill for an hour. We walked about 10 minutes from the cable car back to the main road and caught a city bus back into town to visit the Mack Brewery and Polaria.

 

If you want to fill every moment of your day or if you have limited mobility, then a ship's tour is probably a better option. However, it's a very small and walkable (at least in the summer when there's no ice) city, and the buses run fairly often for a city of that size. If you move at a relaxed pace, you can definitely get around by foot & bus without too much trouble.

 

PS - To amend my earlier post, we spent three days in Tromsø last month and I found out that the Mack brewery has moved. The Ølhallen brewery pub is still operating so you can try the beer, but the tours are no longer offered (they don't seem to have updated this on the Tromsø tourist site yet).

[TLCOhio]

I will offer the counterpoint. If you don't mind a bit of walking, I think it's a very easy city to get around on your own. The walk from the part of the city center where the Hurtigruten docks and where our ship's shuttle dropped us off to the Arctic Cathedral was about 30 minutes, and half of that was through the city center with plenty to look at along the way. After the Arctic Cathedral, we walked to the cable car and then hiked further up the hill for an hour. We walked about 10 minutes from the cable car back to the main road and caught a city bus back into town to visit the Mack Brewery and Polaria. If you want to fill every moment of your day or if you have limited mobility, then a ship's tour is probably a better option. However, it's a very small and walkable (at least in the summer when there's no ice) city, and the buses run fairly often for a city of that size. If you move at a relaxed pace, you can definitely get around by foot & bus without too much trouble.

PS - To amend my earlier post, we spent three days in Tromsø last month and I found out that the Mack brewery has moved. The Ølhallen brewery pub is still operating so you can try the beer, but the tours are no longer offered (they don't seem tod have updated this on the Tromsø tourist site yet).

 

As always from Meg, these are excellent added options, factors to consider. Clearly, each person has to consider these timing and logistical "trade-offs" to determine what is best to consider and do for their needs, physical abilities. Much will also depend on the weather, winds (while walking across and back on that long, high bridge in Tromoso), etc. It is about a half mile across that big bridge.

 

Below are a few more of my visuals for this nice town and nearby.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 100,927 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Before going up to the top of Mt. Storsteinen, here is a view of the island city of Tromso from near water level showing various buildings, the gull-shaped library roof, a variety of residences going up the hillside, distant mountains, etc.:

 

 

 

From the mountain top of Mt. Storsteinen, 1,260 feet above the sea, here are some more views showing the dramatic setting of this island city of Tromso. First, looking south, second looking to the north, third a closer focus on the various roof lines, buildings, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[teacherplus]

I will offer the counterpoint. If you don't mind a bit of walking, I think it's a very easy city to get around on your own. The walk from the part of the city center where the Hurtigruten docks and where our ship's shuttle dropped us off to the Arctic Cathedral was about 30 minutes, and half of that was through the city center with plenty to look at along the way. After the Arctic Cathedral, we walked to the cable car and then hiked further up the hill for an hour. We walked about 10 minutes from the cable car back to the main road and caught a city bus back into town to visit the Mack Brewery and Polaria.

 

If you want to fill every moment of your day or if you have limited mobility, then a ship's tour is probably a better option. However, it's a very small and walkable (at least in the summer when there's no ice) city, and the buses run fairly often for a city of that size. If you move at a relaxed pace, you can definitely get around by foot & bus without too much trouble.

 

PS - To amend my earlier post, we spent three days in Tromsø last month and I found out that the Mack brewery has moved. The Ølhallen brewery pub is still operating so you can try the beer, but the tours are no longer offered (they don't seem to have updated this on the Tromsø tourist site yet).

 

I'm so glad you added this. My DH and I love to walk so walking around in Tromso sounds great to me.

[kaisatsu]

I will add that if you want to try to use the city buses in Norway, the Lonely Planet guide is usually pretty good about including bus suggestions.

 

For Tromsø, they list the following:

Arctic Cathedral - #20 or #24

Fjellheisen cable car - #26

Botanical garden - #20

 

(and of course you can always just ask a local!)

[shoreham01]

We found Tromso really easy to get around. The public transport system is very good, but in the centre of town most places are easily walkable. It is quite a long walk across to the Cathedral but there are buses that drop you off there. It is quite a hike to the cable car, much to far for me to contemplate from the centre.

[TLCOhio]

The OP asked about other things to do in Tromso. We visited the Tromso Museum. It is not big and/or a world-class facility/collection like at the Hermitage or Louvre. But it has a diverse collection of things geology, Sami culture, religious artifacts, natural history and special exhibitions. It gives some good insights for the local environment and area. Some mentioned jumping up and down in front of the earthquake sensor. There are also some animal exhibits, polar bear, arctic fox etc. Another option to consider based on your interests.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 100,927 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

To give a better idea on the size and height of the main bridge in Tromso, here is a little closer picture. This is not a short or "little" bridge. Be prepared for a decent-sized uphill hike.:

 

 

 

In the Tromso Museum, here are some historic religious items from this part of Norway.:

 

 

 

In this museum, they have reconstructed how the interior of an earlier home in this area would have been built of wood and occupied for daily life in this challenging environment.:

 

[Jules 1970]

Thankyou for some good tips and advice everyone.

Planning to go to the Cable car first.Looking at the photo of the Long bridge :(

I will be taking the No.26 bus :).

Then walking back to the Artic Cathedral and taking the No.20/24 :) back into the city.

(There is a plan "B" if the weather turns a bit Funny)

 

 

 

[pauladora]

also on this cruise,would love any info.you have on any of the ports

like doing things on our own

[TLCOhio]

also on this cruise,would love any info. you have on any of the ports like doing things on our own

 

Tell us more!! Which specific other ports, towns and cities are you visiting? When are you traveling?? Then, with more detailed information from you, we can make better, more specific suggestions on what best fits your needs and interests. Am I correct that one of your stops will be in charming Bergen? Great city with wonderful character.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 103,743 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Jules 1970]

Just posting a few photos of the cable car and views over Tromso :)

Weather was a bit overcast and cloudy,

not the best of days for taking scenic photography :(.

It was a matter of waiting for the drifting clouds to clear then taking your photo :).

 

 

 

[Jules 1970]

 

[TLCOhio]

Appreciate the very good pictures from Jules 1970. Brings back nice memories from our July 2010 visit there. Fortunately, we had the bright sunny days, but Jules 1970 did a wonderful job battling the cloud challenges from that dramatic, high location over such wonderful natural settings.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 109,910 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Jules 1970]

Oh, one more thing a lot of people were walking from the Cable car to the Artic Church.

It's about a 10-15 minute easy walk.