The Port of Trondheim
This guide is tailored for cruise passenger visiting Trondheim.
Yearly, about 80 cruise ships with approximately 140.000 cruise passengers visit Trondheim. The Port of Trondheim can accommodate ships with a length up to 360 m and has three main quays. The busiest time is during the summer season, but there are also some winter cruises in Trondheim.
On every cruise call there are hosts at the quay dressed in the Norwegian national costume, welcoming the cruise tourist to Trondheim. They are also handing out maps and answer the cruise tourists questions in order for them to enjoy Trondheim in the best possible way. On 30% of the calls we have local musicians playing upon the vessels arrival.
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The port of Trondheim is located where the cruise ship is docked, as shown in the image below. As you approach the city on a cruise, you will see this new part of Trondheim rising up with the spectacular museum Rockheim as well as the new congress hotel Clarion. There are exiting outdoor areas where the city meets the fjord, a rare interaction between urban life and nature. A pedestrian bridge is connecting the city centre and the port, and the walking distance to the city centre is approximately 600 m.
Upon most cruise calls girls in the national costume hand out free maps of Trondheim and welcome you to their beautiful city. Some cruises will be welcomed by local musicians singing or playing Norwegian music.
Climate
Trondheim has warm summers and milder winters. Trondheim is mostly sheltered from the strong south and southwesterly winds, but some parts of the city might be windy. The average minimum temperature is - 6°C and the average maximum is 20°C.
Wifi
There are several WIFI-spots around the city. One can use free wifi at the Tourist Information office and at the public library in the city center. Lots of cafes and restaurants also offer free wifi.
Language
The local language is Norwegian, which is very similar to Finnish and Swedish. English is widely used by the locals and businesses. Some restaurants have bilingual menus.
Tourist Information
The Tourist Information office is located in Nordre gate 11, the main pedestrian street, just a 10 minutes’ walk from the quay. It is open from 9 to 18 Monday to Saturday (Sunday in high season). Here one can also find the city’s largest souvenir- and gift shop.
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Things to Do
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Trondheim is the historical capital of Norway and has more than 1000 years’ experience of welcoming guests. The city is surrounded by lovely forested hills, and the Nidelven River winds through the city. The charming old streets at Bakklandet bring you back to architectural traditions and the atmosphere of days gone by.
Trondheim is also a popular pilgrimage site, due to the famous Nidaros Cathedral which is incorporated in the official European Cultural Routs on the same terms as Santiago de Compostela in Spain. .
Trondheim is vivid and lively, with everything a big city can offer, but still with a small-town friendliness. There are always something new to see and to do in Trondheim. Choose between a rich variety of historical sights, museum and art galleries – and look forward to an unforgettable cultural and historical experience.
Sights & Attractions
Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral is the national sanctuary of Norway, built over the grave of St. Olav. Work began in 1070, but the oldest parts of today's cathedral date from the middle of the twelfth century. It is the northernmost gothic cathedral in the world.
The Archbishop's Palace
The Archbishop's Palace was the Archbishop's residence until the reformation in 1537. This is the best preserved builing complex of its kind in Europe, and it also holds one of the best preserved ancient coin workshops in the world. The National Crown Regalia are on display in a permanent exhibition in the medieval vault of the Archbishop's Palace.
The Monk's Island
The Monk's Island was Trondheim's execution site in ancient times. Benedictine Monks built a monastery on the island very early in the 11th century. In 1658 it was converted into a prison and a fortress, later becoming a customs house.
The Royal Residence
This wooden palace was built as a private residence when the city flourished at the end of the 18th century. It was sold to the Norwegian state in 1800, and it is now the official Royal Residence in Trondheim. This is one of the largest wooden buidlings i Scandinavia.
Other attractions and activities in Trondheim include the Tram to Lian, the Kristiansten Fort, the Tyholt Tower, hiking in Bymarka, harbour sightseeing, guided citywalk, urban kayaking and many other.
Airport
Trondheim has an international airport, Trondheim Airport Værnes, situated in Stjørdal. Værnes Airport has 20 direct routes around Europe and has Direct connections to cities such as London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Berlin and Barcelona.
Trondheim Airport Værnes is the fourth largest airport in Norway in terms of passenger traffic and is continuously growing.
Facts & Figures
City: Trondheim
Area: 342 km2
Population: 185 000 (2021)
Rank: Third largest city in Norway
Country: Norway
Currency: NOK
Language: Norwegian
Country code: +47
Electricity: 220 V
Opening hours store: Most shops are open from 10 am to 6 pm, shopping malls are open from 10 am to 8 pm.
10% discount is offered to cruise tourists and crew members in the shopping area in the city centre.
History
Trondheim was founded by Viking King Olav Tryggvason in AD 997, and occupies a special place in Norwegian culture and history. The city was the first capital in Norway and was the capital during the Viking Age until 1217. But people have been living in the region for thousands of years as evidenced by the rock carvings in central Norway.
Nidaros Cathedral, the great pride of the city, was built over the grave of St. Olav early in the 11th century. St. Olav’s shrine was once a major destination for pilgrimage in the Nordic countries. It is the most important gothic monument in Norway and was Northern Europe’s most important Christian pilgrimage site during the Middle Age.
The buildings of medieval Trondheim were mostly small, low timber houses, and fires all too often ravaged the town. After the catastrophic fire in 1681, most of the houses in the city were destroyed and lead to an almost total reconstruction of the city. Major Jean Caspar de Cicignon was brought to Trondheim (from Luxemburg) to design a new city plan in the Baroque style. The streets were made wide to prevent fires from spreading. Some of the narrow alleys and narrow streets, many originating in the Middle Ages, nevertheless still exist, contrasting with Cicignon's wide boulevards from the 1600s. Even today Trondheim is spoken of as one of the typical wooden cities of Europe, and the city centre has many special wooden buildings, some built as far back as the 17th century.
Financial development in the 1700s was led by rich merchants, many of whom were immigrants from Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. Often trading in exports and imports using their own ships, they generally lived along Kjøpmanngaten, with their wharves facing the river. These distinctive buildings are still a characteristic feature of the city today. The great wooden mansions of the city were also built during this time of prosperity.
Industrialization in the 1800s led to new growth. A number of factories and workshops were founded, and Trondheim was connected by railway to the south. At the end of the 1800s Trondheim also developed into an education centre.
Modern Trondheim boasts a thriving combination of science, research and business communities, giving us a city that has the intimacy of the small town, and also the many choices of the metropolis. Trondheim is truly the nation's technological capital and the historical capital of Norway.
Museums
Trondheim has a wide variety of museums ranging from history to music and art.
Here are some of the city’s museums:
Ringve Museum
Ringve is music museum, country estate and botanical garden – all in one. Ringve is Norway’s national museum for music and musical instruments and the exhibition shows the most recent instruments, ranging from cembalos to electric guitars and synthesizers. The well preserved interiors of the manor date back to the 19th century.
Sverresborg Folk Museum
Sverresborg, Trøndelag Folk Museum (open air museum) is one of the largest cultural and historical museums in Norway. It shows the building traditions in Trøndelag, from town to country side, from mountain to coast and from Sami house to city mentions. The museum is situated around the ruins of King Sverre’s castle from the 12th century and has more than 60 vintage buildings. At the museum the oldest stave church in Norway is placed. The church is probably built in 1170s.
Rockheim Pop and Rock Museum
Rockheim is the national centre for pop and rock music in Norway. The permanent exhibition is organized as a timeline, charting the development of contemporary Norwegian music and popular culture through the decades, from 1950 until today. The museum is digital and high tech and has an enormous enlightened box built on the top of an old warehouse.
Trondheim Museum of Art
Trondheim Museum of Art has Norway’s third largest public art collection, mainly Norwegian art from the last 150 years. The national museum boasts a large collection of decorative arts and design, including a great number of tapestries, as well as Norway’s only permanent exhibition of Japanese arts and crafts.
Trondheim Science Center
The Science Center presents natural science and technology in an absorbing, entertaining, hands-on way. Visitors can conduct experiments on the displayed models. The Science Centre offers experience for the whole family, whatever your age or interests.
NTNU University Museum
The museum has a collection and displays related to natural history and cultural history. The archaeological display shows findings from the stone, bronze, iron and Viking ages. In addition the museum has a separate display about the development of Trondheim as a city in the Middle Ages, a display on Sami culture and a display about church art and church inventory until approximately 1700. The natural science sections show birds, fish, mammals, insects, minerals and Northern European nature types nature-environment display. The museum dates back to 1767.
Trondheim Maritime Museum
The old penitentiary from 1725 is now a distinctive, quaint museum. The exhibits include models of sailing ships, figureheads, marine instruments and pictures of local sailing ships. The harpoon gun from the whaler The Star I and objects recovered from the frigate
The Pearl which sank in 1781 are also exhibited. The museum has a comprehensive archive on ships and captains.
Trondheim Tramway Museum
The Tramway museum has a collection of old trams. In addition it offers a display of the tramway history of Trondheim and heritage trips with old trams on the sole remains of the tramway in Trondheim, Gråkalbanen. The museumhas many heritage trams on display and several in working condition.
The Justice Museum
The Justice Museum shows the development of the police force from the 18th century to the present. Articles from the city's prisons and courts are also on display, including the city executioner's "tools". The museum also has an outstanding collection from the German occupation period, 1940-1945.
The Archbishop’s Palace
The museum shows original sculptures from Nidaros Cathedral and archaeological finds from its dramatic history. Visitors can see the Archbishop's mint, where coins were stamped, just as it was found by archaeologists.
National Museum of Decorative Arts
The National Museum of Decorative Arts has a historical and modern collection of furniture, silver, textiles and much more.
Transportation
Public transportation
Public transportation in Trondheim is very well organized. Buses run frequent and will take you just about everywhere in Trondheim. It is a bus stop located at the pier.
Taxi
The taxi stop is located on the pier. If there are no taxis available at the stop, there are to companies one can call.
Norgestaxi call: 08000
Trøndertaxi call: 07373
Citybikes
There are many racks for the city bikes in and around the city center. One can rent a card for these bikes at The Tourist Information Office.
Notice: Content and travel advice presented is created by a port moderator and/or AI, courtesy of ChatGPT. It is specifically designed for cruise passengers visiting this port of call. A port moderator could be a local individual, destination expert, port authority, or a tourism agency. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, we recommend that you verify critical information like visas, health and safety, customs, and transportation with official sources before departure.