Trondheim

Facts last verified 2026-10-06

Trondheim is Norway’s third-largest municipality, with 218,460 residents at the start of 2026. It sits where the Nidelva river meets the Trondheimsfjord, and its compact centre, Midtbyen, is laid out on a grid of wide streets drawn up after a great fire in 1681. By tradition the city was founded by Olav Tryggvason in 997, and it grew around the grave of Saint Olav, which made it a pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages, as it is again today.

Today it is also a student city: the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has its main campus here, and the city has around 40,000 students. For a traveller, that adds up to a medieval cathedral, colourful wooden wharves along the river, a strong food scene and easy access to forest trails and the fjord, all within a city small enough to see largely on foot.

Getting there

By air. Trondheim Airport, Værnes, has domestic and international flights. Two ways into town:

• Værnesekspressen airport bus: about 30 minutes to the centre, with up to four departures an hour. It runs for all arrivals and stops near the central hotels. Tickets bought online or in the app the day before are cheaper than tickets bought on the day of travel.
• Train: SJ’s local and regional trains stop at Trondheim Airport station, about 35 minutes from Trondheim Central Station.

By train. Trondheim Central Station (Trondheim S) is in the city centre, next to the harbour. SJ operates the main lines from here: the Dovre Line to Oslo over the Dovrefjell plateau, the Nordland Line north to Bodø, the Røros Line, local Trøndelag trains and the Meråker Line towards Sweden. Visit Norway gives the day train to Oslo as about six and a half hours. SJ runs night trains with sleeping compartments on the Oslo and Bodø routes; these sell out, so book early. The station has 80 left-luggage lockers in three sizes. Check current timetables with SJ or Entur.

By boat and bus. The Hurtigruten coastal ship calls at Trondheim daily on both its northbound and southbound voyages. Long-distance buses run from Oslo and other cities; from Oslo the journey takes around eight hours.

For travelling on to other cities, see Getting around Norway and our guide to Oslo.

Getting around

The centre is easy to walk. Beyond it, AtB runs the city’s buses and the Gråkallbanen tram, which climbs from St. Olavs gate in the centre to the forest at Lian.

• Buy before you board. Visit Trondheim notes that you can’t pay on board buses. Use the AtB app (card or Vipps), SMS tickets, ticket machines at some stops, or shops such as Narvesen, 7-Eleven and Coop.
• Validity: a single ticket is valid for 90 minutes in one zone, plus an hour for each extra zone. 24-hour and 7-day tickets are also sold in the app. Single and period tickets for zone A are also valid on local trains between Lundamo and Skatval.
• City bikes: Trondheim City Bike runs from 06:00 to midnight in season, roughly April to early December, until there is ice on the roads. Rent through its app.
• Trampe, at the Bakklandet end of the Old Town Bridge, is a bicycle lift that pushes cyclists up the steep hill towards Kristiansten Fortress.

When to go

Trondheim lies at about 63° north, so the light changes dramatically over the year. On the June solstice the sun is up for about 20.5 hours (sunrise around 03:00, sunset around 23:40) and it never gets fully dark. On the December solstice there are only about four and a half hours of daylight, from about 10:00 to 14:30.

• Summer (June to August) brings long evenings, kayaking on the Nidelva, swimming at Munkholmen and festivals. Olavsfest is held around St. Olav’s Day on 29 July (28 July to 3 August in 2026), and in 2026 the Trøndelag Food Festival ran from 6 to 8 August.
• Winter suits cross-country skiing on the lit trails of Bymarka, downhill skiing at Vassfjellet and the Christmas market.

Check the forecast at yr.no before you go.

Things to see and do

• Nidaros Cathedral was built over the grave of St. Olav and is the world’s northernmost medieval cathedral. It is still the end point of the St. Olav pilgrim routes. In season you can pay extra to climb the tower. Opening hours change with the season and with services, so check nidarosdomen.no before you go.
• The Archbishop’s Palace, next to the cathedral, houses Norway’s crown regalia.
• Gamle Bybro (Old Town Bridge), a wooden bridge first built in the 1680s and rebuilt in 1861, with red gates nicknamed “the Portal of Happiness”.
• Bakklandet, across the bridge: cobbled streets, wooden houses, cafés and small shops.
• Kristiansten Fortress, on the hill above Bakklandet, has some of the best views over the city.
• Munkholmen, a small island about 2 km out in the fjord, has been an execution site, a Benedictine monastery, a fortress and a prison. Boats leave from Ravnkloa in the centre in summer only (23 May to 15 September in 2026, Thursday to Sunday only from 1 September), and the crossing takes 10 to 15 minutes.
• Rockheim, Norway’s national museum of popular music, is on the waterfront at Brattørkaia. When we checked in October 2026 it was closed on Mondays and an adult ticket cost NOK 180; children under 16 go free. Confirm on its site.
• Food. Trøndelag was European Region of Gastronomy in 2022, the first Norwegian region to hold the title, and the city has Michelin-starred restaurants.

Where to stay

• Midtbyen, the centre between the river and the fjord, puts you within walking distance of the cathedral, the Old Town Bridge, shops and most restaurants. The airport bus stops near the central hotels.
• Bakklandet, across the river, is quieter and more atmospheric, with cafés and bars, but the streets climb steeply.
• Brattøra, the modern waterfront by the station, is practical if you arrive late by train or leave on an early one, and is close to Rockheim.

Day trips

• Bymarka: take the Gråkallbanen tram to Lian for forest walks in summer and ski trails in winter, with lit trails from October to Easter and serving cabins along the way (check their hours).
• Røros: the copper-mining town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, has about 2,000 wooden houses. It is on the Røros Line from Trondheim.
• Vassfjellet Winter Park, about 40 minutes south of the city, has 12 slopes and a ski bus from the centre in season.

Good to know

• Plan tickets ahead. Bus and tram tickets must be bought before you board; the AtB app takes cards and Vipps.
• Festival weeks. If you plan to visit during Olavsfest in late July, book accommodation early.