Tromso is a city and municipality in the county of Troms, Norway, with an estimated population of 62,000 people. Tromso is the seventh largest city (by population) in Norway, and is located almost 400km (248 miles) inside the Arctic Circle and is home to several the world's most northern entities. Among these most northern designations are: brewery, botanical garden, and planetarium. Tromso is famous for the amount of snowfall in the winter, but it varies from one year to the next. In 1997, the record was set at 240 cm of snow. Its geographical location north of the Arctic Circle means that Tromso has both the Midnight Sun and the Polar Night. The Midnight Sun is above the northern horizon from about May 18 to July 26. Due to the position on top of the globe, the twilight is longer, meaning there is no real darkness between late April and mid August. The sun remains below the horizon from about November 26 to January 15, but due to the mountains, the sun is absent from November 21 to January 21. The return of the sun is an occasion for celebration. Due to the twilight, there is some daylight for a couple of hours, even around mid-winter, often with beautiful bluish light. The days lengthen quickly and by February 21, the sun is above the horizon. Tromso is in the middle of the Aurora Borealis (northern lights) zone, and is one of the best places in the world to observe the phenomenon. The Northern Lights Observatory was founded in 1927. The combination of snow cover and sunshine creates intense light conditions from late February until the snow melts in the lowland (usually late April), and sunglasses are essential when skiing. Because of these diametrically different light conditions in winter, Norwegians often divide it into two seasons: Morketida (the dark time) and Seinvinter (late winter). In addition to the wonderful astronomical events in the area, attractions to be seen include churches, concerts, theater, art galleries, colleges, museums, a brewery and an International Film Festival. There is an immense amount of information on this city--any tourist would be well advised to read as much as possible, in order to plan a trip for the time of year you wish to enjoy.