Discover what to do in Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway, dubbed the City of Knowledge. During the winter months this is a hotspot for seeing the Northern Lights, but what is there to do outside of the snowy season?
I first visited Trondheim whilst working on a cruise around the Norwegian fjords. Curious about what my job is? Head to the About page.
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Trondheim’s Viking Past
Trondheim is an old soul, with strong Viking roots and Medieval heritage galore. Dating back to 997AD (you see- properly old), the City Formerly Known As Nidaros is Norway’s ex-capital and where the country’s kings have been crowned for centuries. The fact that the majority of Trondheim was once made of wood means that unfortunately the whole place has burned to the ground many many times. But nowadays although there are many beaut wooden warehouses lining the river, the streets have been redesigned with wide open boulevards to prevent those fires spreading so darn tooting quickly. A wise move, I’d say.
My time in Trondheim spanned several months in Summer, although in all honesty the weather was often most similar to a rainy day in March. Maybe this is a silly thing to note- it is in Norway, after all- but so many people have been taken aback by this information that I feel it’s worthy of a mention.
Walk to the colourful warehouses
Trondheim sits at the mouth of the river Nidelva, so it goes without saying that the river plays a big part in the general vibe of the city. One of the prettiest places to take a little walk is over the Old Town Bridge and past the multicoloured wooden warehouses lining both sides of the water. Like the rest of the city the wharves have been ravaged by raging great fires several times, resulting in a big old refurbishment job- although aesthetically the newer warehouses aren’t too dissimilar to when they were first built.
Visit the Cathedral
The Nidaros Cathedral was a major draw for pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages, and plenty of crowds still flock here today. Built in 1070 over the tomb of King Olav II- who brought Christianity to Norway- it’s the Northenmost medieval cathedral in the world. This piece of gothic architecture is pretty full on spectacular if you ask me. The cathedral began its life as a Catholic, then changed to Lutheran; what a fickle building.
We went to take a look around mainly as we were struggling to find out anything about Norwegian culture, and for the price of 100 NOK- around €10- we at least found out a bit about Norwegian Christian culture and history, so I’m glad we did it. In all honesty Norway is a country which in general I found it very hard to get a true sense of- so visiting places like this helped a bit.
The Archbishop’s Palace is adjacent to the Cathedral, and houses all manner of religious artefacts and paraphernalia of Tromdheim’s history; its possible to buy a combined ticket so you can go in and have a nose around all that as well. If you’re up for it.
Check out the coffee culture in Trondheim
Norway is a highly expensive country to be in, there’s no denying it. But if you do find yourself feeling as if you’re about to pass out or even die from starvation, I highly recommend biting the bullet and just simply purchasing some food or a beverage. It will be worth it in the long run, even if you are using the last of your coins to pay for that €7 coffee.
One of my favourite places to go was Fairytale, a very pretty restaurant selling extortionately priced macarons, smoothies, and some really tasty but tiny salads and smørrebrød (traditionally an open sandwich featuring all manner of toppings, however at Fairytale the non-traditional but bang-on-trend avocado features heavily).
Mormors Stue (Grandma’s living room) is a coffee shop inside an old stable and blacksmiths, designed to feel as if you really are in your grandma’s living room. I’m a true fan of olde worlde places, so the doilies, old tasseled lampshades and antique furniture tick all the boxes for me- not to mention the coffee and cakes on offer.
Far more Scandinavian in aesthetic than Mormors, Sellanraa is a ‘coffee, food and book bar.’ And I love all three of those things, so this place is an absolute treat. Food is all locally sourced and the owners are absolutely delightful.
Head to the palace
Stiftsgården is the official royal residence in Trondheim, and is unlike any other royal residence I’ve ever visited (not that I’ve visited that many), mainly because the beautiful building is situated smack bang in the middle of the high street.
It’s also pretty simple-looking, compared to your Versailles and your Buckingham Palaces, you know? The exterior of Stiftsgåden is very pretty but resembles a glorified and spectacularly yellow log cabin, as opposed to a home of kings and queens. I appreciate the simplicity of the place, though if I was a royal I’d want a tad more privacy. Entry is only with a guided tour, for around €10.
Update 2021: entry to Stiftsgården is currently restricted, until 2022.
Logistical Statisticals
- Trondheim has its own international airport, and regular train connections to the rest of the country, including a line to Oslo in the South.
- One fifth of the city’s population is made up entirely of students; so although at face value the atmosphere is rather on the quiet side, it’s also heavily influenced by the students living within those hypothetical walls, with a rather strong music scene.
- During wintertime the surrounding areas are pretty good for skiing, as well as for potentially spotting some Aurora Borealis action. It’s worth heading out of the city to avoid the light pollution and get a better chance of spotting the natural lights instead.
- During Summer, the sun sets for only four and a half hours a day, and in Wintertime, it only rises for four and a half. How weird is that, you guys!? The world is a crazy old place I tell you.
More from Norway:
The Beginners Guide to Geiranger
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