Norway - Tromsø in Winter

Norway, what have you done to me......

I knew Norway was amazing. By the way, amazing fits quite well, I think, literally.

But this amazing? And I say this, even though I was convinced I wasn't a snow person or a winter person.

But when a hiking trail suddenly turns into a slide, and without thinking, one tumbles down like a little child, finds joy, and ultimately ends up rolling in the snow, then one can only be a snow person!

When we arrived in Tromsø, it was 2:30 PM. During the flight, you could already sense that the sun was about to fade. Started in darkness - arrived in darkness.

And there we were, in the midst of a fairy-tale paradise with its gigantic seasons, towering snow-capped mountains, and the many charmingly lit houses at this time, which you can hardly take your eyes off because they appear so inviting with their cozy light and 2 meters of snow on their roofs. And of course, the Northern Lights, which we were really hoping to see.

After we all arrived, we headed towards our accommodation with the rental car.

The roads covered in snow, in Norway, they do not salt them. And so we trundled our way to our Airbnb. 80 KM - 2 hours drive - 15 minutes on a small ferry between two fjords.

When we woke up the next day, we could hardly believe what a magnificent nature surrounded us. It was 10 AM and gradually getting lighter, a dawn appeared in the sky as if the sun were about to rise, it was brighter than expected. The fog was passing by, and ultimately we could also spot the tallest mountains in the distance.

Simply fantastic.

A clear day and a clear night await us. It is New Year's Eve. And as if it couldn't get any better, the Northern Lights were also already there.

Since Tromsø is very close to the Arctic Circle, in the so-called Polar Oval, one can see the Northern Lights here at this time of year starting from a strength of 2kp with clear visibility. The scale goes up to 10kp.

At this time of year, the chances of seeing the Northern Lights are therefore very high. A clear sky is, of course, a prerequisite. It is already dark anyway.

We could hardly believe it and were simply quite happy to see our first Northern Lights. We could watch them dance in the sky, disappear and reappear, becoming brighter and darker, sometimes even shimmering purple.

And so we sat in a heated pool in our bikinis at sub-zero temperatures and watched the sky play its magical game.

And when it was 12 o'clock, Norway raised the stakes. Our neighbors put on a huge fireworks display (almost the only ones visible to us). And even though I am not a big fan of it and found the Northern Lights more than sufficient, I ended up celebrating it quite a bit.

And so we continued to sit in the pool, barely able to classify our feelings of happiness. It was a moment to simply enjoy, thinking about nothing else than what was happening right now.

At the moment, temperatures range between minus 13 and minus 20 degrees during the day. The sun does not rise, and the moon does not set. With clear visibility, it gets bright as if it were already dawn again. During snowfall, it remains quite dark all day. No wonder that Norwegians place great value on lighting in and around their homes.

The so-called Polar Nights extend from mid-November to mid-January. During this time, you will not see the sun.

On our first hike, which was once again fantastic, we bundled up warmly and set off.

At some point, it got so warm that we even started sweating; however, you quickly cooled down again as soon as you took a break. The gloves remained on, as otherwise, they felt like icicles after a short time.

The hike was amazing; the snowy landscape is just fun.

On the way back, it was 3 PM, and only the moon provided us with some light.

It was worth looking back every now and then, for there they were again - the Northern Lights.

And when we got back to the house, they were becoming stronger and stronger and stronger. And there they danced again, bringing their unique magic.

For us, this darkness is already somehow a highlight. For the locals, it’s normal. I can’t imagine living here.

It doesn’t bother us at all right now. It certainly was a good idea to take the vacation in a group with friends. This way, it never gets boring, and we come up with plenty of ideas of what we can do. It is very lively and yet harmonious.

In retrospect, I can hardly believe what we experienced in such a short time. Northern Norway far exceeded my expectations!

We got to experience everything we wished for; no, it was even better!

Meters of snow, freezing temperatures, icy roads, gigantic mountains and lakes, spending hours in the car without getting bored because the landscape around us is just too beautiful, ferry rides that we occasionally caught just at the last minute, wild reindeer in their natural habitat, Northern Lights, nature, nature, and once again nature, quiet and relaxing hours with a tea and a book while the snow poured down outside, playing games together, sitting by the fire, watching the Northern Lights from the heated pool while gradually freezing our hats, buying wood, shoveling snow, relaxing in the sauna, laughing together, and enjoying our experiences.

And as if that wasn’t already enough and hardly believable, we saw three different whales on our whale watching tour. Several orcas, 4 humpback whales, and a fin whale. Did you know that the fin whale is the second largest whale in the world? It comes right after the blue whale and can grow over 20 meters long.

The tour was, in my opinion, an extreme experience. The boat was a rubber boat for up to 10 people including the skipper.

Since the temperatures out there feel like -40 degrees, we were given complete gear to wear.

We were lucky with the weather; it was completely clear. Considering that a few hours prior there was a proper snowstorm and three of us felt electrical charges during our hike on the summit. We were lucky, more than that. That was extremely dangerous.

And so we jumped over the waves, my backside still hurts right now, and enjoyed the fantastic view.

The images are still in my head. Whales everywhere. These beautiful creatures.

The scale is hard to comprehend. There was this calmness and peace as well. We were all speechless and enjoyed being able to observe the animals to then either move on ourselves or leave it to the whales. What an experience!

We were very satisfied with the organization. You could tell that the guides very much respect the animals.

Unfortunately, our journey was already coming to an end. But Norway still had something in store for us. Indeed, we had the pleasure of seeing a moose.

And I won’t forget this image either, of how it lay peacefully among a few branches, ruminating, with the vastness of Norway behind it. It was so peaceful; I could have watched it forever.

Tromsø and its surroundings fascinated us all. Actually, it far exceeded my expectations.

Is it perfect?

For me, yes, because this trip was it.

I can hardly believe what we were able to experience here. I am very grateful to have savored Northern Norway and that everything went smoothly.

I am very thankful that we harmonized as a group and created something really special together.

And I am very sure that I will cherish this trip for a long time.

I am sure I will always remember these days. Images that will never fade from my mind.

Norway, you were absolutely wonderful.