Harstad  is the second largest city and municipality by population, in Troms county, Norway – the city is also the third largest in North Norway.^[2][3] Thus Harstad is the natural centre for its district. Situated approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) north of the Arctic Circle, the city celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004.

The municipality is located on two islands in south Troms. Most of the municipality is located on Hinnøya, which is Norway's largest coastal island (three islands in the Svalbard archipelago are larger). The northern part of the municipality is located on the southern half, 53 square kilometres (20 sq mi), of Grytøya. Harstad is bordered by the municipality of Bjarkøy to the north, Kvæfjord to the west, and Tjeldsund (in the county of Nordland) to the south. To the southeast the Tjeldsund Bridge connects Hinnøya with Skånland and the mainland across Tjeldsundet, and to the northeast is the Vågsfjorden, where Harstad shares a water border with Ibestad. The city itself is located northeast on Hinnøya; it is the only city on the island, and is popularly known as Vågsfjordens perle (The pearl of Vågsfjorden).

The city enjoys the midnight sun during the summer months, from 22 May to 18 July. There is also a period with twilight a few hours each night as the sun just dips below the horizon, so there is no darkness from early May to early August. The polar night, when the sun is always below the horizon, lasts from 30 November to 12 January. At this time, there are a few hours with dusk/dawn around noon, sometimes with colorful skies towards the south. From late January, day length rapidly increases, reaching 12 hours by March and 18 hours in April. Harstad is located in the midst of the aurora borealis (a.k.a. the northern lights) zone, and the aurora can often be seen on clear nights, but not in summer due to the continuous daylight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harstad

Northern part of Harstad City

The Church in Harstad

 

The history of Harstad and the surrounding region

Settlement in the Harstad district dates back to the Stone Age. Bjarkøy and Trondenes were important political centres from the end of the Viking era and in Medieval times. Even then, this area was the region’s population centre.

Tore Hund from Bjarkøy was the slayer of Olaf the Holy in 1030, and the Trondenes Church, which dates from the 15th century, is the world’s northernmost medieval stone church. The church stands on one of Hålogaland’s earliest and most important church sites.

The development of Harstad into a city can be attributed to its location and the transport patterns over the years. The sea was the old transport artery, and the steam ships called at Sandtorg and Trondenes. In 1844, Trondenes was replaced by Harstadhamn, which in turn was replaced in 1848 by Harstadsjøen, representing the first step towards Harstad as a city.