Stavanger or Tromso?

Neither city is a beach destination, but Stavanger does have proper beaches. The long sandy strands of Jæren, at Sola, Orre and Brusand, are backed by dunes and get surf when the westerly swell builds. On a warm July day a cold swim is possible.

Tromso's sea stays several degrees colder. Telegrafbukta and the white sands of Sommaroy are places to look at, or for a quick plunge between sauna rounds, not for an afternoon on a towel.

Both cities cook from the sea, but Stavanger has the wider table. Its farmland adds Ryfylke lamb and Jæren strawberries to the shrimp and cod, its fine-dining kitchens aim higher, and the Gladmat festival turns the Vågen quays into a summer food market.

Tromso's draw is the Arctic larder: skrei cod in late winter, king crab, reindeer and cloudberries, eaten along the old wooden quays, with a nineteenth-century brewery at the centre of local drinking. Below that the choice thins out faster than in Stavanger, and both cities are costly to eat in.

Stavanger has more history to walk through. Gamle Stavanger's slope of white wooden houses, a cathedral that keeps its medieval character and the Viking swords at Hafrsfjord give it real depth, and the Canning and Petroleum museums tell how the city made its money.

Tromso is a mostly modern town, and its one great landmark is the Arctic Cathedral across the bridge. The Polar Museum's story of Amundsen and Nansen and the Sami collections at Tromso Museum are worth a morning, but there is less to see overall.

Both are small scenes that come alive mainly at weekends, and both are expensive. Stavanger's evenings lean towards bars: the painted lane of Øvre Holmegate and the quayside terraces on Vågen and Skagenkaien, filled by oil workers and students.

Tromso's student crowd pushes a little harder on the late dance floors around Storgata. In midsummer the light never fades, which gives its weekend nights an odd, sleepless feel that Stavanger can't match.

Both are outdoor destinations first, and Tromso comes out ahead. Stavanger has the Lysefjord's granite walls, which rise almost a kilometre from the water, the Preikestolen and Kjerag hikes, and gentle coastal walks on Jæren, all best from June to September.

Tromso offers things no southern fjord can. Winter brings the northern lights, orcas and humpbacks, dog sledding, and ski touring in the Lyngen Alps, while summer brings midnight-sun hikes and kayaking among the skerries. In effect it is two different trips depending on the season.

Stavanger has a handful of real places to visit. Utstein Abbey, Norway's best-preserved medieval monastery, is half an hour north. Egersund's wooden streets and pottery museum are an hour away by train, and Avaldsnes with its Viking farm makes a fuller day.

From Tromso the only outings to somewhere are fishing hamlets such as Sommaroy and the old trading post at Hillesoy. A spare day there usually goes on another fjord or aurora tour instead.

Both cities are safe and relaxed with children, but Stavanger gives them more to do. Kongeparken, the children's museum, the playground at the Petroleum Museum and the science centre in Sandnes cover both sunny and rainy days, and the Jæren dunes make a summer playground.

In Tromso, the Polaria aquarium and the husky rides are what children remember. Even so, the winter cold, the midwinter darkness and the late-night aurora tours make it harder going with young children.

There is little to choose between them. You can cross either centre on foot in a quarter of an hour, and in both you need a car or a tour to reach the landscape. Stavanger has more options, with a local train down the Jæren coast, fast boats to Ryfylke and seasonal buses to Preikestolen, while Tromso's steep streets turn icy in winter and its fjords are mostly reached on organised tours.

Neither is a place to shop, but Stavanger has a little more on offer. Its pedestrian streets around the cathedral hold Norwegian chains and design and homeware shops, with small independents near Øvre Holmegate. Tromso's Storgata is practical: thermal layers, Sami crafts, knitwear and little else. In both, a good wool sweater or outdoor gear is the thing worth buying.

Both cost what Norway costs, so neither is the cheaper choice. In Stavanger, oil wealth keeps restaurants, drinks and taxis expensive, though business hotels can be cheaper at weekends and in high summer.

In Tromso the bill climbs with the excursions: whale safaris, sledding and aurora tours add up quickly, and hotels charge more in the aurora season. Picnics and free hikes help in Stavanger, and a self-catering flat plus hunting the lights yourself from the hills helps in Tromso.

Stavanger has the stronger music life. The Konserthus at Bjergsted is an excellent hall and home to the symphony orchestra, and the year peaks with MaiJazz in spring and a chamber-music festival in late summer.

Tromso's programme is smaller but has its own character: the Arctic Philharmonic, the Northern Lights Festival in midwinter, a film festival each January, and midnight concerts in the Arctic Cathedral in summer.

Both cities unwind the Nordic way, with a sauna and a cold plunge, and neither has much spa life beyond hotels. Tromso's floating saunas in the harbour look across to snowy peaks, and a large swimming hall helps on dark afternoons, though aurora nights and early tours leave little time for rest. Stavanger has Gamlingen, its heated outdoor pool, and long summer evenings by the water that make slowing down easier.