Disclaimer: This piece is utterly subjective as it is about a land I simply adore and I cannot find any downside to it.
This is not a regular story, this is a fairytale, because northern Norway is not just some land, it’s a winter wonderland!
Because last time when I was in Norway I didn’t see the northern lights, I decided to go again even further north, to the land of auroras – Tromsø. This time I picked a more festive period, New Year’s Eve. Some will argue this is not the best time to spot the aurora, but since it’s all a matter of luck it doesn’t even count that much.
Plan thoroughly
There are lots and lots of tourists this time of the year so make sure you book your flights well in advance. I bought my tickets in August and I went for SAS Airlines, which turned out to be an inspired choice as all was perfectly flawless. And trust me, when you change three planes to get from Bucharest to Tromsø, you want everything to go as smooth as possible.
Once you get to Langnes Airport, look for the bus station as it is below the parking lot where the Flybussen stops. The airport express tours the hotels downtown and will get you to the city centre, but it costs 80 NOK instead of 35 NOK.
Where to stay in Tromsø
Lately, I’ve been using Airbnb whenever possible. It proved to be an excellent idea for Tromsø also, as we stayed in a dreamy house perfectly decorated for the winter holidays. Should you visit that part of the world, I strongly recommend Anita’s house . You can find it here.
What to do in Tromsø
So, how do you spend the very short days and long nights in this particular paradise? Here’s what I did:
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Go for a walk in the Valley
Anita was so kind to introduce us to the Valley, a vast hiking/skiing area on the continental part of the town. You’ll be surprised to see everybody taking long walk or go skiing during the few daylight hours of the winter. It’s a thrill and an absolute must!
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Ski like a Norwegian
Not so easy if you’re not a Norwegian or you barely ski, but… it definitely worth a go. Don’t be shy and feel free to fall a lot, like I did! I grantee you can master those skills a few winter later.
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Climb Mount Storsteinen
It`s more of a hill, but the view is great!
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Eat delicious fish soup
The food is absolutely delicious in Norway! I fell in love with the traditional fish soup and I simply can’t get enough of! I was planning on seeing all these restaurants, but unfortunately, lots of them are closed during the winter holidays. But still, Emma’s Drommekjokken was absolutely fantastic.
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Pay a visit to the Aquarium
Had a lot of fun watching the seals and some wildlife movies at Polaria.
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See the Arctic Cathedral
New year’s concert in the Arctic Cathedral? Make sure you don’t miss that! I never knew 250 people can be so quiet! Absolutely and utterly magic!
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See the northern lights
Don’t forget why you came all the way here: make sure you book some aurora hunting tours and get the view of a life time! It was a bit cloudy and it wasn’t a maximum of activity on that particular week, but I still managed to catch a glimpse of it. Pretty cool, isn`t it?
New Year’s Eve will blow your mind
Norwegians are quiet people. You can hardly see them all day long, except when they (quietly) put on their skies and go for their daily routine in the valley or the park. But that all changes on New Year’s Eve. Then they fill the streets of the city and turn it into a big firework show that lasts for more than 6 hours.
AliTravelling 