Local Culture & History in Tromsø

How Tromsø became a gateway to the Arctic — museums, churches and the stories behind them.

Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen)

The 1965 church in Tromsdalen is built from triangular concrete panels and faces the harbour with a wall of stained glass.

A short walk or bus ride across the bridge. It is a working church, so keep visits quiet outside services.

An octagonal wooden church from 1861 in the middle of the city centre — the northernmost Protestant cathedral in the world.

Open for quiet visits outside services. A few minutes' walk from Storgata.

A harbour-side museum of polar exploration, hunting and fishing — Svalbard, the Northwest Passage and the crews who sailed them.

A couple of minutes' walk from the harbour. Check opening hours before you visit.

Photography and everyday life in northern Norway, shown in an 1857 merchant house on Storgata.

Exhibitions change often — check what is on before you go.

A haida sealing vessel preserved at the harbour museum — the ship that made more trips to the Arctic ice than any other.

Shown as part of the Polar Museum exhibition.

The world's northernmost botanic garden, growing plants from cold regions around the Arctic on the university campus above Tromsdalen.

Free to enter and open year-round; the outdoor areas are at their best from June to September.

Visits to a Sámi camp outside the city include reindeer, lavvu tents and stories about Sámi life in northern Norway.

Arranged year-round, usually an hour or so from Tromsø. Book ahead — groups are small.

Hands-on science exhibits and planetarium shows run by the university museum, with things to touch and try rather than read.

On the university campus in Tromsdalen. Check what is open before you go.

The Northern Norway Art Museum shows contemporary and historical art from the north, in the old customs house by the water.

Check the museum's own page for opening hours and current exhibitions.