Tromsø: My Arctic Capital

We arrived in summer under 24-hour daylight and the city felt like it never slept – people kayaking at 11 p.m., the sun just dipping behind mountains but never setting. The cable car up Storsteinen gave us views over islands stretching to infinity while reindeer grazed below. The Arctic Cathedral at midnight looked like a frozen aurora made of concrete and glass – we attended an actual midnight sun concert inside with organ music echoing off the triangular windows.

Lunch was reindeer steak at Emma's Drømmekjøkken – tastes like lean, gamey beef and felt appropriately Arctic. In the evening we went on a husky wagon visit (summer wheels instead of sleds) – 120 barking Alaskan huskies all desperate for cuddles. The pros: genuine Arctic city with big-city amenities. The cons: expensive (everything is), but the experiences are once-in-a-lifetime.