Transittin' Trondheim

My heart often goes a-pitter-patter when i hear things like "old capital". Almaty is cooler than Astana in Kazakhstan and Istanbul beats the pants off Ankara in Turkey. Formerly known as Nidaros, the city of Trondheim, Norway, does not exactly follow this pattern. To be fair, the capital was moved to Bergen (and later Oslo) nearly 1,000 years ago. Although the city lacks any of it's former capital luster, it's has a new, young life.

Built on the TrondheimFjord and sitting on the Nidelva river, the peaceful

waters surrounding Trondheim reflect it's nature, kind of. On the surface, Trondheim is just a typical lazy town. Semi-pedestrianized streets lined with boutique shops peeking out through trees is about a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. It is exactly what you'd expect out of a town with a population around 180,000. Fully functional with most of the amenities you'd need for daily life, is hardly a headline for any tourist brochure. A vibrant student population does breath some life into the town though. There is a bountiful plethora of cafes, bars and clubs for those so inclined. And, as is common for Scandinavian cities, parks and green areas abound with joggers, cyclists and loungers adhering to the "quality of life" mentality famous in the region. And while this makes for good living, it's hardly good tourist-ing.

The good news is the city is not without it's touristy-type highlights.

Like many Norwegian towns, Trondheim has it's own little old town. Across Gamle Bybro, the streets become largely devoid of traffic. Paved roads turn into cobble-stone street and the speed limit is set at "mosey". Many on the colourful river-side warehouse have been turned into shops and restaurants becoming one of the better (though expensive) places in town to grab a bite. A little further down the river the old Nidaros Cathedral and Archbishop's palace is a guaranteed stop on any Trondheim tour. Although, to be frank, a church is a church. And i've never been a fan of religious buildings that charge admission.

There are a couple other points of interest. A few museums are scattered about town ranging in themes from maritime to art to history to music. And for a decent view over town, Kristiansten Fort is easy to reach. But being there on a foggy, rainy day, i couldn't be bothered.

Trondheim ain't half bad. Be it's hardly a destination unto itself. It is an often used gateway to the arctic and a long stopover on the Hurtigruten cruise. And while it may not be worth coming all this way just for the town itself, if in the area, Trondheim is worth a day or two of your travel time.