"Trondheim - rainy delight" Trondheim by Saagar

My experience of Trondheim is in transit mainly. Rarely have I gone here purposefully. But that's a shame! Trondheim has a lot to offer besides being a transport hub for the middle part of Norway.
What I normally do here is to arrive, stop and shop for my onward travels, sometimes seeing friends and relatives en route, come here for good food or specialized shopping. The city has a maritime feel, but your lasting impression is overwhelmingly that of a coastal city, really, but as a conncection point north-south and east-west. The hinterland of Trondheim isn't that impressive - there are no major mountains here and mainly rolling hills and agricultural areas surrounding the town. The Trondheim fjord is more like a lake than what you think of as a Norwegian fjord. But Trondheim is a good staging point for travels in the region, and a necessary transit point on your way into/from Sweden and to/from northern Norway. Trondheim gives you access to some true coastal adventures if you dear to move off the beaten path, for instance by taking the regional shipping routes and buses / roads into the periphery, for places such as the North Trøndelag coast, Hitra-Frøya islands, Sula and so on.

For a look at Trondheim today, do check the web camera located at the Canal: www.aftenposten.no/webcam/

The city is famous for its cathedral, the Nidaros domen. Well worth seeing as the biggest cathedral in Scandinavia if so inclined; a very old structure indeed. There are some other houses here as well worth seeing for their architectural value.
The harbour side is getting more interesting after having been fairly run down as fishing industry has changed track. Rows of harbourside houses now have interesting shops and restaurants. The maritime aspect offers good news for traditional wooden boat buffs. You can visit the little boat building yard/harbour minutesd away from the train station. The Ravnkloa harbour and fish market is a meager thing in comparison to what you'd expect, but you can have some good, freash sea food snacks and full meals right on the harbour and do what everybody else do here: fishwatching, people watching and idling away their time.
Good food: Trondheim has some very good sea food restaurants, but you need to ask for this sort of thing. The best restaurants are not necessarily on the high street. Cakes and breads; yep, Trondheim does this really well. Stock up for that train journey to Bodø...
Trondheim isn't a beach city, but there are some ocean baths, including at the Munkholmen island just outside town.
Trondheim torv (market square) is not spectacular, but cozy. Try the strawberries and later in the season, other wild berries here. The market ladies have their own statue here - very cute.
Shopping - lots of maritime stuff, including sports fishing gear. There are some major salmon rivers nearby Trondheim and good sea fishing. Other shopping, clothes etc are easily accessible, since most of the shopping is still located in the centre of the city. An urban conurbation to the south of trondheim nearby Heimdal suburb is named "City Syd", so much for the Norwegian language and local dialect. On a rainy day, with money to burn, you can visit this place, but it is not on my recommendation.
Museums etc, yes, something here for natural history, history and music buffs.
Trondheim is a major student town, so there is a wide range of drinking places and eateries at the lower rung here, but the quality is actually quite good. The cheapest beer in Norway is at the Students Association's pub. Hurry up to get a sip, before somebody runs away with the barrel... Trondheim ranges high on the national category of theatre, concerts, music bands etc.

Trondheim is a hopeless city for car transportation. Drive at your own periol in this maze of one-way streets, speed bumps, traffic speed cameras, red light cameras, parking guards and clogged traffic, all drivers looking for the last expesive place to park. Park you car at a designated place (hotel lot etc) and use your feet.
Even local buses takes time to get used to. Keep walking, it's a compact city! Or use a free city bike - that's real handy. The train and bus stations are conveniently co-located and with walking distance from/to the main shipping piers. The airport bus runs frequently to Trondheim Vernes airport and stops at the railway/bus station.