In the end of August, when the Aurora Borealis has started it’s dance in the heavens, one of the best festivals inside the arctic circle happens in Tromsø, RakettNatt. Tromsø boasts an energetic art and music scene, a wealth of locally soarced fine food and drink and a surrounding landscape that is not only spectacular and follishly dangerous but also so beatiful that is actually «sexually provocative».

‘Heia!’ That’s how they greet you in Tromsø. Just saying the word is like topping up a full tank of gas with nitro-glycerine. This simple greeting is so warm and concise that it seems to burst forth and light up the day, however dark it may be. Given Tromsø’s extreme Northern location – 69° 40’ 58” N 18° 56’ 34” E – lighting up the day is a pretty handy trick half the year, so tip your hat and greet fellow inhabitants of this fine city, the so-called ‘Paris Of The North’, with the respect and friendliness they deserve. ‘Heia!’

No longer isolated – thanks to budget travel, luxury cruises and humanity’s willingness, nay, desire, to venture beyond Fuerteventura – Tromsø is these days firmly established on the map, with a rich history in its wake. It’s a city full of often transient inhabitants, drawn by, amongst other things, its research industry, its university and its legendary reputation as a party town, as well as its midnight sun and Northern Lights.