Colorful wooden buildings line the Nidelva river
The amazing gothic cathedral
Detail of the cathedral facade
From Tromsø we caught another flight back down to Trondheim in Central Norway. We’d spent a couple hours in Trondheim earlier in our boat journey north, and we we were really looking forward to spending more time there. And after a couple weeks of cold, rainy weather, Trondheim welcomed us with warmth and sun.
I might be biased by the weather we had, but this was definitely my favorite stop in Norway. The country’s third largest city (after Oslo and Bergen), Trondheim is the spiritual heart of Norway.
King Olaf was martyred in battle near here in 1030 and later canonized. His grave became a pilgrimage site, and then home to the spectacular gothic Nidaros Cathedral. Trondheim served as the capital of Norway until 1217. And kings have come here since for their coronations and benedictions.
We really loved the city’s colorful buildings, elegant parks, and vibrant cafe scene. What a wonderful place to hang out for a couple days. Or was it maybe just the sunshine?
I loved to sit in the square in front of the cathedral and read and people watch
My other favorite reading spot was Stiftsgårdsparken, a lovely park just a block from our hotel. Here we are looking at the back of Stiftsgården, Scandivania’s largest wooden palace, and home to King Herald when he is in Trondheim.
Jim took this picture in Stiftsgårdenparken before he realized I was actually sitting here in the park. If you zoom in really close I happen to be in the very center of this photo.
Another view along the Nidelva
Jim walked along the river out of town
More from Jim’s walk out of town
Taking in the glorious river scene