Trondheim, Norway: Viking Capital, Gothic Cathedral, and Nordic Food Culture

Nidaros Cathedral, begun in 1070 and under more or less continuous construction and restoration for the following 900 years, is the most significant ecclesiastical building in Scandinavia. The Gothic west façade — its limestone sculpture restored in the early twentieth century — faces the Bishop's Palace courtyard and is the most photographed surface in the building; the interior is severe and imposing in the best Nordic Gothic manner. The cathedral is the burial site of several Norwegian kings and is still an active pilgrimage destination. Guided tours run throughout the day; the tower can be climbed for views over the river and the Fjord.

The Nedre Elvehavn waterfront and the Bryggen (warehouse district) along the Nidelva are the most atmospheric parts of the old city. The painted wooden stave warehouses built on the riverside from the seventeenth century onward were originally grain and fish trading houses; many are now restaurants, galleries, and design studios. The Bakke Bridge connects the warehouse district to the Kristiansten Fortress on the hillside opposite; the fortress was built after a 1681 fire destroyed the medieval city and protected Trondheim from Swedish attack in 1718.

Rockheim, the National Museum of Popular Music, occupies a dramatic dock warehouse at the harbor and covers Norwegian rock, pop, and jazz from the 1950s onward, with interactive exhibits calibrated for people who want to actually play instruments and explore sound rather than read panels. The collection is heavily weighted toward Norwegian artists, which requires some context, but the building and the approach to exhibition design are worth the visit regardless of what you know about Norwegian music history.

The Mathallen food market on Dronningens Gate is the best single location for sampling the regional food culture: rakfisk (fermented freshwater trout, a winter staple), klippfisk (salt cod), brunost (caramelized whey cheese, an acquired taste specific to Norway), and reindeer sausage are all available at stalls within a short walk of each other. The Trondheim Torg farmer's market operates on Saturday mornings in the central square and sells produce from Trøndelag farms alongside the predictable artisan cheese and cured meat vendors.

Cycling is the dominant mode of transport here — Trondheim has the world's first bicycle lift (Trampe, a cable assist system on a steep hill connecting the city center to the Kristiansten side) and a city bikeshare system worth using for the flat waterfront sections. The long light of summer evenings makes cycling along the fjord realistic well past 10 p.m.