Trondheim: Alex’s Top 7 Tips
My love affair with Norway and its music dates back to my early childhood. I must’ve been about six when I became interested in maps, geography, and the countries of the world. Soon afterward, my aunt traveled to Norway (admittedly without me). Trondheim was one of the places she visited. Amongst the presents she brought back was a jigsaw puzzle of a map of the Nordic countries.
I had to wait for a few years until I finally visited four of these five countries, and the one I liked the most was – you guessed right: Norway. I remember I vouched to return and stay (not for long, but for longer than a few days). In my young mind, I pictured myself coming back on my own and renting a cabin somewhere on the Norwegian mountains halfway between Oslo and Bergen. It was many years later that I realized that my very own Norwegian dream was in fact the Norwegian dream (of the Norwegians that is).
The soundtrack to the Norwegian leg of that trip was Sissel Kyrkjebø (the coach driver was clearly a fan). A few days later, I was the proud owner of a copy of ‘Soria Moria’. A reminder of Norway until I’d come back.
Fast forward a few years later, my interest for Scandinavia rekindled mostly thanks to the Nordic Noir crime novels and TV series. It all started with the Swedish Stieg Larsson and the three girls, the Bridge, and the other Danish exports: the Killing (Forbrydelsen), Borgen, the Bridge (Broen), and all the books about hygge. Then followed Nesbø, Acquitted (Frikjent) and the Eyewitness (Øyevitne).
And then I stumbled across all that (Norwegian) jazz: Rohey, Bugge Wesseltoft, and Beady Belle…
Meanwhile, the more I read about Scandinavia in general and Norway in particular the more I realized that the close affinity I’d felt to this country and its people was far from random. Both the strong welfare system – with the emphasis on the wellbeing of the society rather than that of the individual – and the reserved and self-sufficient Norwegian psyche clearly resonated with my own values and character.
It was about time to come back to Norway. So, I planned a trip to Oslo, Bergen and Ålesund. Disappointed I realized I did not have enough days to visit Trondheim too. I simply had to come back. And the Trondheim Jazz Festival provided just the excuse I needed. Even though I did not rent a cabin, I came by myself.
Trondheim was once called Nidaros and was Norway’s capital; it is now the country’s third-largest city. Here are my top 7 tips for Trondheim:
1. Trondheim Jazz Festival
Jazzfest, as it is also known, takes place every May in various venues around the city, including several churches: the Nidaros Cathedral, Vår Frue Church, and Bakke Kirke.
2. Nidaros Cathedral
The Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen / Nidaros Domkirke) is one of the most photographed buildings in Trondheim; it is also the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and Scandinavia’s largest medieval building. I had the opportunity to attend Emilie Nicolas’s concert inside the cathedral; it was such an awesome experience.
Only a few blocks away, there’s Vår Frue Church, a medieval parish church, where Tamara Obrovac, a Croatian ethno jazz singer, and Karl Seglem, a Norwegian jazz musician, gave two beautiful back-to-back performances.
3. Rockheim
Rockheim is Norway’s national museum for popular music (NOK 140, closed on Mondays). Also known as The National Discovery Centre for Pop and Rock (Det nasjonale opplevelsessenteret for pop og rock), and The National Museum for Popular Music (Det nasjonale museet for populærmusikk), this interactive museum opened in 2010 and is housed in a former grain warehouse in central Trondheim. Take the lift to the 6th floor, where interactive video walls allow you to listen to the country’s most important popular musicians from the 1950s to the present. Then make your way through the rooms, each devoted to a different decade. The permanent exhibition has many interactive components. There’s also a temporary exhibition on the 4th floor, whereas the 5th floor has a café-restaurant offering panoramic views.
4. Ringve Museum
Ringve Museum is located on the outskirts of Trondheim (NOK 130, closed on Mondays). This is the country’s national museum for music and musical instruments. There are two parts: the Barn and the Manor House. The former houses the permanent collection with hundreds of (classical and folk) musical instruments from all over the world, as well as a temporary exhibition. The beautiful Victoria Café is also located there. The Manor House is open by guided tour only (during the museum opening hours). From Trondheim city center, you can either walk there or take the bus number 3 or 4 to Lade (bus stop: Ringve Museum). For fitness purposes, I chose to walk; it took me about 30-35 minutes from Solsiden. The walk is uphill and the surroundings not particularly pleasant.
5. Kunstmuseum
Museums in Norway are usually closed on Mondays, but open during the rest of the week. I had wrongly assumed that this would be the case with Kunstmuseum (NOK 120). When I realized it was closed both on Mondays and Tuesdays, it was too late. The museum is in two locations, with the main one next to the Nidaros Cathedral (Bispegata). The second one is on Trenerys gate next to the Solsiden shopping mall.
6. Trondheim views
The Old Town Bridge (Gamle Bybro or Bybroa) is apparently the most instagrammable spot of Trondheim. It connects the most central part of the city with the Bakklandet. Dominated by small, wooden houses and narrow streets, this beautiful neighborhood lies on the east side of the Nidelva river between the Bakke Bridge and the Old Town Bridge.
From there, the Kristiansten Fort is within walking distance (10-15 minutes). Despite sitting on a height, the views are not particularly impressive and neither is the actual fort.
However, it is located halfway between Bakklandet and the Tyholttårnet (Tyholt Tower), the tallest building not only in Trondheim but also in the country. Thanks to the rotating restaurant (Egon), the views are literally panoramic. You can enjoy them with a meal there or with just a cup of coffee.
7. Food and drinks
Cafés
Trondheim is dotted with cozy cafés. It is no wonder that there is even a café crawl.
Dromedar Kaffebar is known as Trondheim’s first coffee bar. There are now 4 branches in Trondheim, at the following locations: Bakklandet, Bakke Bru, Søndre gate/Olav Trygvassons gate (where I had a Søt chili and a kanelboller) and Nordre gate. There are also branches in Bergen and Ålesund.
Café le Frère (on Søndre gate) may not be as famous (I only discovered it because it was directly opposite to the hotel I stayed), but it is both cozy and conveniently located (in the city center, not far from the train station).
Also in the city center, there’s Café ni Muser, right next to Kunstmuseum. It’s a beautiful venue that also functions as an art gallery. Some evenings, there is even a ticketed music event there. For when the weather’s good, there’s an inviting outdoor terrace too.
Kaffebreneri is a Norwegian chain, well known to me from my previous visits to Oslo and Bergen. There are two branches in Trondheim: one in the city center, with a second one in Bakklandet.
Bakklandet is home to a number of welcoming cafés, including the afore-mentioned Dromedar and Kaffebreneri, but also my favorite of all: Musikkaffe. It has a beautiful outdoor seating area, perfect to enjoy a cup of coffee whilst listening to music and watching the world go by.
Food
As a solo traveler, I didn’t go to any restaurants, but I still managed to have some wonderful food during my visit to Trondheim.
The best fish soup I had was at the fish market (Ravnkloa Fisk & Skalldyr As). It is closed on Sundays and in the evenings.
I also had fish soup at Bakklandet Skydsstation. This is one of the most famous eateries in the city. Located in Bakklandet, it is a welcoming place where you can have anything from a coffee (I had one with aquavit) to alcohol, and/or a proper meal.
If you’re not a fish lover, SuperHero Burger is a casual place to enjoy a burger and it serves food until late. There’s also SuperHero Pizza. Both are located in the city center.
There are also the inviting café-restaurant-bars on the waterfront.
Bars
Afterward, if you fancy a cocktail, head to Macbeth Whisky & Aquavit Bar on Søndre gate. I had an aquavit sour (similar to the better known whiskey sour) not listed on the drinks menu.
There’s also Bar Passiar at Dokkhuset (next to the Solsiden shopping mall); it offers a beautiful view over the waterfront, as well as the classic ‘Fjellbekk’, a cocktail made with vodka, aquavit, lime cordial and sprite.
Prices
To give you an idea about the prices, a coffee usually costs about 40 krone, a regular-sized beer (about a pint) about 80 krone, and a cocktail about 120 krone. A kanelboller at a café costs about 30 to 40 krone.
Getting to Trondheim
Norwegian flies directly from London to Trondheim (Værnes airport).
There are also domestic flights from Trondheim to 16 destinations, including Oslo, Bergen and Ålesund. Flight time to/from all these destinations is less than an hour, and the prices are reasonable.
From the airport, you can either take the bus (NOK 180) or the train (NOK 190) to the city center. The journey takes about half an hour either way. The train runs every hour; the bus runs every 15 minutes.
Accommodation
Trondheim is not short of hotels. I would strongly recommend staying either in the city center or on the waterfront.
When I visited Trondheim, I stayed at the Best Western Chesterfield Hotel in the city center (on Søndre gate). I certainly felt very welcomed when I found the Norwegian waffle ingredients (batter, Norwegian brown cheese, jam and cream) and the toaster waiting upon my arrival to the hotel (and to Trondheim).
How long and when to visit
Late spring and summer is the best time to visit Trondheim (and Scandinavia in general), as the days are really long. I would recommend staying there for at least three days (avoid Monday because the museums are closed).
Further reading
To better prepare for my trip, I used the Lonely Planet Travel Guide
You can combine Trondheim with Oslo, Bergen, or with Ålesund; make sure you read my post ‘Fjords and Jazz: Norway in 9 days’.
To read more about the jazz festivals in Norway, check out my post ‘White Nights & Jazz: 10 Summer Festivals in Norway‘.
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God Tur1,
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)
1 Norwegian for ‘have a nice trip’
