During the spring break at school (late February-early March) we made a trip to the north of Norway. Our destination was the town of Tromso, well into the polar circle. You'd think that it would be icecold there, but in truth it was not. The temperature was around 0° Celsius, and you didn't feel anything of it when you wore the right clothes. Which means: thermal underwear, a warm pullover and trousers that are resistant to snow and water. You also need good sturdy boots.
The people in Norway are friendly and welcoming to strangers. In all of the Scandinavic countries, we found the Swedes (especially the islanders) the less friendly.
Nature in Tromso is breathtaking. Our hotel room had a magnificent view over the harbour and the hills behind it.
One can easily spend a couple of days in Tromso. There is enough to see and to do. If you have never been in colder parts, you might enjoy a sleigh ride with huskies or raindeer, make a trip on a snow scooter. Here in Norway you could also go in search of the Northern Lights (due to the weather conditions, we only managed to see a small sliver of it) and make a cruise in the fjords. We did this in a small fishing boat and it was an absolute great experience.
In town, there are enough restaurants and cafés and also shops. Tromso is a port for the Hurtigruten and also cruise ships can stop there. There are a couple of interesting musea, like the Tromso museum and the Polar museum. In the Tromso one you can view the history of the town and get a look at the lives of the Sami, the people who live in the north. By the way, it is also interesting to visit a reindeer farm inland, where you can make sleighrides, feed the reindeer and learn about Sami Culture.
In the Polar museum there is info about the polar expeditions and the first of by Amundsen.
Tromso in on an island, and you need to cross a bridge to go to the mainland. You can take a tour that takes you further north on the mainland, to visit the Ice Domes. Also worth it's money. The bus ride takes you through the mountains and you haven't got enough eyes to catch every wonderful sight.
Inside the Ice Domes is a hotel, where you can stay and sleep on ice (don't worry, the beds are soft and warm). I'd think this would be nice for young people. If you're a bit older, you prefer a room where everything is at hand (bed, shower, toilet). When you stay at the ice hotel, it's a bit like camping and you need to go to another place to wash and eat.
The best thing, however, was that all corona measures in Norway were lifted just before we took our trip. On the inland flight from Oslo to Tromso you needn't wear a face mask anymore and also nowhere else. You could freely walk around, to into a pub or restaurant, or a museum. A nice change from two years of being obliged to cover up.
