About us

Fjellheisen

Fjellheisen was built in 1961 by Brødrene Jakobsens Rederi, a shipping company that operated extensively in polar hunting, fishing and expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic. The cable cars proudly carry the company's two symbols; the polar bear and the seal. The Fjellheisen Cable Car goes from Solliveien in Tromsdalen up to Storsteinen Mountain. The lower station is located on Tromsø's mainland, 50 meters above sea level. The upper station, Fjellstua, is located 421 meters above sea level. The trip takes four minutes.

Fjellheisen is Tromsø's most popular tourist destination. Enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Tromsø, with a near endless view of islands, fjords, mountains and sea. In the other direction you can see the majestic Tromsdalstinden towering 1238 meters above sea level. In the summer this is a good place to enjoy the midnight sun, and in the winter it's the perfect place to chase the Northern Lights.

Opening in 1961

The grand opening of Fjellheisen took place a crisp February day in 1961. Several travel agencies and journalists from near and far were invited, and speakers like Helge Jakobsen from Brødrene Jakobsens Rederi and the mayor of Tromsøysund, Kåre Hansen were present. School children were given the day off and sang songs accompanied by beautiful tunes from the Tromsdalen marching band. Bank Manager Anton Jakobsen conducted the official opening.

The film is from Filmavisen in 1961, and shows the opening ceremony.

1958: Construction begins

During the construction, materials and equipment were transported with a working lift south of the Fjellheisen. The workers had to walk.

1961: Opening

Fjellheisen opened 22nd February 1961, a few months after the Tromsø bridge was finished. The restaurant was ready for King Olav's visit on 29th July.

1979: Fire

The night of 10th June 1979 there was a fire at Fjellheisen. The restaurant building was completely damaged, and 13 years went by before a new restaurant was opened.

1992: Reopening

The new restaurant came into operation on 18th November 1992. By then, 20 months had passed from start to completion of Fjellstua.

2015/2016: Modernisation

In April 2016, Fjellheisen reopened after NOK 68 million had been invested in new cable cars and machinery, an extended panoramic terrace and a new wheelchair lift. The opening was conducted by Jan-Frode Jansson from Sparebanken Nord-Norge, while Sadionor Teater performed a play in which included the original speech from 1961 speech.