Looking for the top things to do in Trondheim? This travel guide is just for you!
The third-largest city in Norway, Trondheim, is also one of the oldest cities in the country. Founded in AD 997 by the Vikings as a trading post, it was the capital of Norway until 1217. New kings are still crowned in this city. Trondheim is the main town in Sør-Trøndelag County, built on a peninsula and connected to the mainland on its west side in central Norway.
Even though Trondheim is a bite-sized town according to European standards, it is still the third-largest city in Norway. It is located in Trøndelag, where the Nidelva River meets the Trondheimsfjord. After a tragic fire incident in the 17th century, the city was rebuilt in Baroque style and is facing Northern Europe’s second-largest cathedral.
The kings were crowned here from 1164 to 1906, and the Archbishop’s Palace holds the country’s crown jewels, aka Regalia of Norway. The city of Trondheim is infused with nightlife and style, and it has over 30000 students. The elegant Bakklandet quarter is one of the best places for Trondheim sightseeing. It is well known for old-world wooden warehouses.
You can also navigate through authentic museums for antique musical instruments and decorative arts, which are some of the top things to do in Trondheim. Therefore, without further wait, here are some of the best things to see in Trondheim.
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Where to stay in Trondheim
Booking.comActivities to do in Trondheim
Best Things to do in Trondheim
Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral is well regarded as the most beautiful church in Scandinavia, built over the tomb of the patron saint of Norway, St. Olav, by King Olav Kyrre (1066-93). It is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and one of the best tourist attractions in the city. It has been the place where kings have been buried and christened.
It has been the need of the Norwegian constitution since 1814 that the king must be crowned in Trondheim Cathedral. In the late Romanesque style, the chapterhouse and transept were influenced by England’s Norman architecture.
The long choir was added with its south doorway in the 13th century, with a huge tower and nave. The existing church was completely restored by the early 1900s, followed by massive fire damage that happened several times.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Arctic Sightseeing Tour & Citizen Science Project in Tromsø
Kristiansten Fortress
Standing east of the city on a hill, the Kristiansten Fortress was built from 1681 to 1691 to prevent attacks against the city. You may need to climb, but entry to the small MuseumMuseum, the tower is free, and it rewards you with the pristine views of the city below.
The cells where Nazis kept Norwegian Resistance members during their occupation in World War II, as well as the memorial to the prisoners who were executed here, are the gloomy reminders of the 20th-century history of the fortress.
If you’re interested to know more about Norway, here’s our post about all the interesting facts about this beautiful country!
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Camp Tamok Snowshoeing & Guided Ice Domes Visit from Tromsø
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Are you planning your travels? Here’re my top travel resources!
I’m a serial planner both in life and in travel – I have bucket lists, things to do, see, and everything. So, I always love when my life is sorted easily using tools and resources that would make my general planning a little smoother and easier. Therefore, in my many years of traveling the world, I’ve seen myself returning to these travel resources repeatedly. And here I am, sharing my tips to make your life easy and breezy so you can stress less, travel heaps, and focus on the fun part of travel!
- Booking.com – I book all my hotels through this website and don’t honestly use anything else. They always have the best prices, in my opinion.
- Airbnb – If I’m traveling long-term to one destination, I book my flats through Airbnb.
- Skyscanner – The best place to find cheap flights on flexible dates. I use this a lot to score cheap flights within Europe!
- SafetyWing – Always travel insured! Never leave your home country without one. It is worth the extra money, I promise you!
- GetYourGuide – Hands-down, the best place to find cool and unique tours if you don’t feel like winging it, and go straight to a local expert. I use this a lot in new destinations to get acquainted with the area!
- My Pretty Wild World Travel Diary (coming soon) – A book you can write down your travel plans, create itineraries, track down your budget, and dot down memories along the way! A handy book you can keep and read later to revisit memory lane.
- Pretty Wild World Travel Planning Printables (coming soon) – Are you a nut like me when it comes to planning? Yes? Good. My travel planning resource in one zip file is an easy-to-use printable planner that comes with tips that helps you plan your travels during the planning stage, a pre-flight checklist, an itinerary planner, and so on.
Gamle Bybro (Old Town Bridge) and Bakklandet
When you cross the red arches of Old Town Bridge (Gamle Bybro) over the Nidelva River, you can reach the tranquil lanes and vivid old houses of the neighborhood of Bakklandet. It seems to be a small village as a tourist attraction in Trondheim; it is known for its old-world wooden buildings facing the river.
They have now become galleries, small shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. Stroll along the river to capture the stunning views of buildings along the opposite bank. It is the most vivid and historic neighborhood of Trondheim.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Camp Tamok Reindeer Sledding & Ice Domes Visit from Tromsø
Rockheim
If you love rock and pop music, this MuseumMuseum will take you down memory lane, and you can even hear some of the legends from Norway. It is one of the best Trondheim landmarks. It shows some beautiful collections in innovative exhibits, recordings, and videos.
The Time The tunnel is a permanent exhibit here, which brings Norway’s modern cultural and musical history from the 1950s to the present day with performance videos and sounds. Temporary exhibits showcase the specific aspects of culture and music.
In this MuseumMuseum, you can get involved actively with well-known tracks, dancing, making your remixes, and nurturing a graffiti artist within you. You can enjoy amazing views from the restaurant across the city.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Small-group Snowshoeing Tour from Tromsø
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Hold up! Have you thought about the importance of travel insurance?
Remember this: anything can happen. Travel is fun, but your health is more important; thus, I always, always, always recommend getting insured during the duration of your trip. I have benefitted from having one multiple times, and it has been covered for thousands of euros!
The latest one is not necessarily “health” related – it was during the peak of the unspeakable terrible C that consumed the world. I was living in Vietnam when I received an email from SafetyWing (my travel insurance) that if I want they’ll fly be back home to Finland as the world goes through a global emergency alert. I flew back fully covered, and dealing with SafetyWing was a breeze despite the roar of people in contact with them trying to get back home.
I can’t highly recommend them enough. Otherwise, I rarely get sick; hence I don’t always need to head to a hospital, but knowing that I have travel insurance makes me feel safe at the very least.
Read my post about why you should get travel insurance for more information. Otherwise, you can get a free quote from SafetyWing – they’re the best, in my opinion.
Archbishop’s Palace and Museum
Archbishop’s Palace is medieval and one of the oldest buildings in Scandinavia. It is also one of the most well-preserved palaces of its kind in Europe. The west wing of the Palace has been dated back to the late 12th century.
It houses many amazing displays, including a vast collection of dazzling crown jewels in Norway, the Norwegian Crown Regalia, and the Army and Resistance Museums, focusing on the military history of Trondheim from the Vikings’ era to WWII. The Archbishop’s Palace Museum on the south wing consists of archaeological findings and original sculptures from Nidaros Cathedral nearby.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Dog Sledding and Guided Ice Domes Visit in Tromsø
Ringve Museum
For a bigger and longer picture of European and Norwegian music, do not miss visiting the Ringve Museum, the National Museum of musical instruments and music in Norway. It houses the Museum in the Barn, with lighting technology and modern sound displays, and the Museum in the Manor House, which exhibits the instruments from European music tradition.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Camp Tamok Snowmobiling & Guided Ice Domes Visit in Tromsø
Stiftsgarden
Built by the rich Christine Scholler as a private home in 1778, Stiftsgarden is used by the royal family in Norway as their residence while visiting Trondheim. It is one of the largest European wooden structures, with 140 rooms. This yellow mansion has had royals as well as their guards since the 1800s. Its opulent rooms are open for the public on a guided tour.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Ice Domes Guided Tour and Reindeer Visit in Tromsø
What are my favorite travel must-haves?
As a frequent traveler, I’ve learned a lot throughout my years of travel, and there are five items that I always carry with me regardless of where I go and how long the trip is. Here are my five travel must-haves!
- Warm packable jacket – I always carry a light jacket, even when heading to warm countries. There hasn’t been a time I never used it, especially in airports and planes.
- Transparent toiletry bag – I often bring a carry-on if I’m only traveling within Europe for a few days. Life is so much easier to go through security checks with a transparent toiletry bag.
- Kindle Paperwhite – I love a good read and always take my Kindle everywhere. It keeps me entertained during long flights and waiting times.
- Powerbank – I don’t know how I could travel without one! Having a power bank saved me a ton since I carry a lot of electronic devices with me.
- Travel Adapter – I never leave my luggage without a travel adapter! I carry one with me all the time. It is just one of that travel-must haves that doesn’t hurt to have in your bag at all times.
Sverresborg Trondelag Folk Museum
Some parts of the ruins of King Sverre’s Castle date back to the 12th century. This open-air museum displays Norwegian culture and history and includes around 80 buildings representing city and village life, along with the culture of Sami residents.
In the Museum, the town center is made of wooden houses, which were once in Trondheim downtown, and it consists of the post office, grocery store, and workshops. A group shares the story of the maritime history of Trondheim with boat sheds, storehouses, and fishing gear. You can explore the rural life in a farming village, including Sami exhibits and a medieval stave church.
Where to stay in Trondheim? Find great deals and book your hotel here!
Book this unique experience: Northern Lights Visit at Camp Tamok from Tromsø
Planning to visit Norway? Check these posts out!
- Norway Points of Interests: Places to visit, Hiking spots, Beaches to chill, Camping spots, Small towns to visit, UNESCO sites, National parks to check out, Museums to visit, and Castles to check out
- When is the best time to visit Norway? Check out this detailed post!
- Oslo Points of Interests: Things to do in Oslo, Museums to check out, Cafes to check out, and Restaurants to try
- Norway Culture Overview: Tipping culture, Interesting facts, Norwegian drinks to try, Norwegian food to try, and Supermarkets to do groceries
- Places to visit in Norway: Alta, Røros, Fredrikstad, Bodø, Westerdn Fjords, Bergen, Lofoten Islands, Stavanger, Svalbard, Trondheim, Helgeland, Åleslud, and Tromsø
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