Exploring 5 Historic Sites in Trondheim, Norway
1. Nidaros Cathedral
2. Bakklandet
3. The Archbishop’s Palace
4. Kristiansten Fortress
5. Stiftsgården
Trondheim is today the third most populous municipality in the country and a central hub connecting the sparsely populated Northern Norway with the more dense southern regions. It is simultaneously a modern, vibrant Scandinavian city, a recognised centre of cutting-edge science and technology research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and an important historic site featuring the cultural heritage since the Middle Ages. Amazingly, it still exudes the charm and the character of a bygone time!
Photo: Travel In Culture
Nidaros Cathedral, Bakklandet, Erkebispegården, Stiftsgården and Kristiansten Fortress are all integrated parts of present-day Trondheim with its lively city centre, active student life and vibrant cultural scene. Top-notch restaurants, cosy cafés, fashionable boutiques and interesting sculptures are all part of the cityscape, together with one of the newest inventions in the city, the bicycle lift Trampe.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Trondheim is a harmonic symbiosis between the thriving and dynamic city, full of student life, contemporary culture, and historic surroundings, and has managed to preserve the allure of the olden days.
Here, we describe 5 top cultural and historic sites that are must-sees when visiting Trondheim!
When visiting Trondheim, you will have to enter Nidaros Cathedral as one of your top priorities!
Nidaros Cathedral | Photo: Travel In Culture
The settlements along the river Nidelva go back to the Viking Age. Originally, Trondheim was a Viking assembly and merchant site at the river mouth, known as the Øreting. It is, though, believed that Trondheim was founded in 997 by Olav Tryggvason, who had taken the throne in Norway after the murder of the Danish king. Under his rule, Trondheim became the first Norwegian capital.
In 1015, Olav Haraldsson ascended the throne, and, presumably, as Norway’s king, he played a significant role in the spread of Christianity in the country.
Nidaros Cathedral | Photo: Michelle Maria / Pixabay
What later ended up as the impressive Nidaros Cathedral was, in the beginning, just a simple wooden chapel.
After Olav Haraldsson was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, his body was enshrined in the small chapel. The King was canonised as Saint Olav by Bishop Grimkjell of Nidaros.
Therefore, the Cathedral was erected over King Olav’s burial site.
The Nidaros Cathedral became the seat of the Lutheran Diocese of Nidaros, and after the Reformation, it was taken over by the State Church of Norway. Trondheim remained the capital of Norway until 1217, when Bergen, as a ‘Hanseatic office’, took over until Oslo finally achieved its status as Norway’s capital.
Intricate carvings, Nidaros Cathedral | Photo: Ronile / Pixabay
The present Norman-Gothic edifice is a result of many reconstructions. A noticeable façade is made up of intricate carvings, and the Middle Age statues and other details have been restored by proficient art sculptors during the 1900s.
Still today, Nidaros Cathedral is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world. Moreover, the tomb of St Olav, the Viking king who became the patron saint of Norway, is a pilgrim destination for many Europeans and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Trondheim and Norway!
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Wherever you start in Trondheim, you will sooner or later arrive at the river Nidelva with the characteristic row of wooden houses on both sides as one of Trondheim’s culturally most interesting facets.
Photo: Travel In Culture
Trondheim features a spectacular historic old town of warehouses and merchant’s houses dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. The river is flanked by old, colourfully painted timber buildings on the embankment and the iconic red wooden bridge, Gamle Bybro, from 1685, crossing the river. It is a testimony of the old trading port and the merchant hub that Trondheim once was in Norway.
Today, Bakklandet is a lively part of town and a charming blend of cosy outdoor cafés, restaurants, boutiques and residential houses. You will find a unique cultural identity and environment here in the idyllic heart of old Trondheim.
Bakklandet started developing in the 1600s when Trondheim saw a need for a new part of town. Wooden houses were constructed here as homes for the working class, including fishermen and labourers. Approximately 10,000 people lived here along the river in such wooden accommodations.
Gamle Bybro | Photo: Travel In Culture
During the following centuries, multiple reconstructions of the wooden structures became necessary. Several severe fires ravaged here, and two Swedish sieges significantly challenged Trondheim’s new neighbourhood.
The scenic and authentic old riverside warehouses with the fronts partly resting on wooden pillars in the water are amazingly unique – and fantastic cultural heritage in the old Nordic city!
Photo: Travel In Culture
The 12th-century Archbishop’s Palace, Erkebispegården, is next to Nidaros Cathedral. It is Scandinavia’s oldest secular building and one of the best-preserved buildings of this kind in Europe.
Throughout its existence, the construction has been the residence of some of the most powerful men in Trondheim and Norway, the location for exceptional meetings and celebrations, and a military site after the Reformation.
The Archbishop’s Palace | Photo: Travel In Culture
In 1983, a large fire unfortunately burned down two large storage buildings belonging to the Archbishop’s Palace. The current museum has been built on the same site where these original constructions once stood.
Today, the Archbishop’s Palace houses the Museum of the Archbishop’s Palace and its medieval sculpture collection, the outstanding Crown Jewels, and a Military and Resistance Museum, providing insight into Norway’s wars right since the Viking Age.
You can also visit the historic Kristiansten Fortress, located above the city and visible from most places in Trondheim.
Kristiansten Fortress | Photo: Travel In Culture
Multiple times, Trondheim’s wooden buildings have been devastated by fire. It has happened all 15 times during the last 500 years. After the 1681 fire, a fortress, Kristiansten Fortress, was erected above the city to defend it against potential attacks from the east. Towards the east, Trondheim had for many years lacked the protection that the city naturally enjoyed to the other sides by the river Nidelva and Skansen.
The fortress was named after the Danish-Norwegian King Christian V, and it successfully defended the city of Trondheim during the Swedish attempt to invade the city in 1718 in the Great Northern War, led by Karl XII of Sweden and General Carl Gustaf Armfeldt. Kristiansten Fortress resisted the siege, and thanks to the harsh winter in Trondheim, the Swedish troops could not receive the necessary provisions. Therefore, the forces retreated – and a significant number of soldiers died in the cold.
Kristiansten Fortress also played a role under the German occupation in WWII. It was both here that the Nazis executed Norwegian patriots during the World War and also here that traitors were executed after the War.
A fifth fascinating construction you will have to put on your Trondheim bucket list is Stiftsgården, centrally located in the city centre. It is the official Royal Residence in this part of Norway, where the Royal Family stays when visiting Trondheim – and still the largest wooden palace in Northern Europe.
Stiftsgården | Photo: Travel In Culture
The structure is erected in a baroque classicist style with a touch of rococo and neoclassicism. Stiftsgården was built between 1774 and 1778 as the spacious home of Lady Cecilie Christine Schøller, with over 100 rooms! The proficient architect, unfortunately, remains unknown.
In 1800, the Norwegian state took over the palace, and for many years, it was used as the Royal Residence on appropriate occasions. From 1906, it served entirely as the official Royal Residence in Trondheim.
Stiftsgården has been the setting of several coronations and royal and state visits, recently, for instance, the celebration of King Harald’s and Queen Sonja’s 25th jubilee in 2016.
Going to Oslo? Then you may want to read 9 Cultural Sites to Experience in Oslo
Would you like to get inspiration for 2 days in Bergen? Then read Bergen Itinerary & Travel Guide
Read next: Exploring Norway from a Hurtigruten Cruise Ship and Visit Røros Mining Town
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Exploring 5 Historic Sites in Trondheim, Norway
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Exploring 5 Historic Sites in Trondheim, Norway:
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Trondheim Norway
