Norway – Trøndelag (Trondheim) July 25, 2019
It was a huge drive day to get to Trondheim at the end of the day. See the Norway – Nord-Norge (Tromso, Narvik, Kirkenes) post for details of the drive.
Falstad Centre, Ekne. In the “Dark Side” serie, this was the largest Nazi prison camp in occupied Norway from 1941-45. It is 73kms north of Trondheim.
The building was built in 1921 for delinquent boys. On April 9, 1940. Germany invaded Norway. 44,000 Norwegians and over 100,000 Eastern Europeans were imprisoned in Norway in 500 prison camps.
A total of 4,200 people were imprisoned here, the majority political prisoners, prisoners of war, and forced labourers from the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. More the 200 were executed in Falstad Forest, the camp’s execution site. Jews were deported from Falstad to Germany and Poland and prisoners from Central and Eastern Europe came here. More than 15 nationalities were represented.
Today there are few remnants of the SS Strafgefangenenlager Falstad. The barbed wire fences, the barracks, watchtowers and most of the main buildings and work buildings were dismantled and removed from the site around 1950.
The museum has an exhibit on WW II refugees with several personal stories. Downstairs is the development of Nazi ideology and the holocaust, the establishment of the prison camp, the Dark cell, the Nuremburg trials and personal stories. NOK 100, 80 reduced (I arrived late and saw the exhibits free).
Steinvikholm Castle, Steinvikholmen. About 43kms north of Trondheim, the fortress was built between 1525-32 (5m thick walls) by Olav Engelkbrektron, Norway’s last archbishop to defend the archbishop and the Church of Norway from the King of Denmark. He was also the leader of the Norwegian State Council so the castle was also the secular centre of Norway for a brief time. On April 1, 1537, he was defeated by the King of Denmark and surrendered the castle and Norway became a Danish province.
It was then the residence of the feudal overlord for north Norway for 40 years. It took part in the war against Sweden in 1563, was abandoned in 1575 and became a quarry.
The castle is on an island reached by a wood boardwalk. You can walk on the beach at low tide. The walls and one tower have been restored but the inside is basically an empty shell.
TRONDHEIM (pop 194,000)
Historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem, it is the third most populous municipality in Norway. Trondheim lies on the south shore of Trondheim Fjord at the mouth of the River Nidelva. The city is dominated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology(NTNU), the Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF), St. Olavs University Hospital and other technology-oriented institutions.
The settlement was founded in 997 as a trading post, and it served as the capital of Norway during the Viking Age until 1217. From 1152 to 1537, the city was the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nidaros; since then, it has remained the seat of the Lutheran Diocese of Nidaros and the Nidaros Cathedral. It was incorporated in 1838.
History. Trondheim was named Kaupangen (English: market place or trading place) by Viking King Olav Tryggvason in 997 CE. Shortly thereafter it came to be called Nidaros. In the beginning it was frequently used as a military retainer of King Olav I. It was frequently used as the seat of the king, and was the capital of Norway until 1217.
People have been living in the region for thousands of years as evidenced by the rock carvings in central Norway. In ancient times, the Kings of Norway were hailed at Øretinget in Trondheim, the place for the assembly of all free men by the mouth of the River Nidelva. Harald Fairhair (865–933) was hailed as the king here, as was his son, Haakon I, called ‘the Good’. The battle of Kalvskinnet took place in Trondheim in 1179: King Sverre Sigurdsson and his Birkebeiner warriors were victorious against Erling Skakke (a rival to the throne). Some scholars believe that the famous Lewis chessmen, 12th century chess pieces carved from walrus ivory found in the Hebrides and now at the British Museum, may have been made in Trondheim.
Trondheim was the seat of the Archbishop of Nidaros for Norway from 1152, who operated from the Archbishop’s Palace. Due to the introduction of Lutheran Protestantism in 1537, the last Archbishop, Olav Engelbrektsson, had to flee from the city to the Netherlands, where he died in present-day Lier, Belgium.
The city has experienced several major fires. Since much of the city was made of wooden buildings, many of the fires caused severe damage. Great fires ravaged the city in 1598, 1651, 1681, 1708, twice in 1717, 1742, 1788, 1841 and 1842; however, these were only the worst cases and there have been several smaller fires in the city. The 1651 fire destroyed 90% of all buildings within the city limits. The fire in 1681 (the “Horneman Fire”) led to an almost total reconstruction of the city. Broad avenues like Munkegata were created, with no regard for property rights, in order to stop the next fire. At the time, the city had a population of under 10,000 inhabitants, with most living in the downtown area.
After the Treaty of Roskilde on 26 February 1658, Trondheim and the rest of Trøndelag, became Swedish territory for a brief period, but the area was reconquered 10 months later. The conflict was finally settled by the Treaty of Copenhagen on 27 May 1660.
During the WW II Trondheim was occupied by Nazi Germany from 9 April 1940, the first day of the invasion of Norway, until the end of the war in Europe, 8 May 1945. The German invasion force consisted of the German cruiser Admiral Hipper, 4 destroyers and 1700 Austrian Mountain troops. Other than a coastal battery opening fire, there was no resistance to the invasion on 9 April at 5 AM. On 14 and 17 April, British and French forces landed near Trondheim in a failed attempt to liberate Trondheim as part of the Namsos Campaign. During the occupation, Trondheim was the home of the notorious Norwegian Gestapo agent, Henry Rinnan, who operated from a nearby villa and infiltrated Norwegian Resistance groups. The city and its citizens were also subject to harsh treatment by the occupying powers, including imposition of martial law in October 1942. During this time the Germans turned the city and its environs into a major base for submarines.
Geography. Trondheim is situated where the River Nidelva meets Trondheim Fjord with an excellent harbour and sheltered condition. The river used to be deep enough for most boats in the Middle Ages. An avalanche of mud and stones made it less navigable and partly ruined the harbour in the mid-17th century. The municipality’s top elevation is the Storheia hill, 565 metres (1,854 ft) above sea level. At the summer solstice, the sun rises at 03:00 and sets at 23:40, but stays just below the horizon–there is no darkness (no need for artificial lighting outdoors) from 23 May to 19 July under cloud-free conditions. At the winter solstice, the sun rises at 10:01, stays very low above the horizon (at midday its altitude is slightly more than 3 degrees over the horizon), and sets at 14:31.
Climate. Trondheim city has an Oceanic climate. The part of the municipality further away from the fjord has colder winters. The part close to the fjord, such as the city centre, has milder winters. Trondheim is mostly sheltered from the strong south and southwesterly winds which can occur along the outer seaboard. Trondheim experiences moderate snowfall from November to March, but mixed with mild weather and rainfall. Based on the 1971–2000 average recorded at the airport, there are 14 days each winter with at least 25 cm (10 in) of snow cover on the ground and 22 days with a daily minimum temperature of −10 °C (14 °F) or less. Spring often sees much sunshine, but nights can be chilly. Temperatures have tended to be warmer in recent years.
I decided to forego seeing all the museums in Trondheim. The Trondheim Museum Card is stingy giving only a 20% discount. One would have to find out if there are senior discounts at the venues to see if this has any value at all (the cathedral and Archbishops Palace had no reduced entries).
Trøndelag Folkemuseum. This open-air museum in south Trondheim has many sod-roofed buildings, a few of logs but most sided with typical Norwegian red siding. The buildings have typical artifacts of the period represented. There is good providence about each building. There are domestic animals and craft demonstrations. NOK 165, 125 reduced.
Student Society in Trondheim. Besides housing a café, a restaurant, several bars and frequently hosting concerts and other activities (among them Norway’s biggest culture festival, UKA), it is an independent organization for all students and teachers in Trondheim, owned fully by its members. (At the end of 2011, there are about 9000 members)
Many famous artists have held concerts here. Quite a few famous Norwegian bands have started their careers on one of Samfundet’s many stages. Every other year world figures attend The Student Society through its festival ISFiT and past speakers include the Dalai Lama, former Director-General of WHO Gro Harlem Brundtland and Nobel Peace Prize Laureates José Ramos-Horta and Wangari Maathai. From 1992 to 2014 Samfundet transformed into Trondheim InterRail Center (TIRC) during the summer (from late June to mid August). TIRC was started in 1992 by members of the Student Society, and was run by society volunteers every summer.
In the NM “Modern Architecture Buildings”, a large 5-story round building fronts a 2-story rectangular back building.
Kristiansten Fortress. Built 1681–1684, is located on a hill east in Trondheim. It repelled the invading Swedes in 1718, but was decommissioned in 1816.
Situated high on the hill east of the center, this has relatively short stonewalls with many triangular bastions and cannon. A square, white, 3-story keep can’t be entered. Members of the Norwegian resistance were shot here in WW II. The foundations of the 4 posts they were tied to remain. Has toilets. This must by the only thing free in Trondheim, or Norway for that matter.
Bakklandet. This residential neighbourhood in Trondheim is a NM “Sight” and consists of 4-sotry wood buildings on pilings lining both sides of the river and on the east 2 streets of mostly 2-story buildings. Most everything appears to be apartments.
Archbishop’s Palace. The oldest hall dates to the 1160s and served as the Archbishop’s residence in medieval times. The complex contains 2 museums – the Archbishops Palace Museum (NOK 160, no reduction) and the Army Museum – and now functions as the meeting place for official functions, banquets and concerts. The north and west buildings are stone and the other sides are modern and brick.
Nidaros Cathedral. This dark grey stone Gothic cathedral has a grand façade covered with 52 statues, a huge rose window, 2 large bell towers and a triangular tower in the centre. NOK 110, no reduction (combined ticket with Archbishop’s Palace NOK 200)
Torg. This shopping mall is in downtown Trondhiem on the southwest corner of the main square. Three levels of stores surround a central, glass-roofed courtyard. The usual stores but here in Norway high prices. At the ice cream place 1 scoop NOK3.50 or about CAD $6.50.
Stiftsgården. Elegant baroque townhouse that passed into the possession of the Norwegain royal family in 1906 and is now the royal residence in Trodhiem but not used by them. It is a yellow, 2-story building. Tours NOK 110, reduced 90
Bryggereka flea market. Held on Sundays on the street west of the river.
Dokkhuset Scene AS. This red brick building sits on a pier surrounded on three sides by canals. Owned by the university, it hosts several festivals (mostly jazz).
Ringve Botanical Gardens. The plants in the botanical garden are living collections used for research, educational purposes, and conservation of endangered species. The garden is around 32 acres and opened as part of the university in 1973.
The Arboretum consists of forest trees and shrubs from the Northern Hemisphere. The Old Perennials are a collection of old garden plants sampled from Central Norway. The Historic Park is the old farm garden at Ringve and stems back to the mid-1800s. The Systematic Garden was created to illustrate the lines of evolution of flowering plants. The Renaissance Garden is a herb garden with a local history dating to 1694. Ornamental beds surround the houses of Ringve Estate. Free
NOMAD MANIA Norway – Trøndelag (Trondheim)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Norway Intercity Railway Experience Experiences
Fjord cruising
Taste Fårikål
World Heritage Sites: Røros Mining Town and the Circumference
Islands
Frøya
Hitra
Smøla
Borders:
Norway mainland (sea border/port)
Norway-Sweden
XL: Vikna/Rorvik
Museums:
Roros: Roros Museum Olav’s Mine
Tynset: Ramsmoen Museum Centre
Castles, Palaces, Forts:
Opphaug: Austrått
Steinvikholmen: Steinvikholm Castle
World of Nature: Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella
Festivals
Hell Blues Festival
PStereo, Trondheim
Entertainment/Things to do: Olavshallen
Zoos: Namsskogan Familiepark
Lighthouses: Ørland: Kjeungskjær Lighthouse
Open-Air Museums
Kvikne: Bjørgan parsonage
Tylldalen: Tylldalen Bygdetun
Tynset: Tynset Bygdemuseum
The Dark Side: Ekne: Falstad Centre
European Cities
TRONDHEIM World Cities and Popular Towns
Sights: Bakklandet Trondheim
Airports: Trondheim (TRD)
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars:
Grakallbanen (tram), Trondheim
Trondheim Tramway
Museums:
Jewish Museum
National Museum of Decorative Arts
Norwegian National Museum of Justice
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Ringve Museum
Rockheim
The Armoury
Trondelag Folk Museum
Trondheim Art Museum
Trondheim Science Museum
Castles, Palaces, Forts:
Archbishop’s Palace
Kristiansten Fortress
Stiftsgården
Religious Temples: Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim
Modern Architecture Buildings: Student Society in Trondheim
Entertainment/Things to do: Dokkhuset Scene AS, Trondheim
Botanical Gardens: Trondheim: Ringve Botanical Gardens
Malls/Department Stores: Torg
Markets: Bryggereka Flea Market
Maritime/Ship Museums: Maritime Museum
Open-Air Museums: Trøndelag folkemuseum
Railway Museums: Trondheim Tramway Museum