Storgata in Tromsø, viewed looking north from Stortorget.
Photo: Christian Hansen, Perspektivet Museum
Through Tromsø’s "Fotefar mot nord" initiative, the entire city serves as a cultural heritage site. Tromsø features city walks that act as guides to an exciting past. Various cultural heritage sites—and the stories attached to them—help us understand the past. At the same time, they are valuable, fostering an awareness of our own identity and a sense of belonging.
Practical info
Practical info
Opening hours
Outdoors and always open
Parking
Several locations in the city
Restrooms
Several locations in the city
How to get here
You can travel to Tromsø by plane, car, bus, the Hurtigruten coastal express, or express boat
Other
Suggested historical city walk from Nordnorsk reiseliv
Accessibility
Accessibility
Tromsø city centre is largely universally designed.
Tromsø’s city center has experienced significant growth in recent years, yet many traces of the past remain. Tromsø was granted city status in 1794, though at the time, it bore little resemblance to a city. It is often described as a small cluster of houses, featuring a church and a fortification at the site now known as Skansen. A church was established at Prostneset, and a customs house stood at Skansen. Around the 1850s, the city took on its urban layout, including Torgallmenningen, Storgata, Grønnegata, and Sjøgata, with wharves lining the waterfront. Within its boundaries, the city developed into a trading hub and a vital junction. These traces can still be found today. Tromsø has long been a key location for those voyaging to the Arctic Ocean; indeed, many hunting and trapping vessels were prepared for northern expeditions at the Tromsø Shipyard. The city also holds fascinating stories linked to Sámi and Kven settlements. You can experience all this—and more—by following in Tromsø’s "Fotefar".
We invite both locals and visitors to join us for various themed city walks—along the waterfront and crisscrossing the historic city layout. Along the way, you will discover a diverse range of stories connected to the city’s buildings, people, and places.
Digital walking routes are currently in development and will be published on this website as they are completed.
Welcome to Tromsø, Romsa, Tromssa.
