This is sort of a filler post. However, since this is my way of reminding myself of the travels I embarked on, I thought I need to record such sights and sounds that do not fall into a specific theme.
On the 2nd part of my aurora chase, we arrived at Tromsø. While we had booked for aurora tours for 2 nights which would see us return to our hotels way past midnight, we couldn’t really sleep our way through to the next night tour. In the short 5 – 6 hours of daytime, we visited some local museums, slotted in between cafe hopping.
Kaffebønna Stortorget
We started our 3rd day in Tromsø with breakfast at Kaffebønna Stortorget.
Apparently, Kaffebønna is a franchise with several outlets within Tromsø’s town centre. The branch we went to was a few blocks from our hotel, where we had dinner at Skarven Kro on our 2nd day in Tromsø.
The cafe was spacious and had a mezzanine level with plenty of comfortable booth seats. We ordered cappuccino and hot chocolate with some comfort food like a waffle, brioche and corn cakes. The pastries were richly buttered, though not overpowering as breakfast items. It really made for a great comfort food place, especially deep in winter.
Polaria Aquarium
Just a stone’s throw away from my hotel at Comfort Hotel Xpress Tromsø, the Polaria Aquarium sports an architecture inspired from fallen books. Even without paying the entrance fee of NOK295 (USD26), one could learn about the animals living in the waters of Norway from the exhibit at the entrance. It was fascinating to learn about the expeditions to understand and save the Arctic wildlife from climate change.
Right beside Polaria Aquarium is a museum housing the MS Polstjerna, which documents the life of seal hunters. Despite being closed from visitors, we could still peer through the glass walls to view the ancient and towering ship.
Raketten Bar & Pølse
Touted as the smallest bar in the world, the solo kiosk serves up hotdogs and hot chocolate to be savoured while standing in the cold Nordic winter. The queue was long even in the cold, which made the hot chocolate even more satisfying!
The Polar Museum (Polarmuseet i Tromsø)
Nearer to Tromsø city centre was the Polar Museum. Located at the quayside just beside Tromsø Bridge and also managed by The Arctic University Museum of Norway, the Polar Museum was refurbished from a warehouse that used to serve the cargo ships plying the Tromsø docks.
And unlike its name, the Polar Museum wasn’t really about the polar environment. Instead, it focused heavily on the building’s past – a cruising spot for men… looking for men.
The Polar Museum building was definitely one of the oldest among the museums we had visited in Tromsø. The dark wood floors, mezzanine levels and sometimes cramped spaces was a throwback to the middle ages. Lovers of ancient architecture would definitely enjoy exploring The Polar Museum.
Entrance fee: NOK110 (USD10)
Skansen Festningsverk
Just around The Polar Museum was the historic landmark of Skansen Festningsverk. As the oldest house in Tromsø, originally intended as a custom house, the unassuming building stood on a clear ground that could host cultural events (during warmer days). If it weren’t for Google recommendations, I wouldn’t have thought of going past the building!
Pastafabrikken
Pastafabrikken has a spacious dining area and a variety of seating, like couches and cafe style. It was on the way from The Polar Museum to the town centre, so we decided to just settle our dinner there. We had simple fare over there but the food exceeded expectations.
While Pasta Bolognese and Pasta Diavola were both tagged with the spicy logo, they were none of that. Instead, the tomato sauce was rich and spaghetti was al dente. The downside, though, was that the food took rather long to be prepared.
The earthy tone of the cafe gave chic and chill vibes. It helped us relax while waiting for the food (which took a rather long time too). Its wide windows were also good for watching the hustle and bustle of the streets from the comfort of the cafe.
We left Pastafabrikken satisfied and ready for our aurora hunting with Pukka Travels.
The Arctic University Museum of Norway
Our northern lights chase with Pukka Travels ended around midnight, so we didn’t sleep till afternoon as expected. With a full day ahead of us, we decided to head out of central Tromsø again on our 4th day in Tromsø.
On our 1st day, we had visited the Northern Norwegian Science Center. On the southern end of the island stood another scholarly place of interest: The Arctic University Museum of Norway. It was interesting that a small town like Tromsø has 2 universities, much less on an island of 21.7km2.
After a 16 minute journey on bus 33, we reached the bus stop just off the coast of Tromsø island. The walk from the bus stop led us through a snow covered park, which would have been bursting with colours in summer. Established in 1872, The Arctic University Museum of Norway’s architecture was befitting of the cultural exhibits housed within.
There were exhibits about the early settlers of Tromsø and life in the harsh Arctic wilderness. They even had life sized replicas of the canoes that the Viking ancestors used to fish, and later conquer the seas. Other than that, there was also an exhibit about the highlight of the Arctic Circle – aurora.
Entrance fee: NOK110 (USD10)
Restaurant Skirri
Returning from south of Tromsø, we dropped by Restaurant Skirri for lunch. It was a bright and airy restaurant by the waters. Taking the idea further, there was a wall of aquarium within the restaurant!
The restaurant was famous for its reindeer stew, but we already had it at Camp Tamok during our husky sledding tour, so we weren’t really craving for that local specialty. Instead, we had a simple meal of Fish and Chips, which tasted much better than the ones we had in Iceland. With that quality, the price really didn’t matter.
But yes, the meal for 2 cost NOK 450 (USD 40), which was typical of a Singaporean downtown restaurant.
Tromsø Utsiktspunkt
Literally translated as “Tromsø Viewpoint”, it would be difficult to search for this location on Google Maps, as there would be other more famous viewpoints for Tromsø. This, however, is located in Ishavsbyen high school Rambergan. Perched over a cliff-like hill side, this park/courtyard before the school building overlooks Tromsø harbour. From this vantage point, one could take in the Tromsø Bridge, the town on both sides of the straits and the snowcapped mountains beyond.
Ishavsbyen high school could be reached from the town centre with a leisurely 20 minute walk. The final bit was slightly tedious of a climb, but it wasn’t back killing. I would say the official way to reach the highest point was via a flight of steps, but it was completely covered with snow in winter and looked dangerous to climb. Instead, we took a detour, walked through someone’s courtyard, and literally climbed up a snow packed wall in order to reach the lookout. Being a city boy who grew up in the tropics, I was so afraid that the wall would crumble under my weight. But that all overthinking on my part.
By late winter, the courtyard of the school was blanketed in thick snow. Even the bench that looked over the cliff was barely visible. I was also worried that I might slip and slide all the way off the cliff, since the fence was also buried in the snow! Nonetheless, we sat on the ground beside the bench to take in the expansive view of Tromsø, while bathing in the warmth of the setting sun.
The walk back to town took us on a route round the back of Tromsø, passing through streets devoid of tourists. There was nothing interesting to see, but everything was interesting to see. For those who like the sights and sounds of a town that aren’t part of the tourist destination, it was a stroll worth taking!
Parting Words
Our flight out of Tromsø was early the next morning, so we wanted to have sufficient time at night to pack up and have an early rest. After our little hike up Tromsø Utsiktspunkt, we roamed the streets of Tromsø around our hotel, exploring its supermarket and buying breakfast for the next day.
Although our trip to Tromsø was meant for chasing northern lights, we didn’t intend to jam pack our days with activities. Instead, we wanted to take in the sights and sounds of Tromsø and immerse ourselves in the Nordic ambience. In between our aurora tours, we went on day tours like the husky sledding at Camp Tamok. But we mainly stayed around Tromsø and explored its neighbourhoods.
There were museums – arctic themed – all over Tromsø, from north to south. We visited landmarks like the Arctic Cathedral, but mainly explored the town and tried out local chic eateries in between the long walks. It was indeed a leisurely staycation at the northernmost town I had ever been to, and it was a great experience.
Prior to coming to Tromsø, I was on a week long tour around Iceland. Do check out my trip reports on all 7 days of my tour. Till then, stay wanderlust!
All photos and videos were taken using Google Pixel 7 Pro, and edited with Google Photos.
