tromso city break

a winter weekend in tromso above the arctic circle

February 11th: We drove up to LHR T5 and dropped the car off with Purple Parking who we always use before using the Heathrow Express to T2 and checked into the Hilton Garden Inn T2/3 Hotel for one night.

We enjoyed a drink up at the Runway Bar which, as a rooftop bar, overlooks both of the main runways. dinner was down at the Apron Restaurant which is generally always good.

February 12th Flight: We were up bright and early for BA612 and the Heathrow Express took us over to T5 where we passed speedily through formalities and into the BA North Lounge. We'd checked in previously and dropped our bags off last night which was helpful. We enjoyed a light breakfast before boarding our flight which departed on time at 0830 with our allocated seats being 1A and 1C.

The four hour flight was comfortable enough with breakfast being served soon after takeoff and included a rather tasteless GF meal for Yolande. This was diluted with champagne and the generous bar service continued throughout the flight with a couple of spare minature wine bottles to take with us.

We crossed the Norwegian coast west of Kristiansand and flew up the spine of Norway with stunning views of the snowcovered mountains as we neared the Arctic Circle.

After landing we passed through formalities where the immigration officers were most friendly and chatty towards us both. I said we'd once used the Hurtigruten ferry from Bergen to Kirkeness before driving back and he was very impressed!

A taxi then took us to our chosen Hotel, the Thon Polar Hotel and Room 636 which was quite spacious and comfortable with views towards the mountains. The hotel was centrally located on Gronnegata and very close to the Tromso Cathedral and Storgata pedestrian shopping street.

February 12th Tromso: After unpacking we headed out in to explore Tromso in -7C temperatures. With a booking for dinner on Saturday at the Maskinverkstedet Restaurant we decided to walk there to have a look at the menu options for Yolande. Care was needed when crossing roads due to snow/ice but generally the pavements were clear.

Walking along the pedestrianised Storgata we looked into several shops, mostly souvenir type shops. Arriving at the restaurant we found it to be quite deserted and with an uninspiring receptionist with the restaurant lacking in appeal and with few dishes that Yolande could choose so we cancelled our reservation.

The next day, we had a harbour cruise booked on the Hermes 11 vessel so we walked to the berth in order to check the location. Walking along the harbour front was nice with vessels of all shapes and sizes and we soon reached Peppes Pizza, our choice for our evening meal. Years ago, in Lillehammer, we found our first Peppes Pizza and as they've always served GF pizzas, we always use them whenever we're in Norway. The pizzas we ordered were both excellent.

​Tromso is quite compact so we saw most of the key sites on our afternoon/evening walkabout including Tromso Cathedral and the Polar Museum. My phone Aurora Forecast advised there wasn't much chance of seeing the northern lights this evening. 

February 13th Tromso: One of the advantages of Thon Hotels is that they have a membership scheme for 10% discounts and generally the breakfasts are very good. There's usually a GF Corner but for all three breakfasts there was no GF bread during our stay.

With our harbour cruise scheduled for 1430 we explored the rest of Tromso and called into a couple of shopping malls so that I could visit the Norrona and Bergens outdoor shops where, in the latter, I purchased a copuple of items.

We chose the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and shared Nachos with a drink. I didn't think the nachos were as good as we'd had in other Hard Rock Cafes though. After lunch we walked back to the Hermes 11 Shop ready to board the vessel at 1415 for a 1430 departure.

We enjoyed our harbour cruise and it was very cold but blankets and a hot drink were provided and the crew were very competent. We passed several vessels berthed including the Svalbard expedition ship Quest (50 passengers), the Hurtigruten coastal ferry Midnatsol (818 passengers) and the fish transporter ship Ronja Tind (cargo capacity 1800 m3 of fish). The Hermes 11 crew kindly recommended the local aquavit brand which I'd purchase the next day.

It snowed very heavily as we were returning to the berth which was next to the Pust floating sauna platform where several hardy folk were diving into the fjiord.

From the berth we returned to Room 636 to warm up, enjoy a late siesta and a fresh sushi evening room picnic. A slight diversion on the way back took us to the Tromso branch of Vinmonopolet, the Norwegian alcohol retail monopoly outlet and the only place to buy alcohol in norwegian cities - it was a great store! I purchased the recommended local Bivrost Cask Aquavit and some Mack beers to take home.

With a favourable Aurora Forecast, we headed out for our planned trip on the Fjellheisen cable car from Solliveien in Tromsdalen up to Storsteinen (alt. 421m). Disembarking after the 4 minute ride we headed straight into the warm cafe as we were a bit early for the hoped for northern lights.

​The northern lights appeared by about 2100 and after cold viewing we descended back down to Solliveien and got a taxi back to the hotel.

hermes 11

Hermes II is a Skandfer cutter built in 1917. Over the course of a century, it has managed to experience both good and bad times, and even a World War. However, bad times are quickly forgotten. Like when the midnight sun shines and it is impossible to distinguish day from night, or when the northern lights dance as clearly in the ripples on the sea as in the sky. Green, blue and even purple. It’s always magical, even for a native.

The Hermes II is a unique boat. It has navigated between small and even tiny places in Northern Norway, transported coal, fish, animals, houses and churches. It participated during the evacuation that occurred after the burning of Finnmark and Nord-Troms during World War II, and it helped to rebuild the area afterwards. It has departed from quays on countless cold winter days.

More than 100 years after the boat first felt salt water under its keel, it is still here. It is a boat constructed and built by Nils Skandfer, one of the few people accepted as an apprentice by Colin Archer. Both of these eminent boat designers became famous for their elegant and very safe boats.

Today, only three such cutters have been preserved. The owners have a deep and passionate desire to ensure that this boat is preserved in top condition for at least another 100 years. This is only possible by allowing it to continue to sail the Arctic waters. 

February 14th Tromso: After another good breakfast we booked for the guided tour at 1430 at Mack - The World's Northermost Brewery.

​A taxi took us across the Tromso Bridge (1016m in length) to the Arctic Cathedral which is a spectacularly designed building over in Solliveien.

The Arctic Cathedral, also known as Ishavskatedralen, is a striking architectural  landmark in Tromsø, Norway, dedicated on November 19, 1965, and inspired by the  Arctic landscape. 

• Design: The Arctic Cathedral was designed by architect Jan Inge Hovig and features a modern design characterized by 11 large triangular concrete panels that resemble  the shapes of Arctic ice. This design symbolizes the 11 apostles after the betrayal of   Judas. 
  
  
• Mosaic Window: One of the cathedral's most notable features is the large stained-glass window on the eastern wall, created by artist Victor Sparre. This window,   known as the "Return of Christ" is one of the largest in Europe and depicts   significant Christian themes. 
  
  
• Interior: The interior includes oak pews, large prism chandeliers, and a significant   organ built in 2005, which has 2940 pipes and is designed in the French Romantic   style.

From the Arctic Cathedral we walked back across the Tromso Bridge back into Tromso to the "Gateway to the Arctic" viewpoint to take some photographs. Then it was time to warm up and we found a pleasant cafe/restaurant for a drink and, to Yolande's delight, a very enjoyable GF Strawberry Slice! Then it was back to the hotel for a siesta before the Mack Brewery visit.

For 135 years, Mack was located in the center of Tromsø before production was moved out of the city in 2012. In Mack’s historic cellar premises, Mack now offer the opportunity to join a rich and engaging guided tour. The tour begins in the beer shop Kjeller 5 and continues into the old brewery cellars from 1877. You’ll learn about the founder of Mack and the brewery’s history, followed by insights into today’s Mack Brewery, which is still family-owned. The tour ends in our modern microbrewery, Mack Mikrobryggeri, where brewing and rock music take center stage.

This was more of a museum type tour really as beer is no longer brewed there and standing up for an hour with an overload of information wasn't the most "engaging guided tour"! Nevertheless, it occupied the afternoon and I enjoyed the samples of beer.

​Dinner was a bit of a let down as our chosen restaurant was fully booked so we dined at the Egon Restaurant adjacent to our hotel. As our food wasn't even luke warm it was dissappointing for our last meal in Tromso.

February 15th: With our flight home today I think we agreed that three nights in Tromso was enough time there. Possibly, in warmer weather, an extra night could have been useful to tour the island using one of the buses that has a circular route around the island. However, we were ready for home.

Breakfast and packing complete our taxi left the hotel at around 1030 and for part of the way to the airport we followed a snow plough clearing the route for us.

Airport check in and formalities were completed with ease and with no BA lounge we sat near the Duty Free shop until our departure gate opened. After boarding in the same seats, 1A and 1C, we taxied over to a side apron for de-icing and we were soon on our way to LHR.