Enjoy these photographs from an early morning walk through Trondheim on a chilly New Year's Day in Norway.
Happy New Year one and all! After a hectic few days with the family back in England, it was good to get back to Norway, despite the chilly temperatures. We took it easy on New Year's Eve, so that meant I was up bright and early to begin 2024.
I'm a big fan of early morning walks in Trondheim. Like many Norwegian cities, Trondheim is a city that doesn't wake up early on weekends or public holidays. That means there's plenty of opportunity to enjoy the city without crowds of people.
When I awoke early on New Year's Day, I saw a low temperature but a bright blue sky beginning to emerge. I grabbed my camera and headed into the city centre. Come and take a walk with me?
Nidaros Cathedral
I hopped over the bus at Trondheim's student society building to get this lovely view of the cathedral across the river.
From there I headed across the bridge to take a closer look. Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral is a striking building no matter the time of year, but I love how it looks against the white snow and blue winter sky.
The most spectacular part of the building is the west front. It was entirely restored by a team of sculptors in the 20th century over the course of more than 75 years. It was the largest art project in the history of Norway.
There are many stories behind the people and creatures immortalised in stone on the west front. The sculptures depict both historic and religious figures, and are based on historical records, a 17th-century print, plus some creativity.
Downtown Trondheim
The city centre of Trondheim wasn't exactly busy either, although there were a handful of people around.
Of course, just a few hours after the late night parties and fireworks, and with no shops or businesses open, there's no reason for many people to be out and about. Just a few crazies like me who like walking in the cold and taking photos!
Waterfront at Skansen
From here, I headed down to the waterfront. I was just in time to see the Havila Pollux coastal ferry leave Trondheim on its southbound journey towards Kristiansund, Molde, Ålesund, and on to Bergen.
It was nice to see the ferry for another reason too. As I revealed on my solo podcast episode looking ahead to 2024, I'll be taking the full 11-night Bergen-Kirkenes-Bergen roundtrip with Havila soon. Watch this space for plenty of photos and videos from that trip.
There was a beautiful pink colour developing in the sky as the morning light brightened. Given the exposed nature of this part of Trondheim, there was a strong wind blowing and that made it much colder than the city centre. So, I quickly wandered back away from the harbour.
I sought out some colour to enjoy the contrast with the snow. The houses of the Ila neighbourhood are some of the most colourful in Trondheim, so I didn't have to wander too far.
I crossed the street to take a closer look at the 19th-century stone-built Ila Church, where I found a few people walking their dogs. People were slowly starting to emerge from their slumber.
From Ila Church, I took a quick walk down the hill to the Nidelva river once more. I love this view with the colourful houses on the hillside contrasting with the wooden facade of Trondheim Spektrum arena.
And with that, it was a quick walk back to the bus stop, from where I caught a bus home. It was an enjoyable, if chilly, hour-and-a-half walk through the winter streets of Trondheim. I hope you enjoyed the results!
