A city above the Arctic Circle where the sun disappears
Tromsø lies at about 69.6 degrees north, well above the Arctic Circle. Because of that, it has a polar night: from about 28 November to 14 January, around 48 days, the sun does not rise above the horizon. In summer the opposite happens, and the sun stays up from about 19 May to 27 July.
The sky does not go fully dark during the polar night. Around midday you can see a soft pink, purple and orange glow on the horizon, and on clear nights the city sits under the aurora oval, the ring around the pole where northern lights are most often seen.
That mix is what makes Tromsø a winter destination. In one trip you can chase the northern lights, go out on a fjord to look for orcas and humpback whales, and ride a dog sled across snowy plains. The city itself, with its bridge, wooden houses and the Arctic Cathedral, is easy to explore on foot between tours.
From our Letsa Atlas Short · Watch on YouTube