Every year in winter we do get a bit depressed and really melancholic. We miss the real white winter, with snow up to the knees and the purity of the winter whiteness.
The global warming is affecting us by taking our winter away. We still try to escape this sad reality by running away to colder places. That’s right! We run away each year for a couple of days to the northern part of the globe, just to keep our childhood memories alive.
This does not mean the rest of the year we do not care about the global warming! We do! Trying to reduce our waste and minimize buying unnecessary things as well as avoiding plastic single usage is our way to fight global warming.
What is yours? Let us know in a comment or on social media! 😉
But let’s not get distracted, we are here to talk about the fairytale called Tromso, Norway, and it’s a December secret. We went on a hunt for snow and Aurora Borealis and we want to share all about it with you!
We are in Norway from 10-15th of December 2021 and according to our plan we will spend 2 days in Oslo and 3 days in Tromso. In Tromso the sun does not rise during this period, so we expect a lot of darkness on our trip.
Oslo is the capital of Norway but at the same time it is relatively small. However, if you are in Norway, it is definitely worth visiting. One cannot miss the Royal Palace in Oslo, where the king and the queen still live. We really enjoyed a walk to the palace from the city centre, where we found a secret treasure: the best view of Oslo!
If you are like us on a search of winter fairy tales, you shall not miss the “Jul i Vinterland” Christmas market. A cup of “Glöggwine” and a bite of the elk burger will satisfy not only your hunger but also the curiosity for foreign cuisine.
As we are in a hurry to go to Tromso, we would probably miss some cool places in Oslo, that’s for sure. But one place we cannot miss under any circumstances is the “Munch museet”. The brand new museum building is dedicated to the life and work of the most precious artist of Norway: Edvard Much.
Do not forget to take a minute to appreciate his composition “The Scream” which represents the deeply troubled, even panicked expression of a human being. It is very intense and remarkable.
Do not be confused that even though we are backpacks, we cannot appreciate human made art! Yes, we do! We still prefer the nature and the art one can find there. That is why we want to move on with our story to Tromso.
Landing in Tromso, lifted the curtains of our snow fairytale.
“Christmas snow can never disappear completely. It sometimes goes away for almost a year at a time and takes the form of spring and summer rain. But you can bet your boots that when a good jolly December wind rises, it will turn into Christmas snow all over again. Santa Clause from Frosty the Snowman
Our friend Santa Clause was right and we saw a lot of the December snow in Tromso. It was deep and white and everywhere! How happy we were!
Get bundled up in your most furry jacket, because we are hitting the snow with the most handsome and strong puppies in the world! We are frost-smitten by the Husky dogs sledging experience in “Tromsø Wilderness Centre“
Who could pick his favourite Alaskan husky, among the many lead dogs, point dogs, swing dogs and wheel dogs.
The love of our Musher to his dogs was sprinkling like the fresh snow from the sky. ❤️ Those dogs are heroes and sliding with them is the most breathtaking, hair-straightening experience. They are so fast and very clever, just like the famous hero-dog Balto who helped saving the town of Nome in Alaska from a deadly disease.
P.S.: Backpack stories challenge: Try to pet them all!!!
Being very outdoorsy, we like all activities that happen in the nature. The next one we took part of was magnificent too. At “Tromso Arctic Reindeer” we had a fantastic reindeer sledge ride and we also got to feed those naughty boys and girls.😉
Having hot chocolate and learning about the Sami culture traditions and handicrafts is perfect addition to the story called “Winter Wonderland”.
Although we did not have luck in spotting the Northern lights, Tromso is amongst the best places on earth to observe the Aurora Borealis and this alone is enough to sparkle the desire to visit Tromso.
“Mana” and “Giity”,
(“Bye” and “Thank you” in Sami language)
Your backpacks
Backpack secrets revealed
- Reindeer sledging: Tromso is expensive, so be prepared to pay around 100+ Euro per person
- Husky sledging: you will be outside sliding with your furry friends or trying to pet them all -> get warm clothes on!
- Aurora Borealis: there is an app that you can use to increase your chances to see it. We used “My Aurora Forecast & Alerts”