Tirpitz sank off Håkøya during World War II

War history

Recommended places of interest and activities for groups interested in war history

Forsvarsmuseum (The Defence Museum) (closed October - April): Learn about the war history by exploring the exhibits from the Second World War with a separate exhibit about the German battleship ‘Tirpitz’ in a World War II bunker. 

Bispegården (The Bishop’s Palace): Tromsø was, in May and June of 1940, acting as capital of those areas in Norway that were hitherto unoccupied by the Germans. Government meetings were held at Bispegården. The king, the crown prince and cabinet ministers fled to England on 7th June 1940. 

Haakon VII Monument in Rådhusparken: In 1940, the king and the government fled north to Tromsø because of the German invasion during World War II. King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav stayed in Tromsø before travelling on HMS Devonshire to England.

Jewish Monument at Prostneset: A memorial to the Jews from Tromsø who perished during World War II. The commemorative plaque bears the name of 17 men, women and children.

Skansen and the old wooden buildings along the quay: Skansen is thought to have been built between 1000 and 1200 AD. Festningsvollen is the best-preserved fort embankment of its type in Norway. The oldest house on Skansen was built between 1789 -1793 and is the oldest documented house in the city centre. There was a customs office and residence for the customs office before Tromsø gained city status in 1794.Tromsø is the northernmost city that survived the bombing and burning during World War II. The city therefore still has a good collection of older wooden houses in the city centre from 1789.

Tirpitz memorial on Håkøya:The German battleship Tirpitz was sunk by British bombers at Håkøya off Tromsø in 1944. There are still significant remains at Håkøya where the ship sank. The memorial was erected by Tromsø municipality in 1984.

Tromsø Cemetery: Tromsø has the northernmost cemetery in the world for British war graves from World War II, located at Tromsø Cemetery. Most of those buried in Tromsø had been part of the Allied convoy traffic to Murmansk.  

Join a historical City Walk with Tromsø Budget Tours and discover the gateway to the Arctic’s secrets, and learn about the city's centuries-long history.