Trondheim

Trondheim is a city in Norway.

History

People have been living in the region for thousands of years as evidenced by the Rock carvings in Central Norway, the Nøstvet and Lihult cultures and the Corded Ware culture. 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'.

Trondheim was named Kaupangen (English: the market place or trading place) by Viking King Olav Tryggvason in 997. Fairly soon, it came to be called Nidaros. In the beginning it was frequently used as the seat of the King, and was the capital of Norway until 1217.

Leif Ericson lived in Trondheim around 1000 as a military retainer (Old Norse: "hird"-man) of King Olav. A statue of Leif, donated by the Leif Ericsson Society in Seattle, is located at the seaside, close to the old Customs Building, the cruise ship facilities and the new swimming Hall. The statue is a replica, the original being located at a Seattle marina.

Trondheim is located at the mouth of the river Nidelva, due to its 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-17^th century. 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).

Trondheim was the seat of the (Catholic) Archdiocese|Archbishopric for Norway from 1152. 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 it was a city of log buildings, out of wood, most fires caused severe damage. Great fires ravaged the city in 1598, 1651, 1681, 1708, 1717 (two fires that year), 1742, 1788, 1841 and 1842. It must be noted that these were only the worst cases. 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, overseen by General Johan Caspar von Cicignon, originally from Luxembourg. Broad avenues like Munkegaten were created, with no regard for property rights, in order to stop the next fire. At the time, the city had a population of roughly 8000 inhabitants. After the Treaty of Roskilde 26 February, 1658, Trondheim, and the rest of Trøndelag, became Swedish territory for a brief period, but the area was reconquered after 10 months. The conflict was finally settled by the Treaty of Copenhagen, 27 May, 1660.

During World War II, Trondheim was occupied by Nazi Germany from April 9, 1940, the first day of the invasion of Norway, until the end of the war in Europe, May 8, 1945. The home of the most notorious Norwegian Gestapo agents, Henry Rinnan, it was also subject to harsh treatment by the occupying powers, including imposition of martial law in October of 1942.

Public Transport

The main source for public transportation in Trondheim is by buss. These will get you around most parts of town and the suburbs. You can check this web site for more information: Team Trafikk[1]

Trondheim has an international airport, Trondheim Airport, Værnes, situated in Stjørdal, which is Norway's third largest airport in terms of passenger traffic. In 2006, the airport had 3,167,816 passengers. Scheduled domestic flights are offered by four airlines to 16 destinations, while four operators offer nine international destinations.

Major railway connections are the northbound Nordlandsbanen (to Mo i Rana 1942, Fauske 1958, Bodø 1962), the eastbound Meråkerbanen (opened 1882) to Sweden via Storlien, and two southbound connections to Oslo, Rørosbanen (opened 1877) and Dovrebanen (opened 1921).

The Coastal Express ships (Hurtigruten: Covering the Bergen–Kirkenes stretch of the coast) call at Trondheim, as do many cruise ships during the summer season. Since 1994 there is also a fast commuter boat service to Kristiansund, the closest coastal city to the south.

Trondheim also boasts the northernmost tramway line in the world: the Gråkallbanen, the last remaining bit of the Trondheim Tramway is an 8.8 km (5.5 mi) single-track route which runs from the city centre, through the Byåsen district, and up to Lian, in the large recreation area Bymarka. Trondheim boasts the world's only bicycle lift, Trampe.

The bus network, operated by Team Trafikk, runs throughout most of the city and its suburbs. Bus service starts at about 05:00 and the latest service is around midnight. In addition, the Nattbuss (Night Bus) service ensures cheap and effective transportation for those enjoying nightlife in the city centre during the weekends. E6 passes through Trondheim.

Meetings

Mailing List

Tips

CouchSurfers

Meeting Organisers

Coffee or a drink

Media Mentions

What to see

Nidarosdomen

Tourists in Trondheim often visit NidarosdomenThe Nidaros Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace are located side by side in the middle of the city centre. The cathedral, built from 1070 on, is the most important Gothic monument in Norway and was Northern Europe's most important Christian pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages,[10] with pilgrimage routes from Oslo in southern Norway and from the Jämtland and Värmland regions of Sweden. Today, it is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world, and the second largest in Scandinavia.

Tyholttårnet

You may also want to visit the Tyholttårnet(tower), it is a telecommunication tower located on a high point of the city, it has a resturant and an amazing view of the city. It rotates one time every hour, so sit down and eat a male or drink a cup of cofee.

Gamle Bybro

Gamle bybro or hjertets portal(The harts portal) as its always called is nice bridge portraied in local lore. Maybe its here you should bring your date for the night. And maybe it will be the portal to his/hers hart?

Olav Trygvasson Statue

This stature in the town square is a monumental statue of the citys founder. This statue also forms a sundial on the bricklaid ground.

Munkholmen

In the summer you might want to visit Munkholmen. It is an monestary located in the fjord, close to the city. In the summer there is boats taking you from downtown(Ravnkloa) to the small island.

Christiansten festning

You might also want to visit the city fort, Christianstens festning . Its located centrally in the city and is equipped with cannons. It also offers a great view of the city.

Trampe

One curiosity in Trondheim is the bike lift Trampe, it was the first bike lift in Europe. You might try this bike lift by obtaining a card(for free) at a cycle shop nearby.

Trondheim is a vibrant city seen with cultural eyes, there is a vibrant art and musical community. The national rock museum is also under construction and will be completed in the next years.

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