Tromsø

Up until a few years ago, Tromso was a little-known city (outside of Norway), where hotels would close down over the bleak midwinter months. Then came the 2008 BBC TV show "Joanna Lumley in the Land of the Northern Lights" -- and all that changed. Tromso was featured heavily in the documentary and was thrust firmly into the spotlight. The city's fortunes changed overnight, with tourist numbers swelling at the very time of the year the hotels used to close -- deep midwinter -- searching for the aurora borealis. New hotels opened, a brand-new cruise terminal -- which also houses Visit Tromso, the tourist information centre -- and a number of new restaurants, shops and cultural attractions also opened to cater for this influx. Tromso, also known as the Gateway to the Arctic and the Northern Lights Capital, is one of the largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Spanning more than 965 square miles, this Norwegian city is nearly as large as the entire country of Luxembourg. Established in 1794, Tromso now has about 72,000 inhabitants, many of whom are students attending a handful of local institutions, including the Norwegian College of Fishery Science at the University of Tromso, one of only two colleges in the world dedicated solely to fishing as a livelihood, and the Centre for Peace Studies. Although the locals refer to Tromso as an island, the city actually comprises the island of Tromsoya, Kvaloya and parts of the mainland to the east. (Tromsoya is connected to the mainland by the iconic Tromso Bridge, where you'll also find the iconic Arctic Cathedral.) It's worth noting that if you think Oslo is pricy, prepare yourself for Tromso. Taxis start at 175 NOK (about $20); in the supermarket, burgers are also $20 -- and do not even think about purchasing alcohol (wine starts at around $50 a bottle). A meal for two in a restaurant can take you north of $300 with wine. This can be debilitating, particularly if you want to experience the town. Our tip is to budget accordingly. Hurtigruten ships run year-round; other ships start calling from mid-February through December. It's well worth spending a few days in this beautiful city and getting to know it and the surrounding area.