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The major port and industrial hub of central Norway has a majestic history. It was put on the map when the chiefs of the Trøndelag region defeated all comers on land and sea and unified most of the country in the 9th century. Then called Nidaros ('the mouth of the River Nid'), and King Olav Trygvason gave it city status 997, when it also became the royal capital.
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Trondheim holds a special place in Norwegian history and culture. St. Olav (995-1030) is Norway's national saint and was King from 1015. A Viking in his youth, he was baptized in 1013/14 in Rouen and consequently dedicated himself to introducing Christianity to Norway. The Christian king Olav II was killed in battle nearby in 1030, and declared a saint when miracles of healing were reported at the site of his tomb. From then until the Reformation, pilgrims flocked to Trondheim from all over Europe. The Protestant Reformation in the 16th century was bad news for the town. Monasteries and churches were sacked, the archbishop fled and pilgrimages stopped.
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After a 1681 fire completed the devastation, Trondheim was rebuilt on the present plan. Lined by brightly painted houses and tall gabled warehouses, its exceptionally wide streets were designed to limit the spread of flames.
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Trondheim is a city where past and present times live together in harmony. The architecture and the surroundings create a beautiful setting for any outing.
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The wide meandering loop of the Nidelva River round the city centre, with sections of the old warehouses still intact along its shores, the impressive Nidaros Cathedral, standing slightly apart from the busy part of the town, the wide open streets, the tall column with the statue of Viking King Olav Trygvason in the centre of the marketplace, the Old Town Bridge with carved gates and wooden railings and footpath.
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Just outside the city, you find Bymarka, a recreational area with peaks raging 500 m (1,640 feet) above sea level. Trondheim is also the county's second largest farming municipality.
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In Trondheim you find Norway's biggest and perhaps
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most beautiful church, the Nidaros Cathedral. It was built by Olav Kyrre in 1070 in a simple roman style,but was later further developed in an English influenced, gothic style, and the western front was richly decorated with statues in French influenced, gothic style. The church, with its 28 altars, is the Nordic regions largest cathedral, and 10 kings were buried in it. From the Middle Ages, the cathedral deteriorated due to fires and lack of maintenance. After considerable restoring, starting in 1869, the cathedral is still the city's most important cultural
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and historical monument. Nidaros Cathedral is where new kings receive their ceremonial blessing, and the King and Queens regalia is kept there.
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Stiftsgården was built during 1774 – 78, in Late Baroque style, by the ambitious widow and privy counselor Cecilie Christine Schøller. It is the largest wooden building in the Nordic countries, and consists of 70 rooms, richly decorated with elements of Rococo and Neo-classicism. Stiftsgården was purchased by the State in 1800, and from 1906 it is used as the official Royal Residence in Trondheim - particularly in connection with coronations (since 1818) and the later Ceremony of Consecration and Blessing instituted by King Olav V in 1958 and adopted by King Harald and Queen Sonja in 1991. The building gives good insight into the city's blooming society of the 18th century, and the festivities around the coronations and benedictions of the Norwegian kings.
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The park surrounding Stiftsgården is laid out in Rococo style.
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