NORWAY - Trondheim

The principle sight in Trondheim is its cathedral. Scandinavia is not known for its big churches but Trondheim has one that looks as if it has been imported straight from England.

The history comes from St Olav who was a king who later became a saint. He was buried in Trondheim and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage and a big church was built.  A lot of buildings in Norway even today are made of wood, so over the centuries a series of fires in the city affected the cathedral and by the mid 1800's much of the building was a ruin with only part of it used as a church.

As Trondheim cathedral is used to crown the Norwegian monarchs and full independence from Sweden came in 1905, it's role as a national church became more and more important therefore from 1869 right up until 2001 it was restored and rebuilt. With no real records as to what it originally looked like, design influences were taken from cathedrals elsewhere in Europe including England - hence what it looks like today.  Next to the cathedral there is a museum which houses the Norwegian crown jewels.

Trondheim itself is a very pleasant place to wander around with many timber buildings lining the river and harbour.

The weather here this evening I would describe as moody.