This page is continuously evolving. As I spend more time exploring Tromsø, I’ll be adding new photographs, places, historical insights and cultural stories. My goal is to build a carefully curated resource that grows over time through direct experience, research and conversations with the local community.

Like many people, I first came to Northern Norway because I was fascinated by the Arctic. I imagined dramatic landscapes, long winters and the Northern Lights. What I discovered instead was a city with an extraordinary cultural life, where contemporary art, history, scientific research and everyday life are deeply connected.

As someone who moved here from abroad, I began exploring Tromsø with curiosity rather than certainty. I visited museums and galleries, attended exhibitions, spent afternoons in cafés, spoke with artists and slowly started understanding that the city’s identity goes far beyond the images that usually represent it.

That is how Tromsø Curated was born.

While walking around the city, you may notice the name Romsa appearing alongside Tromsø on public signs and buildings. Romsa is the Northern Sámi name for the city and a quiet reminder that this is part of Sápmi, the traditional homeland of the Sámi people. Understanding Tromsø also means recognising that its identity has been shaped by different cultures, histories and ways of living in the Arctic.

Over the past months, I have come to realise that Tromsø is not simply a destination where people arrive to see the Northern Lights before moving on. It is a city with a remarkable concentration of museums, independent galleries, artists, musicians, researchers and cultural institutions. For a place of this size, it offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the Arctic through art, history and contemporary culture.

This is the Tromsø I would like to share.

Not only the famous landmarks, but also the exhibitions that challenge the way we think about the North. The museums that help us understand the Arctic beyond exploration. The cafés where locals spend their afternoons. The small independent spaces where artists experiment with new ideas. The stories hidden behind historic buildings. The conversations that begin over a cup of coffee and continue inside a gallery.

My hope is that this introduction encourages you to slow down, to look beyond the obvious and to discover a city that rewards curiosity.

If, by the end of your visit, you leave Tromsø knowing a little more about its contemporary art scene, its museums, its connection with Sámi culture and the people who make this city such a vibrant place to live, then Tromsø Curated will have achieved exactly what it was created to do.

A City Beyond the Arctic Circle

Tromsø is often described as the “Gateway to the Arctic”, a title that reflects its long relationship with exploration, research and life in the far north. For centuries, ships left this harbour bound for Svalbard, Greenland and the polar seas, while scientists, hunters, fishermen and explorers helped shape the city’s identity.

Today, that Arctic legacy is still present, but it has evolved. Alongside fishing boats and research vessels, you’ll find a modern university, international research centres, festivals, independent cultural organisations and one of the most active contemporary art scenes in Northern Europe.

Despite its location almost 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø has never been an isolated settlement. On the contrary, it has always been a meeting place. Trade, education, science and culture have connected this city with the rest of Norway and with the wider Arctic for generations.

The harbour remains the natural heart of Tromsø. Whether you arrive by cruise ship, ferry or simply walk along the waterfront, it quickly becomes clear that the sea has always been central to everyday life here. It shaped the economy, influenced local cuisine and connected communities across the Arctic long before roads reached the north.

That relationship with the water continues to shape how the city understands itself today. Beneath the harbour at Torghuken, The Beast and the Swarm (Beistet og Svermen / Rávga ja Spierru), a site-specific sound installation by Jenny Sunesson and Åsa Stjerna, invites visitors to listen to the waterfront differently. Developed as part of the research project Arctic Auditories – Hydrospheres in the High North, the work brings sound, water and the changing Arctic environment into the everyday landscape of the harbour.

The installation can be experienced at Torghuken until 31 January 2027, daily from 10:00 to 19:00.

The waterfront itself is also home to Give and Take, a permanent public artwork by Swedish artist Michael Johansson. The work reimagines the familiar language of public seating through a series of benches assembled from different forms, materials and colours. They appear naturally within the harbour landscape, sometimes almost blending into it, while unexpected details reveal that these are more than ordinary places to sit.

One of the most distinctive is impossible to miss: an entirely pink bench at Lokta, a small waterfront point offering wide views across Tromsø harbour.

Unlike many towns in Northern Norway, Tromsø escaped the widespread destruction of the Second World War. As a result, much of the historic centre still preserves its nineteenth-century wooden architecture, creating a city where old houses, modern public buildings and contemporary architecture exist side by side.

One of the first landmarks visitors notice is Tromsø Cathedral, completed in 1861. Built entirely in wood, it is the northernmost Protestant cathedral in the world and remains an important part of the city’s historic centre.

Crossing the bridge, another landmark immediately comes into view: the Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen). Despite its name, it is not actually a cathedral but the parish church of Tromsdalen. Designed by Norwegian architect Jan Inge Hovig and inaugurated in 1965, the building quickly became one of Tromsø’s defining landmarks. Its striking modernist silhouette, formed by eleven aluminium-clad concrete panels on each side of the roof, has inspired many interpretations: snow-covered mountains, drifting ice floes, Arctic peaks or even the outline of a traditional Sámi lavvu. Hovig himself never offered a single definitive explanation, allowing the architecture to evoke the Arctic landscape in different ways. The large glass façade facing the bridge creates a monumental cross, while the colourful stained-glass mosaic on the eastern side, designed by Victor Sparre and added in 1972, fills the interior with light and symbolism. Today, the Arctic Cathedral remains one of the most recognisable examples of modern Norwegian architecture.

Facing the cathedral across the sound stands Porten til Ishavet (Gateway to the Arctic), a six-metre-high monumental public artwork unveiled in 2024 by Tromsø artist Marit Bockelie. Carefully aligned with the Arctic Cathedral, the sculpture frames one of the city’s most iconic views. Its vibrant glass mosaic depicts landscapes, wildlife and symbolic motifs inspired by Northern Norway, while its title recalls Tromsø’s historic role as the “Gateway to the Arctic”, from where generations of explorers, scientists and polar expeditions departed. Rather than celebrating the past alone, the artwork reinterprets this legacy through contemporary public art.

Bockelie’s mastery of mosaic is deeply rooted in the Italian tradition. She studied mosaic techniques at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Ravenna, where she developed the artistic language that would later define many of her public works. According to interviews given by the artist during the development of Porten til Ishavet, the glass for the sculpture was sourced from the historic Orsoni Venezia 1888 workshop in Venice, one of the world’s oldest and most renowned producers of artistic mosaic glass.

Marit Bockelie has made a lasting contribution to Tromsø’s public art over several decades. One of her best-known earlier works is Hanen (The Rooster), the monumental mosaic installed on the façade of Gyllenborg School, Tromsø’s oldest primary school. Measuring approximately 12 metres high and 6 metres wide, the artwork is composed of glass mosaic, natural stone and cement. It depicts a rooster standing above the Tree of Knowledge, with children climbing among its branches and animals gathered around it, symbolising learning, curiosity and education. The mosaic incorporates stones collected from Kvaløya, Tønsvika and Tromsøya, alongside coloured glass and additional stone sourced from Italy. Together, Porten til Ishavet and Hanen demonstrate Bockelie’s distinctive mosaic technique and her lasting influence on Tromsø’s visual identity.

Public spaces also tell their own stories. Stortorget, the city’s main square, has long been a place where people meet, celebrate and gather. Throughout the year it hosts markets, concerts, public celebrations and community events, reflecting the rhythm of everyday life in Tromsø. Nearby, statues and monuments commemorate explorers, local history and the generations who helped build the city’s relationship with the Arctic.

Among the moments that best capture this collective spirit is 17 May, Norway’s Constitution Day, when the streets fill with marching bands, traditional bunad costumes and thousands of people celebrating together. It is a reminder that Tromsø is not only a place to visit, but a city that is lived in.

But perhaps what makes Tromsø truly special is not a single building or monument.

It is the balance between nature and culture.

Within a short walk you can move from a contemporary art exhibition to a historic harbour, from a research museum to a small independent gallery, from a quiet café to one of the world’s northernmost concert venues. Everything feels connected, and everything remains remarkably accessible on foot.

hat sense of connection can be found in unexpected places. Hålogaland Teater, founded in 1971, finally received a permanent home of its own in 2005, when a completely new theatre building designed by Vulkan Arkitekter opened at Teaterplassen on the edge of Tromsøysundet.

Created specifically for the new theatre, the art outside the building became part of its identity from the beginning. In front of the entrance stand De syv musene (The Seven Muses), seven monumental sculptures in white concrete by Inghild Karlsen and Bo Bisgaard. Conceived by the artists as inspiring muses for the theatre, the figures have since become one of Hålogaland Teater’s distinctive landmarks.

But there is a smaller detail hidden among them. Near the water stands a little red bronze dog, one of two Teatermaskottene created by the same artists. The dog is mechanical: whenever a performance begins inside the theatre, it wags its tail.

The second dog is waiting somewhere else in Tromsø.

Walk back towards the historic centre and look up at the roof of Rådstua, the large ochre coloured wooden building in Vestregata. There, almost easy to miss against the sky, is its companion. It wags its tail too whenever a performance begins.

Its location tells another story.

Completed in 1864 and designed by architect Peter Høyer Holtermann, Rådstua formed part of a larger civic complex that brought together the town hall, police and Tromsø district prison. The prison stood behind the main building and contained twelve cells. For 102 years, from 1864 until 1966, people were imprisoned here, right in what is now the centre of Tromsø.

The town hall moved out in 1956. The prison closed in 1966, the police followed in 1967, and for several years Rådstua stood empty. There were even plans to demolish it and replace it with a new public library.

Instead, in 1971, the building began an entirely different life.

That year the newly established Hålogaland Teater moved into Rådstua. A building once associated with municipal authority, policing and imprisonment became a place for performance and theatre. Hålogaland Teater remained here until 1984, before eventually moving into its present purpose built home in 2005.

And that is why the little dog is still on the roof.

This human scale is one of the reasons I enjoy spending time here. Tromsø never feels overwhelming. Instead, it invites you to slow down, to explore one street at a time and to discover that some of its most interesting places are often the ones that don’t appear on the front cover of a travel guide.

That is also why this guide focuses less on ticking off attractions and more on understanding the character of the city. Because once you begin to understand Tromsø, you also begin to understand why so many people choose to return.

Sápmi: Understanding the Indigenous North

One of the most important things to understand about Tromsø is that it is located within Sápmi, the traditional homeland of the Sámi people. Stretching across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and part of Russia’s Kola Peninsula, Sápmi is not defined by modern national borders but by centuries of Indigenous history, language, knowledge and cultural traditions.

For many visitors, this is a new perspective. The Arctic is often presented through images of dramatic landscapes, expeditions and the Northern Lights, yet its Indigenous history receives far less attention. Spending time in Tromsø offers an opportunity to look beyond those familiar narratives and to understand the much deeper human history of this northern landscape.

Archaeology provides a tangible starting point. At the Arctic University Museum of Norway in Tromsø, a harpoon point discovered at Workinntunet on Tromsøya in 1927 is dated to approximately 3,000 years ago. Used for hunting seals and small whales, the object bears witness to the long history of human life, hunting and adaptation along this Arctic coast. It should not, however, be understood as direct evidence of Sámi settlement: rather, it places the history of Tromsø within a much longer continuum of human presence in the North.

Harpoon point discovered at Workinntunet, Tromsøya, in 1927. Approximately 3,000 years old, it was used for hunting seals and small whales. Collection and display: The Arctic University Museum of Norway, Tromsø. Photo: Fabio Lanna / Nordrom Kunst.

Other archaeological material brings the story directly into Sámi history. Finds from a Sámi settlement at Rostbakktoppen on Tromsøya, dated to 1760–1825 and discovered at Fagerlivegen in 1954, include objects made from reindeer antler and bone. These traces are especially significant because they locate Sámi life not somewhere distant from Tromsø, but on the island itself.

The Sámi are the Indigenous people of Sápmi, a cultural region extending across the northern parts of what are today Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Sámi history reaches far beyond the creation of these modern national borders, and today Sámi communities remain active across the region, contributing to politics, education, art, music, language revitalisation and environmental knowledge.

Sámi culture is often reduced to a handful of familiar images, particularly reindeer herding and colourful traditional clothing. While both are genuine and important aspects of Sámi culture, they represent only part of a much more diverse reality. Sámi communities have historically developed different livelihoods according to geography and local conditions, including fishing, hunting, farming, coastal livelihoods and reindeer husbandry.

Contemporary Sámi culture is equally diverse. Artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, architects and curators continue to explore and redefine questions of identity, memory, land and belonging. Their work addresses language, colonial histories, climate, Indigenous knowledge and relationships with the landscape, while also challenging the idea that Sámi culture belongs primarily to the past.

Many of these voices can be encountered in museums, galleries and cultural institutions throughout Northern Norway. Contemporary Sámi art has become an important part of the cultural landscape of the North, connecting local histories with wider international conversations about Indigenous identity, sovereignty, ecology and representation.

Language is another essential part of this story. Northern Sámi remains a living language used by communities across the region. In Tromsø, whose Northern Sámi name is Romsa, its presence can be seen on public signage, in cultural institutions and in official contexts

Learning about Sápmi is not simply about understanding the past. It is about recognising that Indigenous culture is an active and evolving part of the present. Contemporary Sámi artists, researchers, educators and cultural organisations continue to shape conversations about the Arctic, challenging stereotypes and offering different ways of thinking about landscape, belonging and community.

As you explore Tromsø, you will encounter traces of this history in museums, public art, exhibitions and everyday life. Sometimes they are immediately visible; at other times they emerge through conversations, artworks or stories shared by local people.

Approaching these experiences with curiosity rather than assumptions can transform the way the city is understood. Tromsø is not only a gateway to the Arctic; it is also a place from which to begin understanding one of Europe’s most vibrant Indigenous cultures.

Contemporary Art in Tromsø

For many visitors, contemporary art is probably the last thing they expect to discover in a city above the Arctic Circle.

Yet it is one of the reasons I believe Tromsø deserves to be experienced beyond its spectacular landscapes.

What makes this city exceptional is not the presence of a single museum or gallery, but the way education, public institutions, artist-run initiatives and independent organisations have created an unusually dynamic cultural ecosystem. For a city of around 80,000 inhabitants, Tromsø offers a concentration of artistic activity that is difficult to find elsewhere in Northern Europe.

At the heart of this ecosystem is the Academy of Arts at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. Established in 2007 as Norway’s northernmost art academy, it offers programmes in Fine Arts, Creative Writing and Landscape Architecture. More importantly, it attracts students, artists, researchers and lecturers from Norway and abroad, creating a continuous exchange of ideas that extends far beyond the university itself. Many graduates remain in Tromsø, collaborating with local institutions, founding new initiatives and contributing to the city’s cultural life.

Another important piece of this network is Troms fylkeskultursenter, often simply called Kysten. Housed in a former coastal hospital, it is today the largest shared studio and workshop community in Northern Norway. Around fifty professional artists and creative practitioners work here across visual art, craft, film, photography, music and literature. The centre also hosts Artist-in-Residence programmes, welcoming artists, curators and critics from Northern Norway, Sápmi and the wider Arctic, ensuring that new perspectives continually become part of the city’s artistic dialogue.

These foundations are complemented by institutions that make contemporary art accessible to the public.

The Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum is the principal museum for visual art in Northern Norway. Its programme brings together historical works, contemporary practice and Sámi perspectives, offering different ways of understanding the region through art rather than through stereotypes.

Nearby, Tromsø Kunstforening, founded in 1924, is the oldest art institution in Northern Norway. Today it continues to present ambitious exhibitions, performances and public programmes, combining internationally recognised artists with projects deeply rooted in the region.

Beyond these institutions, Tromsø’s artistic character is shaped by a remarkable network of independent spaces.

Kurant Visningsrom has long been one of the city’s most important artist-run organisations, supporting experimental artistic practice, collaboration and critical dialogue.

Small Projects, founded by artist Jet Pascua and based in Tromsø since 2011, has developed an international reputation through exhibitions, screenings, publications, discussions and community-based projects. Its programme reflects the belief that contemporary art can also be a place for conversation, collaboration and social engagement.

Within the Academy of Arts itself, Galleri Snerk provides students with the opportunity to organise exhibitions and experiment with curatorial practice, creating an important bridge between education and the professional art world.

Commercial galleries also contribute to this landscape. Galleri Nord and Krane Gallery represent artists working across different generations and artistic practices, connecting Northern Norway with the wider Scandinavian and international art market.

What I find most remarkable is how naturally all these organisations work alongside one another. Museums collaborate with the university. Students exhibit in independent spaces. Visiting artists meet local practitioners. Curators, writers and researchers regularly move between institutions, creating a cultural environment where ideas circulate freely.

Museums: Understanding the Arctic

This interconnected network is what gives Tromsø its distinctive artistic identity. Contemporary art is not an isolated attraction added for visitors; it is part of the city’s everyday life. Exploring these spaces offers one of the most meaningful ways to understand the Arctic as it is today: diverse, questioning, internationally connected and constantly evolving.

If contemporary art reveals how the Arctic is imagined, questioned and interpreted today, Tromsø’s museums provide the historical, scientific and cultural foundations that make those conversations possible.

Together, they offer one of the richest introductions to the Arctic anywhere in Northern Norway. Each institution approaches the region from a different perspective, and together they reveal that there is no single story of the North.

The museum I recommend visiting first is the UiT Arctic University Museum of Norway.

Founded in 1872, it is the oldest scientific institution in Northern Norway and remains one of the country’s leading centres for research on Arctic nature, archaeology, geology, zoology and Sámi culture. Rather than separating these subjects, the museum brings them together, showing how people, landscapes, animals and climate have shaped one another over thousands of years.

For anyone arriving in Tromsø for the first time, it offers an ideal introduction to the region. Its exhibitions provide essential context for understanding the Arctic, from the natural environment and geological history to Indigenous cultures and the remarkable biodiversity found north of the Arctic Circle. Instead of presenting isolated facts, the museum encourages visitors to see the Arctic as a living system in which nature, culture and history are inseparable.

A very different perspective is offered by The Polar Museum, located in one of the historic wooden warehouses along Tromsø’s waterfront. Here, the focus shifts towards the city’s maritime history and its role in Arctic hunting, sealing, exploration and scientific expeditions. Through objects, photographs and personal stories, the museum explores the people whose lives were closely connected to the polar regions and explains why Tromsø became known as one of the world’s great Arctic gateways.

Perspektivet Museum turns the attention towards society itself. Through photography, documentary exhibitions and social history, it explores how communities change over time, examining themes such as migration, identity, everyday life and cultural diversity. It reminds visitors that the history of Northern Norway is not only written through famous expeditions, but also through the experiences of ordinary people.

Another distinctive museum is MS Polstjerna, where one of Norway’s best-preserved sealing vessels has been carefully conserved inside a purpose-built exhibition building. Visiting the ship offers a rare opportunity to understand the realities of working in the high Arctic while also reflecting on how our understanding of polar history continues to evolve. Today, the museum presents these stories within a broader conversation about Arctic knowledge, environmental change and the relationship between people and the northern seas.

Each museum offers a different point of view.

The UiT Arctic University Museum explains the natural and cultural foundations of the Arctic. The Polar Museum tells the story of exploration and maritime life. Perspektivet Museum focuses on people, communities and social change. MS Polstjerna preserves the material history of those who worked at sea in one of the world’s most demanding environments.

Visited individually, each museum is rewarding.

Experienced together, they create a much deeper understanding of Tromsø and the Arctic.

They reveal a region shaped not only by extraordinary landscapes, but also by scientific discovery, Indigenous knowledge, maritime traditions, cultural exchange and everyday life. Before looking north towards the mountains or the fjords, I believe these museums provide the knowledge that allows the Arctic to be understood with greater depth, curiosity and respect.

WALKING THROUGH TROMSØ

One of the things I enjoy most about Tromsø is that it is a city best discovered on foot.

Its historic centre is compact enough to explore without rushing, yet every walk reveals something different. A familiar street can lead to a new exhibition, an unexpected mural, a small independent bookshop or a café where conversations continue long after the coffee has been finished.

Most visitors naturally begin in Storgata, the city’s main street. Running through the historic centre, it has long been the commercial heart of Tromsø and remains one of the best places to observe everyday life. Rather than feeling like a street designed for tourists, it continues to function as a place where local residents meet, shop and spend time throughout the year.

Just a short distance away lies Stortorget, the city’s main square. Throughout the seasons it becomes a gathering place for markets, celebrations, public events and everyday encounters. It is one of those places where the rhythm of the city becomes visible.

There is Raketten, the small kiosk that has become one of Tromsø’s most recognisable meeting places. Originally opened in the early twentieth century as a newspaper kiosk, today it is known for bringing together residents and visitors in one of the simplest possible ways: standing outdoors with a hot drink while life passes by.

A little further on, Verdensteatret continues to play an important role in the city’s cultural life. Opened in 1916, it is one of the oldest continuously operating cinemas in Northern Europe and remains a place where independent cinema, festivals and cultural events find a home.

From here, I always enjoy leaving the main street behind.

As you move uphill, Tromsø begins to reveal another side of itself. The colourful wooden houses that climb the hillside are among the city’s greatest treasures. Unlike many towns in Northern Norway, Tromsø escaped the widespread destruction of the Second World War, preserving an exceptional collection of nineteenth-century wooden buildings. Some were elegant homes built for merchants, shipowners and successful traders, while others were modest houses for working families. Together they tell the story of a city that grew through commerce, fishing, Arctic expeditions and everyday life.

It doesn’t take long to notice that people here rarely speak about east or west. Instead, directions are often simply uphill or downhill, a habit shaped by the geography of Tromsøya itself. Following those quieter streets often rewards you with unexpected views of Tromsø Bridge, the Arctic Cathedral and the distinctive peak of Tromsdalstinden. Some of my favourite moments happen exactly there, when a familiar street suddenly opens onto a landscape that reminds you how closely the city and nature exist together.

PUBLIC ART & HIDDEN DETAILS

Another thing I appreciate is that art in Tromsø is not confined to museums. Some of the works I enjoy most are the ones I discovered by accident, simply while walking through the city.

As you walk through the city, contemporary art becomes part of everyday life. Murals appear on building façades, sculptures quietly become meeting places and new public artworks are integrated into the streets themselves. Along the recently renovated section of Storgata, artworks have been designed not simply to be observed but to be used. One of them, Handle, transforms the impression of a hand pressing into clay into a large sculptural form where people naturally stop, sit or meet. Nearby, artistic interventions embedded in the pavement and subtle light installations remind visitors that contemporary art can become part of the city without dominating it.

Even Tromsø’s relationship with wildlife finds its place within the urban landscape. The specially designed nesting structures created for the endangered black-legged kittiwake have become a distinctive feature of the city, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between architecture, nature and the people who share this Arctic environment.

Street art adds another layer to that conversation. Through projects such as Arctic Jam, artists from Norway and abroad have transformed walls across the city into large-scale works that reflect contemporary culture and international exchange. One mural I often stop to look at portrays the Guatemalan artist GATO. Knowing the story behind the work—his journey to Norway through the Safemuse residency programme after being forced to leave his home country—gives the mural a depth that goes far beyond its visual impact.

Public monuments tell another chapter of Tromsø’s story.

At Stortorget stands the Fangst- og fiskerimonumentet, depicting a hunter standing in a small boat with a raised harpoon. It commemorates the generations of hunters and fishermen who lost their lives in Arctic waters and reminds us that Northern Norway’s history was built not only by famous explorers but also by ordinary people whose lives depended on the sea.

A few minutes away, at Roald Amundsens plass, stands the monument to one of history’s greatest polar explorers. Roald Amundsen became the first person to navigate the Northwest Passage and later led the first expedition to reach the South Pole. In 1926 he crossed the Arctic aboard the airship Norge together with the Italian engineer Umberto Nobile and the American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth. Two years later, Tromsø became the starting point of his final journey, when he departed in search of Nobile following the crash of the airship Italia. Neither Amundsen nor the five men travelling with him were ever seen again.

Eventually, almost every walk leads back towards the harbour.

For centuries it connected Tromsø with fishing communities, trade routes and Arctic expeditions. Today it remains one of my favourite places to pause, watching ferries, fishing boats and the changing light while the mountains frame the city from every direction.

Perhaps that is what I appreciate most about walking through Tromsø.

The city rarely asks you to focus on a single landmark. Instead, it invites you to notice the details: a century-old cinema still welcoming audiences, colourful wooden houses that tell stories of different communities, a contemporary sculpture that quietly becomes a meeting place, a mural carrying the story of an artist’s journey across the world, or nesting structures built to help a threatened seabird live alongside the city. Together, these details reveal a Tromsø that continues to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its history, its landscape and its people.

Places I Return To

Every city has places that gradually become part of your daily life.

Not because they appear in guidebooks or on social media, but because they slowly earn your trust. They are the places you return to after a museum visit, before meeting someone, or simply because they make you feel connected to the city.

Over time, I realised that many of my favourite places in Tromsø share something in common: they feel genuine. They have their own identity, shaped by the people behind them rather than by passing trends. Together, they reveal a side of the city that is easy to miss if you only follow the main attractions.

When I want to start the day slowly, I often find myself at Risø. It has become something of a local institution, a place where coffee, books, conversation and everyday life naturally come together. It is the kind of café where it is easy to spend much longer than originally planned.

On other days I choose Smørtorget, where the atmosphere is quieter and the pace encourages you to slow down. It is one of those places that invites reading, writing or simply watching the city move outside the window.

For a different atmosphere, I enjoy stopping at FINT, while Sydspissen, overlooking the sea at the southern end of Tromsøya, offers a place where I can enjoy a coffee while looking out across the water.

Another place I regularly recommend is Vervet Bakeri. Located in the Vervet waterfront area, it is a place I enjoy visiting for coffee and something from the bakery. The surrounding neighbourhood also offers a different perspective on a part of Tromsø’s waterfront that has changed considerably in recent years.

In the evening, the city reveals a different character.

Restaurants such as Art Café Bistro, Bardus, Walter & Leonard and Fiskekompaniet are among the places I recommend, each with its own atmosphere and approach to food.

For a drink, I often enjoy the atmosphere at Balthazar.

I also return to Backbeat, Tromsø’s record shop and a small café-bar. Its main focus is its selection of new and second-hand vinyl, although it also occasionally organises events such as mini-concerts, listening sessions and talks. For me, however, the pleasure is often much simpler: browsing the records, having a coffee and spending time in a place where music is central to the atmosphere.

Some of my favourite places, however, are not cafés or restaurants at all.

One of them is Tromsø Library and City Archives. I often come here to read, spend time quietly or simply take a break from the movement of the city. I also appreciate that it is possible to find books in English and other languages.

The building itself is one of the most distinctive architectural presences in central Tromsø. Fokus Kino was built on the site in 1973. When the cinema building was demolished in 2004, its self-supporting concrete roof, known as the Candela shell, was preserved. Tromsø Library moved into the new premises beneath it in 2005.

The four large curved sections of the roof make the building impossible to ignore. To me, they resemble a group of igloos rising above the city centre. From the outside, the structure feels bold and highly visible; inside, the glass façades and open interior create a very different atmosphere. It has become one of the places where I most enjoy slowing down and spending time in Tromsø.

I also enjoy browsing the shelves of Tromsø Bruktbokhandel. I do not necessarily go there looking for a particular title. Part of the pleasure is simply taking my time and seeing what I might find among the second-hand books.

For contemporary art publications, I visit Mondo Books inside Tromsø Kunstforening. Mondo Books works with artist books and independent publishing, and its books and publications can be found within the Kunstforening. For me, it is a natural place to stop whenever I visit an exhibition there.

I also rarely leave Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum without spending time in its museum shop. It is not simply a bookshop: alongside art books and exhibition catalogues, it offers handmade products from Northern Norway and Sápmi, including work by northern Norwegian designers and products carrying Sámi Duodji or Sámi Made certification.

There are also spaces where art and everyday life naturally meet. Returning to Galleri Nord or Krane Gallery outside the context of an exhibition opening often provides a quieter way to experience the city’s creative community. Without the crowds, there is more time to look carefully, speak with the people working there when possible, or simply discover the work at your own pace.

These places are not presented as a checklist.

You do not need to visit all of them, nor would I suggest trying to.

Instead, I hope they encourage you to make room for moments that cannot be planned. Stay a little longer over a coffee. Walk into a gallery without knowing what is on display. Spend a quiet hour reading in the library. Browse a second-hand bookshop, look through an artist publication or spend time with an exhibition catalogue before stepping back outside. Sit by the harbour and simply watch the city moving around you.

In my experience, those are often the moments that remain with you long after the journey has ended.

Tromsø Curated

Everything you’ve read so far comes from a simple idea.

The best way to discover a city is not by trying to see everything, but by understanding a few things well.

Tromsø is often experienced at great speed. Visitors arrive for a few days, chase the Northern Lights, join a whale safari, take the cable car, photograph the mountains and then continue their journey north or south. There is nothing wrong with that. These experiences are part of what makes the city so special.

But there is another Tromsø.

A city where contemporary artists reflect on life in the Arctic. Where museums preserve stories that are rarely told in travel brochures. Where public artworks, architecture and seemingly ordinary streets reveal something about the place and the people who live here.

That is the Tromsø I wanted to share through this guide.

If you would like to discover some of these places in person, Tromsø Curated also offers free cultural walks through the city.

The walks can be booked individually or for small private groups and are shaped around contemporary art, public art, museums, Sámi culture, architecture, local history and everyday life. There is no fixed sightseeing checklist: each walk can adapt to what is happening in the city and to what you are curious about.

The idea is simple: to walk, look, talk and discover a side of Tromsø that can easily be missed when moving from one attraction to the next.

The walks are free and available by request. To arrange a walk during your stay in Tromsø, contact me at nordromkunst@gmail.com

Fabio Lanna

Writer · Independent Curator · Cultural Guide

Photography & Copyright

Unless otherwise stated, all photographs published on this page are original works created and owned by Nordrom Kunst – Tromsø Curated.

All images are protected by copyright and may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, published or used in any form without prior written permission from Nordrom Kunst.

If you wish to use any photograph for editorial, educational or commercial purposes, please contact Nordrom Kunst in advance to request written authorization.

© Nordrom Kunst – Tromsø Curated. All rights reserved.