A plan for Trondheim

Trondheim is the oldest of Norway's major cities, and its rich cultural heritage can still be traced in and around the city centre. It's a scenic city on the southern shore of the Trondheimsfjord, which is the third longest in Norway. Even if the size is modest, there is a lot going on in Trondheim. Music, arts, culture, alternative politics, nightlife and student life — all combine to make Trondheim one of the most exciting city centres of Northern Europe.

The city centre is roughly the area inside the meandering Nidelva. The marvellous Nidaros Cathedral, the second-largest church of Northern Europe and the only Gothic cathedral in Norway, towers over the city centre. Legend has it that it was built over the grave of St Olav, Norway's patron saint. Regarded as a national treasure, it has been the site of the coronations of Norway's kings. In 1958, Olav V chose to receive benediction there as did the current king, Harald V, in 1991. The cathedral has been under restoration since 1860 and as the only state church in Norway, obtains grants directly from the parliament through the state budget.

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is the main technical university of Norway and contributes greatly to the city's social profile and economy. Out of Trondheim's 210,000 inhabitants (2020), 42,000 are students at NTNU (2019).

Melhus village near the mouth of Gaula river valley is part of the wider Trondheim area.

Architecture

Stay close to the 1 Nidelva The river is a good place to take a break and relax 2 Marinen just behind the cathedral. Behind the cathedral, there is a park with a children's playground. There are a lot of wooden mansions in and around the city centre. 3 Stiftsgaarden, the King's local residence, is the biggest together with the Singsaker summer hotel, but the small, wooden houses in parts of the city like 4 Bakklandet, 5 Hospitalsløkkan, 6 Ila and 7 Ilsvikøra are even more picturesque. Wooden harbour buildings can be seen along Kjøpmannsgata, Fjordgata and Sandgata. The best view is from the 8 Old Town Bridge across Nidelva river, leading from close to the cathedral to Bakklandet.

9 Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen), ☏ +47 73-89-08-00. Jun–Aug: Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00, Sat 09:00–13:00, Sun 13:00–17:00; Sep–May: Mon–Fri 09:00–14:00, Sat 09:00–13:00, Sun 13:00–16:00. This is the biggest church in Northern Europe, the only major Gothic cathedral in Norway and the pride of the city. Towering over the city centre at its southern edge, the majestic cathedral is the defining feature of Trondheim. Nidarosdomen is also Norway's national cathedral. It was erected over what was believed to be St. Olav's grave and it became a major pilgrimage site in Northern Europe. Next door is the Archbishop's Palace, which was partly burnt down in the 1980s and has been heavily restored. Cathedral: 140 kr, Archbishop's Palace museum: 120 kr, Crown Regalia: 120 kr, Combined ticket (cathedral, palace, crown): 260 kr, Tower: 70 kr.

10 Vår Frue Church. The "Church of Our Lady" also dates from the Middle Ages but was partially rebuilt after the 1708 fire.

Check out Trondheim's bustling nightlife. During term time, the students make the nightlife rocking all week, and skyrocketing in weekends. Check the "Drink" section for more.

Watch football at 1 Rosenborg BK. They play soccer in Eliteserien, Norway's top tier; they usually do well and qualify for European tournaments. Their home ground Lerkendal stadium (capacity 21,400) is 2 km south of town centre. The playing season is Apr–Nov. (updated Apr 2021)

Swimming

Have a swim in the modern 2 Pirbadet swimming pool, a magnificent water palace just by the sea, but definitely warmer! (Bus 46 or 52 to Pirterminalen, end station)

Have an even cooler swim in the 3 Sjøbadet, a tiny little, but very cosy beach that consists of not much more than a wooden diving tower. It gains its uniqueness through its location, right to the left behind the central train station, in the area of harbour and industries. Don't worry, it's the cleanest water in the world!

If the weather is nice and the fjord is warm, the best swimming spots are found east of the city. The 4 Lade area contains a footpath along the fjord, which passes many of the best swimming spots. (Bus 3 to Strandveikaia, then walk along the industrially-looking road to the left... and you'll find beauty soon!) Also, the 5 Rotvoll/Ranheim area further out is brilliant for sunbathing and swimming. (Bus 6 to Rotvoll or longer, or local train to Rotvoll station)

A newly opened venue, 6 Havet, also offers bathing in the fjord. There is also a bar, restaurant, concert stage, and saunas on site.

Hiking

Hiking and backpacking are popular activities in the areas around Trondheim. The Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) is a good resource for planning hiking trips. The local branch of DNT is 1 Trondhjems Turistforening where you can ask for trip planning advice, reserve overnight cabins, and purchase camping equipment.

If you hike outside of the city, do not rely on Google or Apple maps. They have incomplete information on hiking paths. Instead, consider DNT's UT.no, OpenStreetMap, or paper maps from DNT.

Trondheim has food spots to suit every taste, though remember that eating out is generally very expensive, just like elsewhere in Norway.

Budget

1 Studentersamfundet, Elgeseter gate 1. The red, roundhouse that previously housed the Trondheim Interrail centre during summer and the student society otherwise. The café Edgar serves decent food at a low cost. To get to Edgar, go in through the glass doors and up one floor. Lyche (entrance to the south) serves good food (the burgers are the most popular dish, but they also serve soups, fancier dinner options, and dessert) for just a few kroner more than a fast food chain. Just by the main entrance, Sesam makes kebabs and burgers. All southbound buses stop at Studentersamfundet. Everything is accessible by wheelchair.

Student canteens, ☏ +47 73 59 32 50. The size of the university means there are 9 student canteens around town on the campuses, serving cheap food at good prices, paid by weight. Day card (breakfast, lunch, dinner): kr 60 (students only).

SiT Kafe Kalvskinnet, Gunnerusgate 1.

SiT Kafe Øya (near St. Olav's Hospital).

SiT Kafe Kjelhuset.

SiT Kafe Hangaren.

SiT Kafe Dragvoll.

Hot dogs: There are several hotdog stands and carts across the city. Several kiosks offer pølser (sausages) in a bun or lomper (a soft flour or potato-based flatbread) with or without condiments.

Kebab shops. There are many kebab places in town. They are quite similar with regard to quality and price. The most authentic is Istanbul Döner Chef in Olav Tryggvasons gate 5.

2 Tavern, Sverresborg Alle 11 (next to the Trøndelag open air folk museum at Sverresborg; take bus 11 to Trøndelag Folkemuseum). This 19th- and early 20th-century themed restaurant with decor from the 18th century serves a variety of central Norwegian food. (updated Jan 2023)

3 Lager 11, Sluppenvegen 11, ☏ +47 477 68 200. Thu-Sun. Street food hall and event center. Casual and inexpensive food is available from 8 different food stalls. Choices range from Greek, Mexican, and Vietnamese food. (updated Sep 2023)

Mid-range

4 Ramp, Strandveien 25a (in the squat area of Reina (Svartlamon)). This laid-back, organic restaurant is a good place to relax and play board games. It offers good food at good prices. Any eastbound bus will take you to Strandveien stop.

Trondheim has a rocking nightlife. However, everything closes fairly early, meaning that there's a well-developed culture for after-parties in homes. To find one, the northern end of Nordre gate is the best bet, or befriend someone working at the Studentersamfundet, that can take you into the private quarters of the house. They are only allowed one guest each.

Learn the customs if you want a good time: essential words are "Vorspiel", referring to the pre-parties people have before they go out, and "Nachspiel", the after-parties. Vorspiels are necessitated by the very high prices in bars and clubs: the idea is generally to drink as much as you can before going out, spend as little as possible while in the venue, and drink more afterwards.

The stringent regulations governing the sale of alcohol in Norway mean that you can only get drinks of strength 4,7% or less from regular shops. So, only beer. Also, they stop selling beer at 20:00 sharp on weekdays, 18:00 sharp on Saturdays and they don't sell it at all on Sundays. There is lots of alcohol-free beer too, and many people drink it if they are driving — if you see beer that seems cheaper than the rest, check the strength.

If you want wine or spirits, you'll need to find a Vinmonopolet, the state-run liquor stores. There are only a few in Trondheim, and they close early, 17:00 or 18:00 during the week and 15:00 on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays. The most central one can be found in Søndre gate, as well as in Trondheim Torg mall, Byhaven mall, Solsiden mall, Valentinlyst mall, City Lade mall and City Syd mall.

The cafe scene in Trondheim is the best developed in Norway, with tons of fine coffee-and-cake spots around. Most double as pubs during the night.

If you want to find locations in Trondheim, try the Yellow Pages website. The maps have more detail than popular map websites, and are very useful if you've heard the name of a place, but don't know where it is.

By bus

Trondheim has a well-developed bus network, covering nearly all of the city. Buses are operated by the company AtB. There are frequent departures during the day, and less frequent during evenings. Within the zone Stor-Trondheim it costs kr 46 for single tickets, kr 23 for under 20-year-olds, kr 138 for a day pass (kr 69 for under 20 year olds), and kr 322 for a 7-day pass (kr 130 for under 20-year-olds), as of Feb 2024. Night bus service (running between 00:30 and 04:00 on weekends) is available at an extra cost. You can buy tickets in the AtB app (the one with a gray logo, the others are being deprecated), from the driver (see note below), at some convenience stores (Narvesen, 7-Eleven and Deli de Luca), by sending an SMS to 2027 with the message "VOKSEN", and ticket machines (accepting cash and card). Be aware that the ticket machines are not well maintained and may be unreliable. Tickets purchased prior to boarding the bus are cheaper than buying with cash from the driver. You can find online timetables and a map of the system.

Generally considered to be the sort of city where little old ladies can walk safely in dark alleys. It is also not terribly uncommon that regular people will go to great strides to give you back your wallet if you drop it, with cash and credit cards intact.

The only "danger" you might encounter is the occasional youths stumbling around in large groups on Fridays/Saturdays. The same goes for Trondheim as anywhere else; leave drunk people alone and it's a good chance they'll leave you alone as well.

There are some beggars and rough people. Norway has an extensive social welfare system, and everyone is guaranteed a place to live and a minimum handout from the government (for a single person approx. kr 5000 a month). Beggars are therefore usually people whose economic difficulties are related to excessive use of drugs or alcohol. In the summer, you might also encounter foreigners who have travelled to Norway for the purpose of begging for money. Begging is not illegal in Norway.