Up above the Arctic Circle - Visiting Tromsø in Norway and watching the Northern lights!

During my time in Europe, I have meandered a fair bit. I was lucky enough to be able to visit quite a few countries and stray off the beaten path on my travels. One of my favorite countries (apart from the United Kingdom), is Norway. I love it not only because of its rich diversity when it comes to nature, but for a host of other things such as the amazing roads that connect many of the smaller islands, and simply how forward thinking the country is.

One of the places that I got to visit in Norway is Tromsø. I visited there in September 2014, just as winter was beginning to unleash its cold icy onslaught above the Arctic circle. One of the things I wanted to do was to see the Northern lights. I was hoping they would show, seeing as it was early in the winter and the light sightings were erratic. But I hoped against hope and the Universe played its part in showing them to me.

Most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the island of Tromsøya, 350 kilometres (217 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. The city of Tromsø is named after the island of Tromsøya, on which it stands

Panoramic view of Tromsø from Fløya. The Tromsø Bridge and the Arctic Cathedral can be seen in the lower-right corner.

I hiked the Fløya on a really cool and sunny winter morning. It was quite a view, first from the cable car that took me all the way to the top, and then a hike of about 2 hours. The views were amazing and the air felt so pure at that height. I managed to get some good pictures of the city and the mountains that surround it.

A quiet moment of contemplation. I cannot help but envy the people who live in Tromsø and get to see such beautiful sights every other day if they want to.

Some panoramic views atop the Fløya

Tromsø Bridge and the Arctic Cathedral at night from the island of Tromsøya

The inside of the Arctic Cathedral

And finally, the magical dance that I wanted to see..

Capturing star trails after the lights finished dancing

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Thats all for now! If you like this post, please upvote, comment, resteem/share. You may like some of my other posts via the links below:

500km of cycling across the European Countryside - Netherlands -Belgium-France

Solo backpacking trip across UK

The mistakes I've made in my 20s - Lessons I've learned in the third decade of my life

Cheers!

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