Trondheim

Trondheim, Norway

The west front of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim glows amber at golden hour, seen up a cobbled lane past a lamp post.

Trondheim pairs a Gothic cathedral and Viking-founded streets with student energy, wooden warehouses on a river, and a fjord within easy reach.

The place

Trondheim sits on the south shore of its fjord, where the Nidelva river loops round the old centre before reaching the sea. About 216,500 people live in the municipality, which makes it Norway's third most populous, and a large share of them are tied to the university, the research institute SINTEF or the big teaching hospital. That gives the city a younger, busier feel than its size suggests. The centre is compact and flat enough to cross on foot. Torvet, the main square, anchors it, with the cathedral a few minutes to the south and the river bridges to the east. Across the Nidelva, Bakklandet is a district of painted timber houses, cafés and cobbled lanes, linked to the centre by the old town bridge. The climate is gentler than the latitude suggests: summers are moderate, and in coastal parts winter often stays above freezing, though it is still dark, wet and windy at times. Summer evenings stay light for a long while, and the city turns outdoorsy then, with people swimming off the island fortress, cycling the riverbanks and eating outside. Winter is quieter, cosier and usually easier on room rates, but the days are short. Norway is expensive and Trondheim is no exception, so student canteens, bakery lunches and picnics help. The centre is easy to handle: modest crowds, a walkable core, and fjord and forest close by.

Its story

Trondheim's story starts with a Viking king's trading post. Olav Tryggvason set it up beside the Nidelva in 997 and named it Kaupangen, 'the market place'. The name soon shifted to Nidaros, the mouth of the river. People had lived round the fjord for thousands of years before that, leaving rock carvings across central Norway, and the river mouth was where free men gathered at the Øretinget assembly to acclaim their rulers. Harald Fairhair and his son Haakon the Good were both hailed there. Nidaros served as a royal seat and remained Norway's capital until 1217. Church power then shaped the town: from 1152 it was the seat of the archbishop of Nidaros, whose palace stood close to the site of the cathedral. The Reformation ended the Catholic archdiocese, but a Lutheran diocese of Nidaros carried on and the cathedral remained at its heart. The Battle of Kalvskinnet, fought here in 1179, saw King Sverre and his Birkebeiner fighters defeat the rival claimant Erling Skakke. Some scholars also suggest that the Lewis chessmen, twelfth-century walrus-ivory pieces now in London, were carved in the city. The town was incorporated in 1838, and the modern municipality took shape in 1964 by merging with neighbouring districts. It grew again in 2020, when Klæbu joined. Trondheim and Trondhjem are the same place under newer and older spellings, and Tråante is the Southern Sami name.

What to see

Culture

Trondheim's culture mixes old church tradition with a lively university scene. The art museum holds mainly Norwegian work from the last century and a half, while the decorative arts and design museum shows tapestries by Hannah Ryggen and a permanent display of Japanese crafts, unusual for Norway. Contemporary art has several homes: a regional centre for the field, artist-run spaces such as Galleri Blunk and Babel, Kunsthall Trondheim on Kongens gate, and a newer museum of recent art on Dronningens gate. Trøndelag Teater is the main regional stage. The student society's red round building near the centre hosts concerts and events, and the huge student population keeps cafés, bars and music venues busy during term time. Social life is informal and unshowy. Norwegians queue patiently, keep their voices down on buses and trams, and spend as much free time outdoors as the weather allows, walking, skiing, swimming and cycling. The city's Sami heritage appears in the Southern Sami name Tråante, which is used alongside the Norwegian one. Prices are high, tipping is modest, and cards are accepted almost everywhere. Inside Nidaros Cathedral, keep your voice low, stay out of areas roped off for services, and ask staff before using a flash or tripod.

What to wear

Trondheim's traditional dress is the bunad, a regional costume that Norwegians wear with pride. Bunads are made mainly of wool, often with embroidery, and finished with silver jewellery such as brooches, and each district has its own cut and colours, including ones for Trøndelag. They appear on Constitution Day in May, at weddings, confirmations and christenings, and at some church festivals. Textile art has its own local standing too, thanks to the woven wall hangings of Hannah Ryggen. Day to day, people dress for weather and practicality: wool or fleece layers, waterproof jackets, trainers or sturdy boots, and plain dark or muted colours, with a bicycle often close by. Students add a casual, secondhand look. Smarter clothes appear for the theatre or a good restaurant, but jackets and ties are rare. A visitor should pack layers whatever the month, since a sunny morning can turn to rain by noon. Bring a proper waterproof, a warm hat and gloves outside summer, and comfortable shoes with grip for cobbles, hills and wet bridges. Swimwear is useful from June, and sunglasses help with the low northern light. Churches have no strict dress code, though covered shoulders and removed hats are polite in the cathedral.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. June to August brings the longest light and the mildest weather, and the Munkholmen ferry runs from mid May to early September. September is quieter and cooler. Coastal winters often stay above freezing, but days are short, wet and windy.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Fly to Trondheim Airport, Værnes, then take the train to Trondheim Central Station, a short ride; trains also serve towns along the fjord. AtB runs the local trains, buses and trams, and one ticket covers them. Check the timetable, since weekend trains are less frequent.

Budget. high

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

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