Hotels in Tromso, Norway

A little about Tromso...

Tromsø is a city and municipality in the county of Troms, Norway. Most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the small island of Tromsøya in the county of Troms, 400 km inside the arctic circle. The island is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge, and to the island of Kvaløya by the Sandnessund Bridge. The city is warmer than most other places located on the same latitude, due to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, with an average January temperature of -4 °C, but it's still quite cool in the summer, with a 24-hour average of 12 °C in July.

The city centre of Tromsø contains the highest number of old wooden houses in North Norway, the oldest house dating from 1789. The Arctic Cathedral, a modern church from 1965, is probably the most famous landmark in Tromsø. The city is a cultural centre for its region, several festivals taking place in the summer. The largest football team in the city, Tromsø I.L, plays in the Norwegian Premier League.

Festivals and celebrations: Both the Tromsø International Film Festival and Nordlysfestivalen (lit. the Aurora Festival), a classical music festival, are arranged in January. The end of that month is marked by the Day of the Sun (Soldagen), when the sun finally appearing above the horizon after the polar night is celebrated, mainly by children. The International Day of the Sami People is celebrated at the University of Tromsø and the city hall on February 6 every year.

The Bukta Tromsø Open Air Festival, held in June and July, is a popular music festival that started three years ago as a merger between the smaller non-profit festival "North of Nowhere" and the "Fucking North Pole Punk Rock Festival". The Bukta festival is mainly a rock festival, but also features other kinds of modern music. The festival takes place in Telegrafbukta, a park on the south-western part of the Tromsøya island. Other popular cultural summer events among the population of Tromsø is the Karlsøy festival and the Riddu Riddu festival, both held in the region surrounding the city.