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Month: July 2016

Concerts at the Arctic Cathedral

Concerts at the Arctic Cathedral

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In the summer season, Tromsø’s best known landmark, the Arctic Cathedral, invites all guests and residents of our city to a truly unique concert experience. Due to its high latitude, the city of Tromsø is blessed with the Midnight Sun, giving us bright summer nights full of golden light. The Arctic Cathedral is built in such a fashion that the light of the Midnight Sun can illuminate the inside of the church in a most marvellous way in the hours around the middle of the night.

The concerts take place during these hours of the day, when the sun is aligned with the church, which is then bathed in golden light. Three local musicians, perform a varied programme, including Northern Norwegian folk music and classical music, using both traditional and modern instruments, including the organ of the Arctic Cathedral, which has been tuned by Swiss specialists this winter.

In addition to the Midnight Sun Concerts, there are also daily organ recitals at 2pm, where the organ can shine in its full glory.

Organ recital: Daily until July 31st, 14:00-14:25, 70kr. Tickets are available online and at the door.
Midnight Sun Concert: Daily until August 15th,  23:30-00:00, 170kr. Doors open at 23:00. Tickets are available online and at the door.

Tromsø’s first airport had no runway. Today we have direct flights to several European countries.

Tromsø’s first airport had no runway. Today we have direct flights to several European countries.

Helvetic's first flight to Tromsø, June 24th 2016
Helvetic’s first flight to Tromsø, June 24th 2016

The airport

Tromsø’s first airport was located on Skattøra from 1938 to 1975. The airport consisted of a hangar building and a small parking area for planes, but it had no runway and could only serve sea planes. After civilian use of the airport started, Tromsø got its first air connections to Kirkenes, Trondheim and Oslo.

In September 1964, the new airport of Tromsø was opened by Crown Prince Harald. On this link you can view a multimedia special in Norwegian language on the history of our airport, created on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

The airport has been experiencing an enormous passenger growth ever since it was opened. Two major upgrades in 1977 and 1997 were already too small once constructions were finished, and the next upgrade, scheduled to start once the extension of Norway’s main airport Gardermoen is completed in 2017, will likely suffer the same fate.

The old new terminal building from 1977 - also called "The Tromsø Banana"
The old new terminal building from 1977 – also called “The Tromsø Banana”

Without the airport, Tromsø would not have become the city it is today. Four years after the airport was opened, the parliament chose Tromsø as the seat of Northern Norway’s first university, a decision, that catalysed the development of Tromsø into the centre for research and education it is today,

In addition to a wide variety of domestic routes, we have direct connections to Alicante, Gran Canaria, London Gatwick, Luleå, Zürich (since June 24th) and Stockholm (since June 28th), in addition to charter tours to further destinations.

New routes

Since June 24th, Helvetic Airways operates weekly direct flights between Tromsø and Zürich until the end of August.

Since June 28th, SAS is operating direct flights between Tromsø and Stockholm, with 5 departures each week in July and August. After a short break, the route will resume during the Northern Lights season from October to March.

In the winter season, there will be another direct route to Switzerland, in addition to a direct route to Frankfurt starting November 26th, operated by Lufthansa.