Positioned above the Arctic Circle, the town of Tromsø is the ideal location for a northern Norway immersion — whether you want to bask in the glow of the winter Northern Lights, or hike, kayak and explore the great outdoors during the long days of the Midnight Sun. Along the waterfront, the Polar Museum (considered one of the country’s top museums) is the ideal place to learn about life in the Arctic. Tromsø was once Northern Norway’s center for seal hunting and a popular base for polar expeditions. The highly informative museum details events including the expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen; and Helmer Hansen and Hjalmar Johansen, who were part of Amundsen’s journey to the South Pole. One of the best ways to see the city and surrounding landscape is a ride via cable car to the viewing platform on the mountain ledge at Storsteinen. Two cars, dubbed Sea and Polar Bear, run year-round. Enjoy a full meal or coffee and cake on the terrace at Fjellstua restaurant, where fabulous views of Tromsdalstinden mountain, deep fjords and the sea can be savored during the bright Midnight Sun season, and the wild, stunning Northern Lights wondered at during the dark winter months. To get up close and personal with local aquatic wildlife including fabulous bearded seals, stop in at the Polaria exhibition center back in town during posted feeding times to observe them firsthand. While you’re sightseeing, check out Glasshytta Blast, a combination studio-shop where glass artists are usually at work creating beautiful glass works. Be sure to cross the city bridge to Ishavskatedralen, also known as the Arctic Cathedral. The A-frame masterpiece was designed by architect Jan Inge Hovig, and contains a glass façade and a colorful glass mosaic that’s recognized as one of the most important works of artist Victor Sparre. The organ, built in 2005 by Grönlunds Orgelbyggeri in a French Romantic style, includes bellows made of reindeer hide. When you’re through exploring, dine at Arctandria, a beloved local institution where fresh fish is always a menu specialty.