Oslo or Tromso?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Oslo at least gives you a real summer swim. Ferries go out to Hovedøya and Langøyene, there are coves at Huk on Bygdøy and diving platforms at Sørenga, and the fjord reaches about 18°C in July. Tromso's sea barely gets past 10°C even then, so the white sand of Sommaroy is for photographs and a quick, gasping plunge, ideally between rounds of sauna.

Both cities lean on cold-water seafood, but Oslo has more range and a stronger top end. It has Nordic tasting menus, the Mathallen food hall and Grünerløkka for wandering and choosing somewhere to eat. Its light-roast coffee culture is worth seeking out for its own sake.

Tromso's food is more specifically Arctic: skrei, king crab, reindeer and cloudberries served along the old wooden quays, and fish soup after a cold excursion. It is satisfying, but you run out of new places within a few days and there is little cheap food.

Oslo has far more to see. The Munch Museum and the National Museum, the polar ship and the Kon-Tiki raft on Bygdøy, Akershus Fortress and the Opera House roof fill two or three good days.

Tromso's sights are fewer and more focused: the Arctic Cathedral across the bridge, the Polar Museum with its trappers and Amundsen, and the Sami collections at Tromso Museum. Together they make a fine day, but the town is mostly modern and most visitors spend their time outside it.

Oslo has the wider choice for a night out. There are craft beer and natural wine bars in Grünerløkka and around Youngstorget, a few electronic clubs, and summer drinks on the waterfront at Aker Brygge. Tromso goes out with surprising energy for its size, thanks to the students and the long winter nights along Storgata, but it has few dance floors and midweek is quiet. In both cities, high drink prices shape the evening.

Tromso is the more dramatic place to be outdoors. Mountains rise straight from the water and the Fjellheisen cable car lifts you to a ridge above the fjords. Winter adds northern lights, whales and dog sledding, with the Lyngen Alps about two hours away.

Oslo's strength is how easy nature is to reach rather than how dramatic it is. A metro ride takes you into Nordmarka for lake walks in summer and floodlit ski tracks in winter, and ferries reach the wooded fjord islands. The land rises only to hills, though, nothing like Tromso's peaks.

Towns are what set the two apart. From Oslo, Fredrikstad's star-shaped fortress and cobbled ramparts are about an hour south by train, wooden Drøbak makes a pleasant summer boat trip down the fjord, and Viking-age Tønsberg or Lillehammer on Lake Mjøsa fill a longer day. None of them is famous, but they add variety to a city stay.

From Tromso, outings go into the landscape rather than to other places. Apart from the island fishing village of Sommaroy and the old trading post at Hillesoy, there is little to visit, so a spare day usually goes on another fjord or aurora tour.

Oslo is easier with children. Prams are everywhere on the trams and there are playgrounds in every park. Children can climb aboard a polar ship at the Fram Museum and see farm animals at the Folk Museum, and the Tusenfryd amusement park is a bus ride away.

Tromso has Polaria's bearded seals and husky and reindeer rides that children remember. Midwinter is hard going for younger ones, though: freezing days with little or no light, and aurora tours that run late into the night.

You can walk both centres, but Oslo's transport takes you much further. Trams, buses, metro and harbour ferries run as one network to the Bygdøy museums, the fjord islands and the ski hills at Holmenkollen, and an express train comes in from the airport.

In Tromso you can cross the centre on foot in a quarter of an hour and walk over the bridge to the Arctic Cathedral. To reach the fjords and aurora spots, though, you need an organised tour or a hire car. Both cities have icy pavements in winter, and Tromso's streets are steeper.

Oslo gives you a proper shopping day. There are high-street chains along Karl Johans gate, Nordic brands under one roof at the eighteenth-century Steen & Strøm, Bogstadveien where locals shop, and vintage and design shops in Grünerløkka. Tromso's Storgata is mainly for practical buys, especially thermal layers and outdoor gear, plus some knitwear and Sami crafts. Patterned Norwegian knitwear is the souvenir in both.

Both cities are among the most expensive places to travel, with Norwegian prices for meals, alcohol and hotels. What differs is where the money goes. In Oslo it is museum tickets, eating out and drinks. Free sights like Vigeland Park, the Opera House roof and the forest trails help balance that, and a transport pass covers the ferries.

In Tromso the excursions are the big cost: whale safaris, dog sledding and aurora tours, and hotels charge most in the aurora season. Self-catering and hunting the northern lights yourself from the hills above town are the main ways to save.

Oslo has the fuller programme, and the Opera House is at its heart. The national opera and ballet perform in its oak-lined hall, and an evening there is a highlight of a visit. The Oslo Philharmonic plays at the Konserthus, the National Theatre stages Ibsen, mostly in Norwegian, and small jazz clubs and the August festival in the Tøyen park add to the year. The scene is good but not large, though, and a short stay may not coincide with much, so check what is on before you count on a particular night.

Tromso has more than most towns its size, but on a much smaller scale. The Arctic Philharmonic plays through the season, the Northern Lights Festival brings classical and contemporary music in the depths of winter, and summer has midnight concerts in the Arctic Cathedral. Venues are few and runs are short, so here the arts are a pleasant evening after a day outdoors, not a reason to come.

Both cities relax the same way, in a floating wood-fired sauna with a ladder down into the fjord, and Tromso's look across to snowy peaks. Oslo makes slowing down easier, though. Its harbour saunas at Sørenga and by the Opera House are many and sociable, and its quiet green streets set an unhurried pace.

In Tromso, late aurora trips and early excursions eat into the downtime. Besides a few hotel spas, the warm pools of the large public swimming hall are the main alternative.