Tromsø - Norway - page 382

Strandtorget 1. & 77-60-07-20. Reservations not accepted. Sandwiches 34NOK-50NOK ($4.85-$7.10);
platters 79NOK-90NOK ($11-$13). AE, DC, MC, V. Sun-Thurs 11:30am-12:30am; Fri-Sat 11:30am-1am.
4 Seeing the Sights
There's a small-scale cable car, the Fjellheisen, that hauls sightseers in orange-
and-red gondolas from a spot near The Arctic Cathedral in Tromsdal, uphill to
a small, not-very-exciting cafe and restaurant (Fjellstua Restaurant), 420m
(1,380 ft.) above sea level. Your vertiginous trip is rewarded with a panoramic
view from the restaurant that extends out over the surrounding country-
side. The cable car operates in March from Saturday to Sunday 10am to 5pm;
April to September daily 10am to 5pm. Round-trip passage costs 70NOK
($9.95) for adults, 30NOK ($4.25) for children 6 to 16, and is free for children
under 6. Round-trip transport of a bicycle (some bike and hiking trails originate
near the cable car's upper station) costs 30NOK ($4.25). A family round-trip
ticket (two adults and one to five children) costs 170NOK ($24).
Full meals in the Fjellstua Restaurant cost around 200NOK ($28) each, and
include reindeer, dried cod, and fish. Although the tourist office tries to promote
this as a big-deal kind of excursion, it's actually kind of tame. The cable car is a
bit of a weak-lemonade replay of something the Swiss and Austrians do in ways
that are flashier and higher.
The Arctic Cathedral (aka Tromsdal Church, aka The Boathouse
Church) North Norway's most distinctive-looking and controversial
church rose from a location across the harbor from downtown Tromsø in 1965,
requiring a transit of the town's longest bridge, completed in 1960, to reach it.
Since then, its simple A-frame design has evolved into one of the town's most
visible symbols, and—thanks to the late-night concerts conducted here for
cruise-ship passengers between June and mid-August—one of the most fre-
quently visited sights in the area. Its theme, thanks to huge stained-glass win-
dows set into the triangular-shaped front of the church, is a celebration of the
light that filters through a grid work of thin glass strips, the effect of which has
been described as mystical, especially during the brief moments of daylight that
creep up to this far northern outpost during the middle of winter. Consistent
with Norway's long-established custom of hanging replicas of sailing ships
within Norwegian churches as a good luck charm for the vessels' occupants, the
shape of the organ at the back of the church resembles the sails of a ship. Other
references to the Arctic's climate and culture abound: The crystal chandeliers
evoke icicles; and the predominant color of the huge stained-glass windows is a
rich and variegated tone of Arctic blue. Incidentally, when the pope paid an offi-
cial visit to this remote place on June 11, 1989, it drew a relatively small crowd
of around 2,000 people.
Tromsdal. & 77-75-35-00. Free admission during worship services, otherwise 22NOK ($3.10) adults, free for
children under 15; admission to concerts 70NOK ($9.95), no discounts available for children or students. Mid-
Apr to May daily 4-6pm; June to mid-Aug daily 10am-8pm; mid-Aug to Sept daily 4-6pm. Otherwise the
church is closed except for Sun worship services. Concert times coincide with the arrival of cruise ships, but
they're usually scheduled for around 10pm every night between June and mid-Aug.
Macks Ølbryggeri (Mack's Brewery) This is one of the northernmost
microbreweries in the world. Launched in 1877, it's been going strong ever
since. The brewery currently turns out nearly two dozen brews, including
Haakon and Macks Pilsner. Tours are conducted of the brewery, and you're given
a shot glass and a sample of beer as a souvenir. You can also sample the brew at
the on-site Ølhallen Pub.