Hei hei Trondheim

Last week Chris and I visited Trondheim, Norway, which felt like a leap forward into wintertime! We stepped off the plane and the cold hit us. Of course these aren’t winter temperatures for Norway, but for us it was a 15-degree drop to zero!

We were lucky enough to stay in the very hype area of Bakklandet so that our first view of Norway was very quaint: a cobbled street with multi-coloured wooden houses, home to boutiques, restaurants and cafés. 

View from the Old Bridge (Gamle Bybro)

On the first day, we braved the icy roads and ventured into the city centre of Trondheim. One of the main attractions is the magnificent cathedral – we were told the biggest cathedral north of Notre-Dame in Paris (although my Google search does not seem to confirm this). The only way to get into the cathedral for free was to attend the organ meditation, which was surprisingly fun and definitely relaxing. A clergyman spoke very briefly before the organist played several beautiful pieces. We were actually sitting right behind him, watching him master his instrument with hands and feet!

Near the cathedral was the farmers' market (I think it's there on Saturdays). Many of the stalls had free samples, which was a great insight into Norwegian food! We had doughnuts, salmon, cheese and even moose pie!

Trondheim isn't huge and in the centre everything is walking distance. We ventured up to the harbour on the Trondheim Fjord, where we sought refuge from the cold in a café overlooking the bay. The autumnal colours were just fantastic – there are quite a lot of deciduous trees hiding amongst the pines! Combined with the deep blue of the Fjord, it gives you a great backdrop for your holiday snaps.

The next day, we walked around the forest that stretches across the mountains around Trondheim. Needless to say, autumn may not be the best time to go hiking, as it was pretty wet and our feet were soaked about 15 minutes into the hike – but this could not stop us, and after getting (slightly) lost we made it to one of the cabins where hot drinks and pastries are served.

We stopped for a hot chocolate with a wonderful view 

Trondheim is definitely a great place to visit if you like a quaint town, comfy bars and cafes and being out in nature for hiking in summer and skiing in winter! As you can imagine, Norway is pretty pricey, so I would make sure to get an accommodation, where you can also cook your own food, like airbnb or couchsurfing – or camping if the weather is right!