What the hell is it with Trondheim?
Trondheim, with "Øya" borough in the foreground. Photo: Tormod Igelø Ellingsen
A Texas gal tries to find what it is that makes this city so refreshing.
It’s a long way from working a desk job in Texas to getting a Master’s in a
foreign language and in a foreign country, but the journey makes me think of the first time I moved, right after high school. When I left my tiny Texas hometown for the university campus in Austin, Texas, I felt at home. It was a deep feeling of rightness, that I was in the right place. As the city developed and transformed, I knew I needed a change. I traveled to Trondheim, Norway in 2016 as part of an exchange program and that instantaneous home-feeling rose in me again. The cities could not be more different, Austin and Trondheim, but they gave me similar experiences years apart.
How, though? Where Austin is geographically sprawling, Trondheim is fairly
contained. Austin has the vibe of a young, hip, bustling city, and Trondheim is one of the oldest cities in Norway. Do cities have personalities? I don’t know, but I have spent the last seven years trying to understand what makes Trondheim feel like home, what gives it its vibe.
Village with modern facilities
This was said by my friend Panthea when I asked her what she liked about Trondheim, and I think it is a succinct way of describing the way of life here. You will probably run into someone you know in any given week, but not every day. You will see faces you recognize of people you have never met. They become fixtures of your daily commute, like the sounds you become familiar with, and the buildings you pass. But you also have travel opportunities with AtB to take you several kilometers outside of the city in any given direction. These buses run every 5-30 minutes depending on the route, like in major cities. There are several large shopping centers for whatever you might need. There are so many cool bars/pubs that the nightlife here has something for everyone. There are several theaters and concert venues.
Several art galleries, though some are strangely niche. But you don’t have the overwhelming list of options that are available in larger cities that might suit some people. I personally find this to be a good thing, you know where you are going and what you will find. Perhaps that is boring for the more adventurous of us.
The culture here — meaning its people — is difficult to capture. It changes completely if you look at it from a different angle, from a different location in town. I could mention the bustling institutional art scene, K-U-K, Kunsthall, or Samtidskunst, all incredible spaces in their own right, but how can I include street art in that conversation? Some is hidden away under manufacturing plants at Ila, other art is publicly available for perusal at Skansen or Dora. But what about the art scene in Svartlamon? Often more ephemeral or part of a festival, the art scene there is just as creative and dynamic. It might be intimidating to first venture into the alternative book café Ivar Matlaus, but the people there and the conversations to be had make it worth the effort! Different parts of town draw different kinds of people and they make it their own.
Because I come from Austin, Texas, I used to think the music scene here would never come close to what I could find back home. However, after several years of living here, I realize the mode of experiencing music is just different. In Austin, you find whatever you want on almost any given day. In Trondheim, you stumble into different events. It requires a letting-go in order to experience the music scene. It requires an openness to being delighted by something unexpected. This might be true of Trondheim in general. A slower pace requires greater patience.
NTNU University Museum of science located at cozy "Kalvskinnet" borough. Photo: Tormod Ellingsen
Architecture and Nature
I know very little about architecture, but there is no denying that buildings and their orientations are one of the first things people experience as the ‘personality’ of a city. Architecture is large, looming, and purposefully designed to have an effect on us. If you go to Bakklandet to see the old buildings, they might remind you of that group of older gentlemen that get together at that pub or café you frequent. The squat, slightly bent wooden structures might be whispering conversations in trøndersk between themselves. There is historical architectural context everywhere as well, not just at Bakklandet. If you go west into Ila, you will eventually find a school from the 1700s. Going east into Nyhavna and you’ll see Dora, the German WWII bunker-turned-archive (genius). Farther east is Kristiansten Fortress. Look northward into the sea and you’ll see Munkholmen, the summer picnicking spot that was once a site of executions, an abbey, a prison, a fort, and, during WWII, a submarine base.
Little of Trondheim is built sky-high, and I think this is to its credit. If you are in the city center, depending on where you stand, you can actually see mountains in several directions. This gives it a feeling of existing in a time and place. This isn’t so present in larger cities. You could go to a specific location, like some green parks in Austin, to see the context of the city, but Trondheim is visibly surrounded by its natural context. As you move around, this context is reinforced as the glimpses of the sea or mountains recur. It’s meditative.
Trondheim is visibly contextualized by its natural setting, but this is not merely due to its shorter buildings. One of the best phenomena that I did not expect to be able to see from my very own balcony is the northern lights! Trondheim has lower light pollution and on the rare, cloudless night, you just might be able to see the Nordlys from the comfort of your own sofa.
Kristiansten Fortress seen from Høyskoleparken on a late summer's day. Photo: Tormod Igelø Ellingsen
Trondheim: the youthful older person
After seven years of trying to get to know Trondheim, I imagine its personality as that older person you know who somehow manages to stay spry and very involved in their local community. Trondheim is older than Oslo and has a slower pace, but it feels younger than Bergen because of the vibrant student life. And just like that youthful old person they are actively interested in innovation and new tech.
The co-working space DIGS in the centre of the city sums it up, with techy start-ups full of caffeinated young people working right next to a museum showcasing the thousand-year long history excavated on that very street. Trondheim may not be as outgoing as Copenhagen, but it is still open to new people, cultures and experiences. It may not be as famous as London, but it is well-known in the circles where it has made an impact, whether that’s cultural history or modern neuroscience. I was first attracted to the rustic feel of the city and its walkability, after the bustle and expansion of Austin. But after years of living here, I can report that there are little niches of culture and life happening absolutely everywhere if you just know where to look. It is less like a floral display and more like a forest- you have to go looking for things and be open to what you find. And if you can’t find it, there’s room for you to create your own little thing, contributing to the rich and ever-evolving history of this small yet big, old yet young village in the fjord.
Trondheim and the fjord, including Munkholmen island. Seen from "Våttakammen" in Bymarka. Photo: Tormod Igelø Ellingsen
Gwen Elliott. Photo: Private
Gwen Elliot
Gwen has lived in Trondheim, Norway for seven years. She is studying for her Master's in Gender & Equality Studies and volunteers for Amnesty International in her free time.
How to Trondheim?
Your guide to getting around & fitting in! From trams to local customs, we’ve got you covered!