Latest news with #Tromso
Telegraph
26-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Teenager reels in 6ft fish
At 18 years old and 6ft tall, Charlie Braithwaite is no small fry – but he was shocked to reel in a fish as large as himself. Charlie and his father Carl Braithwaite, were on a fishing trip off the coast of Norway near Tromso with friends, as a double celebration to mark Charlie completing his A-levels, and his father's 50th birthday. Charlie managed to reel in a 165lb halibut, which took an hour to get on the boat and three men to pull it back off again at the end of the trip. Photographs show Charlie posing alongside the fish, which is almost taller than him as it hangs from a weighing hook. Carl, from Holton-le-Clay, said: 'It's definitely the biggest fish we've ever caught. We go every year, me and my friends, but we've never caught anything like this. 'This is the second time Charlie has been and he didn't catch anything last year, but now he's hooked a monster.' Carl, who's been sea fishing for more than 15 years, said they'd be sharing it out among their friends and family. He said: 'We normally fish in the River Humber and I've been sea fishing for more than 15 years now – but it's my 50th birthday, so this has been a bit of a break for my birthday and to mark Charlie finishing his A-levels, before he goes to Loughborough University to do chemical engineering. 'I don't know how many people this can feed. We've caught a few more but nothing like this. We'll be bringing it all home to share out among the group and for friends and family.' If the fish is prepared to serve up fillets weighing around six to eight ounces, the halibut could feed more than 260 people. Carl added: 'To be honest Charlie was a bit overwhelmed. It was a bit frightening really. When the fish get on the line they pull all the line off the reel and you have to drive the boat towards them. You have to drive alongside them and hopefully it eventually slows it down. 'It was only a small boat, not like a big commercial boat, so it was just the four of us trying to lift it on. None of us could believe it, even though we've been coming for years we've never caught anything on that scale.'
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Daily Mail
The places to go where you're most likely to see the Northern Lights
This year, you're more likely than ever to see the Northern Lights. It's all thanks to the peak of the Solar Maximum's 11-year cycle, meaning a boost in the frequency and intensity of the Aurora Borealis. But where should you head if you want to witness the mesmerising natural phenomenon in all its glory? Best Served Scandinavia has revealed the destinations around the world where you're going to have the best luck. And one is just a three-hour flight away from the UK… Tromso, Norway Tromso, Norway, is widely regarded as one of the world's best places to see the Northern Lights, thanks to the fact that it 's right in the centre of the Arctic. When MailOnline Travel went to Tromso to see the Northern Lights in action, photographer Tor-Ivar Naess told us it's also because there are bigger geomagnetic storms that result in 'stronger auroras for longer'. The Lights are most visible here from late September to early April, with peak visibility often occurring between December and February. And if the Lights themselves aren't enough of a draw, Tromso also has a great nightlife, with more pubs and bars per capita than anywhere else in Norway. Direct flights to Tromso are available from London Luton and Manchester Airport in the winter, with prices starting at £89 one way. Swedish Lapland If you want to see the Northern Lights without many other tourists, Kiruna is the place to, with a population of just 18,000. Another place in Swedish Lapland for the Lights is Luleå, as the archipelago benefits from a lack of light pollution. The best time to see the Northern Lights here is from September to late March, with December, January, and February most likely to provide good results thanks to the long, dark, and clear nights. There are also a wide range of winter activities available in Lapland, including husky sledding and ice fishing. So off-the-beaten-track is the Swedish Lapland that there are no direct flights from the UK at the moment – however Lulea and Kiruna can both be easily reached from Stockholm. Reyjkavik, Iceland Iceland's capital is one of the most popular places for tourists to head for the Northern Lights – as the city has so much more to offer on top of the Aurora Borealis. The best months to see the spectacle are between September and April – and there are plenty of tours available from Reyjkavik that come with a hot chocolate to help keep you warm while you're searching for the Lights. Even if you don't manage to see them, you'll leave Iceland feeling content – as the area is full of incredible geography, like geothermal spas and geysers, and excellent restaurants. There are plenty of direct flights from all over the UK to Reyjkavik, with prices starting at around £30 for one way, and journeys taking just over three hours. Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland Lapland is best known for being Santa's home, but the Northern Lights are another reason to go to the place where it's Christmas all year. Head to Rovaniemi between September and April if you want the best chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis. And don't forget to go husky sledding, ice fishing or on a snowmobile safari while you're there. There are direct flights to Rovaniemi from all over the UK, and MailOnline Travel has found flights for just £30 from London Stansted and Liverpool in November. Ilulissat, Greenland There are just 5,000 people living in Ilulissat, Greenland's third largest city – but it's not just the quietness that makes it ideal for seeing the Northern Lights here. It's right in the heart of Greenland's aurora belt, which means it's very reliable for seeing the Lights. The lack of rain and low levels of wind mean the sky is often very clear too. Ilulissat is best to visit between September and April, however there are no direct flights from Iceland during this time. Instead, tourists will need to head to Copenhagen, then take an Air Greenland flight to Nuuk, and then another domestic flight to Ilulissat. Svalbard, Norway Svalbard benefits from almost no sunlight in the winter, with absolutely none in February. This makes it incredibly likely to see the Northern Lights at some point during these months. But, just 650 miles from the North Pole, in the Arctic Ocean, the archipelago is also incredibly remote. The easiest way to get there from the UK is to get a flight from Tromso to Longyearbyen, which takes under two hours. Or you can get there as part of an expedition cruise.
Forbes
23-06-2025
- Forbes
Astrotourism Is On The Rise: Here's How To Plan A Trip In 2025
Aurora Borealis dancing over Tromso Urban Skyline. Tromso Panorama and winter night landscape with Northern Lights (Aurora Polaris) on a cold night, with starry sky, polar lights and snowcapped mountains on Kvaloya Island in the background. Cityscape with Brightly Street Light of the Arctic Capital, Northern Norway getty You don't have to be Katy Perry to plan an unforgettable astrotourism trip. It is becoming more and more common for travelers to plan trips around specific natural phenomena, seeking out unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences like viewing a solar eclipse or catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights over plotting a music festival or museum-packed itinerary abroad. The thing about astrotourism, though? You've got to be intentional about planning it. If your dream is to see an unobstructed solar eclipse, for example, well, you've got two years before the next one is set to arrive. Here are three ways to plan for an astrotourism trip—and how travel and hospitality professionals are shifting gears to offer travelers the best possible experience while seeking out natural and rare-occurring phenomena: The Northern Lights are often visible in Canada and the U.S., but for the best—and most clear—chance of seeing the wonders of the aurora borealis, travelers are heading much further north. "We decided to introduce trips to Scandinavia due to increased demand for visitors to this region, as well as the chance to showcase the spectacular scenery and chances for incredible nighttime displays,' said Bruno Kaufmann, European Travel Specialist at Unforgettable Travel Company. 'Iceland, Northern Norway and Finland offer fantastic chances to see the Northern Lights, as there are an abundance of properties located away from artificial light, giving clients the best chance to see the Aurora, as well as the night sky.' According to Kaufmann, In Iceland, the Hotel Ranga is a particularly special location, with two highly powered telescopes and an on-site astronomer who hosts evenings to enjoy the night sky and the aurora (while it is cloudless). 'With us being in the Solar Maximum, Northern Lights displays are more frequent and more spectacular than ever, but every year between September and April, it is possible to witness the lights dancing in the sky." The total solar eclipse had us scrambling for eclipse-viewing glasses and the best spots to see the phenomenon, but the next solar eclipse in 2026? Many travelers are planning far in advance to ensure the best possible viewing experience. 'The excitement around viewing a total solar eclipse the past few years has been palpable, and we jumped at the chance to create more itineraries that give our guests the incomparable opportunity of viewing the eclipse at sea,' said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment for Holland America Line. 'When you're at sea, there is a greater opportunity to witness an eclipse in the clear because the ship can attempt to position itself away from cloud cover—and the view on the horizon means you get more of the shadow coming in and going out. Because of that, these cruises are extremely popular: for everyone from professional astronomers to travelers looking to check an eclipse off their bucket list.' 'For millennia, civilizations have studied celestial happenings, and that impact is seen even now in many famous landmarks and monuments,' said Grigsby. 'We took care to add ports into the itinerary that have some connection to the study of the sun and stars: on the 28-day, one example includes Portland, England, within close proximity to famous Stonehenge, long believed to be built with the solstice in mind. And on the 14-day, guests can visit the world's largest and most complex astronomical clock in Messina, Italy.' Seek out the dark sky in your own backyard According to Ash Nudd, WorldMark by Wyndham's National Park Hiking Concierge, one of the most overlooked natural resources of the national parks is their night skies. 'Many people who live in or around cities and towns have no idea what they are missing because of the light pollution that has become such a mundane feature of our everyday life,' explained Nudd. 'Our cities are saturating our skies with light, so it is often impossible to see the masterpiece hidden beyond.' 'The National Park Service, on the other hand, is dedicated to preserving and protecting our ability to observe the night sky in all of its glory. With many national parks that are considered International Dark Sky Parks, they are the perfect places to go to see meteor showers, lunar eclipses, the northern lights, the Milky Way, and all of the amazing constellations that have fascinated humans throughout the ages.'
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Travel + Leisure
20-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
Holland America Has 3 New 14-day Voyages to the Arctic—With Stops at Quaint Fishing Villages, Waterfalls, and High Odds for Northern Lights
If you've always dreamed of seeing the northern lights in the Arctic from a cruise ship, get ready for three new options to make that a reality. Holland America is launching three new arctic journeys that span 14 days and allow cruisers to spot the northern lights, with ship-wide aurora alerts that let everyone know when the lights are visible. The cruises leave from Rotterdam, Netherlands, with one offering the option to depart a day earlier from Dover, England. The initial cruise departs from Rotterdam, and cruisers can take time before departure to explore the historical city with its idiosyncratic modern architecture and impressive art museums. After two days at sea, the cruise ship will stop in Ålesund, a quaint fishing village in western Norway. Known for its colorful, ornate buildings and stunning fjords, this stop will have opportunities for both cultural exploration and hiking. Tours organized by the cruise ship are available. The ship continues on to Trondheim, Norway, with its easy-to-explore city center and sites that include Nidaros Cathedral and the Trondelag Open-Air Folk Museum. After this stop, the ship will cross over into the Arctic Circle, where the many hours of winter darkness are most conducive to spotting the northern lights. The next stop is Tromso, Norway, the 'Gateway to the Arctic,' followed by two days at Alta on the Alta Fjord in the north of Norway. This is one of the best places to spot the aurora, and there will be shuttles and taxis to take visitors into town to experience the culture of this arctic village. As the trip comes into the home stretch, travelers will go to Leknes on the Norwegian Lofoten archipelago, which serves as a gateway to a series of sheltered fishing hamlets with traditional houses. Next are the waterfalls and natural wonders of Åndalsnes, followed by a stop in Bergen, Norway's second largest city. Then, the cruise detours to Lerwick on the Shetland Islands in the United Kingdom to explore its Norse heritage, before spending a day at sea en route back to Rotterdam. Later cruises also stop at Kristiansund, a charming town on the Norwegian coast. The three itineraries depart in autumn 2027. Fares start at €2,599 (about $3,000) for the voyage from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17, 2027. The second trip, which spans Oct. 16 to Oct. 30, 2027, starts at €2,499 ($2,884), while the option with an earlier departure day in Dover starts at €2,719 ($3,138). The final cruise from Nov. 6 to Nov. 20, 2027, starts at €2,349 ($2,711). All cruises can be booked at
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Colorado sky runner survived a stunning 150-foot fall, uses her comeback to inspire others
Colorado native Hillary Allen is a record-breaking ultra-runner and sky runner who survived a stunning 150-foot fall during a competition in Norway. Her story of perseverance is incredible. "The reason I love running is because it's the ultimate expression of freedom," said Allen. "All I need is just my body, a pair of shoes and I can just go." Hillary Allen Allen has chased that freedom all over the world, from France to Switzerland, Italy and beyond. "I think I've always been drawn to things that are difficult my whole life. It basically boasts the steepest type of terrain imaginable. In a 31-mile race, you climb 14,000 feet. So that's the equivalent of starting at sea level and going to the top of a 14er, and you have to turn around and run that back down. So, that's what I got into," said Allen. If there's one thing to know about Allen, it's that she doesn't just try something; she excels. "In 2017, I was actually ranked number one in the world," she said. The last race of the season was in Tromso, Norway. It was a rugged, technical race, but all she had to do was finish it to secure her title as World No. 1. She was at the height of her career when things took a near-deadly turn. Hillary Allen "It was literally one minute I was running, the next I was just in the air. And I remember time slowing down, and I remember my own voice inside my head just telling me to stay calm, that this was it, that I was dying," she recalled. Allen slipped and fell 150 feet off the mountain, suffering 14 broken bones and severe lacerations. She was lucky to be alive and was told she'd never run again. "I remember after hearing that, I didn't speak the rest of the day," said Allen. "After the initial depression, I was surprised how quickly I had the surgery, how quickly I started dreaming of like, well, this is my choice. She doesn't get to tell me what I can do or what I can't do." While she was still confined to a bed, Allen began believing her best athletic days were in front of her. Although it was a daily mental and physical battle, she defied the odds, not only walking again, but running, and not only running, but winning. Hillary Allen "I'm absolutely in love with that process of just trying to be your best. Since my accident, I've done several 100-mile races, some of the hardest in the world. And you know, set course records or won those. I think that this accident changed my life for the better, because it allowed me to question what was important to me and where I saw my life going," she explained. Allen has become a more well-rounded athlete, speaker and author, and decided to leave her pursuit of becoming a PHD scientist behind. Now, she's going back to school for sports psychology. "Coming back from this accident, I've had to do a lot of mental work, and I've become very interested in the psychology of just existence, but in particular, sport," she shared. "My hope is that I can help performers, hopefully girls, because I'm really interested in inspiring the next generation of female sport as female athletes." Allen's story is one of triumph, of never giving up, and believing your best days are always ahead of you. "It's hard to quantify how hard I worked in order to not only return to sport, but to be where I am today," Allen said. "I can package it into a nice storyline, but it really boils down to this devotion to trying to be the best version of yourself each day."
