Norway’s Viking Age capital city, Trondheim is a popular college city that blends its medieval history and it’s youthful culture seamlessly.
After being out in the fjords for a few days, Trondheim seemed super busy with tons of people out and about in the city.
One of the favored places to hang out in Trondheim is the Blakklandet neighborhood, which is a section of colorful houses along cobbled streets, and peppered with cafes and bars. There’s always something going on here! Make sure to cross the river using the Gamle bybro (or Old Town Bridge), a pretty red historic bridge. It’s also known as the Lykkens portal, or portal to happiness.
Keep an eye out for the Trampe Cyclocable Bicycle Lift- a motor operated step that helps bicyclists haul their bike up an absolutely massive hill. While it’s interesting to watch someone use it successfully, it is far more fun to watch someone fail and fall off it.
Just up that massive hill is Kristiansten Fortress, one of Trondheim’s main attractions. The interior of the fort is occupied by its dungeon and museum, and visitors are invited to join guided tours or walk the trail along the fortress.
The exterior of the fortress is surrounded by a large grassy area that’s open to the public. It’s also a popular spot for locals to enjoy a bit of sunshine during nice weather.
Another way to enjoy the nice weather in Trondheim, if you are lucky enough to experience it, is to walk along the Nidelva River. The river winds through much of Trondheim and makes for a really peaceful way to explore the city. I was visiting on a sunny day in August, so there were a bunch of people enjoying the weather by the water. There were even a few people swimming!
This is also where you’ll find Nidelva Utsiktspunkt, a popular scenic viewpoint that overlooks the river and a row of colorful houses.
The most popular attraction in Trondheim is easily Nidaros Cathedral, which was built over the burial site of King Olav II, the patron saint of Norway. This is also where Norwegian monarchs are traditionally crowned- yes Norway still has a monarchy!
Make sure to try out some of Trondheim’s many local shops, bakeries and bars while you’re visiting! It’s a college town, after all, so you always know there will be a ton of options!
My list may be a little out of date at this point, but I can still wholeheartedly recommend Mormors Stue, a cafe that seems to be located in someone’s house. It does translate to “Grandmother’s Living Room”, after all!
This homey bakery offered an all you can eat “cake buffet” for something like 10USD. Go for the apple cake- I’m still thinking about it.
Solsiden was the place to be for good nightlife during my visit, though in August the sun did not set until 10:30pm, and the party hours only lasted until 2am- so plan accordingly!
All in all, Trondheim surprised me- it had a really limited number of tourist attractions available online, so I wasn’t expecting there to be all that much to do or see. I should have realized that a college town is always going to have a ton of little gems to discover- especially one with such a storied history.
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