10 Best Things to Do in Trondheim, Norway For a Fun Trip

Trondheim is the third-largest city in Norway and lies in Trøndelag county. The city was rebuilt in the 17th century and is under the watch of the second-largest cathedral in northern Europe according to a Baroque plan following a fire. From 1164 to 1906 this was where Norway’s kings were crowned, and the adjacent Archbishop’s Palace holds the country’s crown jewels, or Regalia of Norway. Trondheim has more than 30,000 students, infusing the city with style and nightlife. Let’s explore the best things to do in Trondheim.

• Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim
• Ringve Museum, Trondheim
• Bakklandet, Trondheim
• National Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim
• Trøndelag Folk Museum, Trondheim
• Archbishop’s Palace Museum, Trondheim
• Pirbadet, Trondheim
• Tyholttårnet, Trondheim
• Old Town Bridge, Trondheim
• Torvet (Town Square), Trondheim

1. Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim

Norway’s National Sanctuary is a Romanesque and Gothic church. It is built on the burial place of Olav II of Norway from 1070 to 1300, who lost his life at the Battle of Nilestad in 1030. A year after he died he was canonised as Saint Olav, the patron saint of Norway. From that point on his grave became a venerated pilgrimage site for people from all over Northern Europe. Norway’s kings were traditionally crowned at Nidaros Cathedral, while for sightseers the most famous image is the western facade, full of sculptures of saints and kings flanking a sublime rose window.

2. Ringve Museum, Trondheim

Ringve Museum is an 18th-century manor with views of both Trondheim and its fjord. It was the childhood home of the 18th-century nobleman Peter Tordenskjold, and was acquired by the Bachke family following an auction in 1878. One son, Christian Anker Bachke moved in with his wife, the Russian Victoria Rostin Bachke. The couple never had children but invested their fortune in musical instruments, building a collection that now numbers 1,500 pieces. Informative guided tours are offered in summer. Make sure to take a turn in the 13-hectare botanical gardens around the museum.

Suggested Read: Top Things to Do in Fredrikstad During Your Norway Vacation

3. Bakklandet, Trondheim

Between the Bakke Bridge and Old Town Bridge, Bakklandet is a small neighbourhood of painted wooden warehouses, which blossomed as Trondheim’s first suburb in the mid-17th century. The buildings were both a place of work and living space for merchants and artisans. On the river, some of the wharfside buildings stand on wooden piles.

4. National Museum of Decorative Arts, Trondheim

Just a block from the Nidaros Cathedral, the National Museum of Decorative Arts has amassed a wealth of arts and crafts since it was founded in 1893. You can marvel at Trøndelag silverware from the 16th and 17th centuries. Norwegian glassware from the 1700s and whole Art Nouveau interiors were designed at the start of the 20th-century by the Belgian virtuoso Henry van de Velde. These are just the basis for a fabulous Art Nouveau collection, while there are also works from the post-war “Scandinavian design” movement, jewellery and 20 carpets by the textile artist Hannah Ryggen.

Also read: Places in Norway to fall in love with

5. Trøndelag Folk Museum, Trondheim

Eighty historic buildings from across Trøndelag have been moved to this outdoor museum. The Trøndelag Folk Museum is one of the biggest attractions of its kind in Norway and is all the more atmospheric for the ruins of Sverresborg castle dominating the site. Dating to Norway’s 12th-century Civil War era, the castle was the stronghold for Sverre of Norway who fought against Magnus V of Norway for the right to the throne. The ruins, historic town buildings (shops and local amenities) and rural monuments (mills and farmhouses) have a small cast of characters in traditional dress. There’s also an indoor museum about folk culture in Trøndelag where you can peruse old crafts, furniture, costumes, home interiors, modes of transport and children’s toys.

6. Archbishop’s Palace Museum, Trondheim

Just south of the cathedral is the striking episcopal palace, around a big courtyard and with a tough Gothic gatehouse that has ogival portals. The Archbishop’s Palace Museum is partly in construction and grants a look inside the 1,000-year history of the cathedral and its diocese. There are exciting architectural fragments like window tracery, liturgical sculpture and the solemn soapstone interiors of the palace itself. In the Middle Ages, the bishops minted their own coins and you can see the mint just as it was discovered in an archaeological dig. Also on show in a small room at the palace is the Royal Regalia, including the 200-year-old Crown of Norway, festooned with gemstones and crested with an amethyst cross.

7. Pirbadet, Trondheim

Pirbadet is the largest indoor waterpark in Norway. Nearly all of Pirabadet’s attractions are cleverly designed so that grown-ups can bathe in peace while kids can burn off some energy on slides and in the wave pool. Serious swimmers can get their exercise here, while for relaxation there’s a “wellbeing pool”, a jacuzzi, saunas and a solarium.

Also read: Top Things to do in Kristiansand during your Norway Tour

8. Tyholttårnet, Trondheim

The Tyholttårnet is 124 metres tall, making it the tallest building in all of Norway. At 74 metres there’s a revolving restaurant that makes one turn per hour, so you should get to see the whole of Trondheim and the satisfying perspective of the fjord in one sitting. If you just want the view there’s an observation deck on the level below the restaurant.

9. Old Town Bridge, Trondheim

As vantage points go, you can’t do much better than the pedestrian and cycle bridge crossing the Nidelva River at Bakklandet. Since 1681 when the Kristiansten Fort was being raised, there has been a crossing at this place. It was replaced in 1861 with the current emblematic structure, all the prettier for the Lykken’s Portal, a wooden gate on the west side. Another historic place is the exercise house on the west side, today housing a kindergarten.

10. Torvet (Town Square), Trondheim

Still a place for commerce and public events, Trondheim’s main square has been at its current site since the new city layout was drawn up by Johan Caspar de Cicignon in 1681. Immediately your gaze will land on the column in the centre, which has a statue of Olav Tryggvason, the first King of Norway, who founded Trondheim in the 10th century. This monument is standing tall from 1921 and if you step back you’ll see that the column is part of an enormous sundial laid with cobblestones. The southern end is packed with market stalls, selling Trondheim souvenirs. Flowers and jewellery are sold on the southwest corner while groceries and speciality foods are found on the southeast side.

Trondheim, Norway’s capital of technology, is a tech junkie’s paradise and a history nerd’s dream. Find your own space at this place. Finding this guide useful? Check some of the best Norway tour packages and book your trip now with Pickyourtrail. Download the best travel app from Play store and IOS for further details.