Tromso

Tromso is the largest city in northern Norway and the gateway to the Arctic, yet it feels surprisingly cosmopolitan. The university brings energy, the restaurants serve whale and reindeer and king crab with genuine ambition, and the nightlife is improbably good for a city where the sun disappears entirely for two months. The Arctic Cathedral, its triangular form inspired by glacial crevasses, is one of Norway’s architectural landmarks.

Take the Fjellheisen cable car up Storsteinen mountain at sunset — or at midnight in summer, when the sun simply circles the horizon — and the view across the city, the sound, and the distant peaks is staggering. In winter, Tromso is one of the most accessible places on Earth for northern lights, whale-watching expeditions into the fjords, and dog-sledding across frozen landscapes that glow blue in the polar twilight.

When to go: November through February for northern lights and polar night atmosphere. Late January for the return of the sun. June and July for midnight sun. The Tromso International Film Festival in January brightens the darkest month.