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In Pictures: The Real ‘Troll of Trondheim’

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Settle down with something warm and enjoy these pictures from an unseasonably cold winter’s morning in Trondheim, Norway.

It has amused me greatly these past days that the British media have named the chilly weather system heading for their shores the ‘Troll of Trondheim’! As a Brit living in Trondheim, I thought I should share what the winter weather in Trondheim is actually like right now.

Nidaros Cathedral in the snow in December 2022.

In short: it’s bloody cold! While you might think winters in Norway are permanently below zero and we walk on snow for months at a time, that’s not how it really is, especially in the cities.

What is the Troll of Trondheim?

When I was growing up in the UK, most winter storms were known in the media as the ‘beast from the east’ because of the ‘Siberian winds.’ This time the weather system is moving down from Norway, so a new nickname was required!

Troll of Trondheim headlines in the UK media
A selection of headlines in the British media over the last few days.

At this time of year, Trondheim usually experiences temperatures around freezing point or dipping under by a few degrees. However, I took a trip into the city centre today with my camera while the temperature was at -17°C. That's about 1°F.

The temperature rarely gets this low in Trondheim, and if it does it’s usually much later in the winter. Sometimes we barely get more than a dusting of snow before Christmas. Not this year.

So listen up Britain, you've got some cold weather, sure. But you are definitely not experiencing the Troll of Trondheim. It is barely his distant cousin! Come take a look at what the real troll looks like. Start with this video:

If you're not a fan of videos, simply keep scrolling for lots more Trondheim photos.

A winter trip into Trondheim city centre

It takes a certain type of person to wake up on a Sunday morning, see the temperature is -17C and think, yes, today is a good day to go taking photos! But I am that type of person.

A bus in Trondheim in the winter.
Waiting for the bus in Trondheim.

After a chilly but thankfully short wait for the bus, I was on my way to the city centre.

Statue outside Lerkendal Stadium in Trondheim, Norway.
Lerkendal Stadium.

My first stop was Trondheim’s Lerkendal Stadion, home to Rosenborg football club. You won’t be surprised to hear that football is a summer sport in Norway!

Klæbuveien in Trondheim in the winter.
People walking towards the city centre along Klæbuveien.

Despite the low temperatures there were a few people about. Life goes on when you live through Scandinavian winters.

Read more: The Story of Norwegian Trolls

Trondheim city centre in the winter

When I made it to the city centre, the temperature had ‘warmed up’ a little to -15C. Toasty!

Nidaros Cathedral on a cold, winter morning.
Nidaros Cathedral.

My first stop downtown was Nidaros Cathedral. The bells were ringing loud and proud when I arrived and a handful of people were heading into the side entrance for a service.

The grounds of Nidaros Cathedral in the snow.
The grounds of Nidaros Cathedral in the snow.

A few tourists, possibly from the coastal ferry, were also wandering around taking photos and looking very cold indeed.

View from old town bridge in Trondheim, Norway.
View from the old town bridge in Trondheim.

From the cathedral I headed over to the old town bridge. The view from here is wonderful any time of year. In the winter, the snow-covered rooftops and reflections in the calm water were especially beautiful.

People walking on the old town bridge in the winter.
People walking on the old town bridge.

As I crossed the bridge, more people surfaced. Some tourists and some locals heading out for coffee or walking their dogs.

Trondheim's Bakklandet neighbourhood in the snow.
Trondheim's Bakklandet neighbourhood in the snow.

With cobbled streets and historic wooden buildings, Bakklandet is one of Trondheim's most picturesque neighbourhoods. In its winter coat, it's a postcard Christmas scene.

Coffee shop on Bakklandet in the winter.
Coffee shop on Bakklandet in the winter.

Although the streets were quiet, the coffee shops along Bakklandet were doing a roaring trade! I stopped for 10 minutes to warm myself up with a coffee before continuing on.

Trondheim's Nordre gate in the winter.
Nordre gate, Trondheim.

Much of the snow had been cleared and/or trampled away in the downtown shopping streets. Nordre gate is one of the busiest shopping streets in Trondheim, but on a Sunday morning it's still relatively quiet with just a few cafes open.

Trondheim Christmas market entrance.
Trondheim Christmas market is always popular, whatever the temperature.

I previously recorded a video on the first day of the Trondheim Christmas market before the snow arrived. With snow on the ground, the market's festive atmosphere is lifted 100%!

The cold weather didn't keep people away even at 11am on a Sunday morning. With some stalls still open, people were milling around looking for gifts, or diving into the lavvo for a warming cup of coffee or gløgg.

Ice at bus stop on Prinsens gate, Trondheim.
Ice at bus stop on Prinsens gate.

Of course, cold weather brings more disadvantages. One of those is ice. The main bus mall in the city centre was a little difficult to navigate as I waited for my bus home!

So ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, that was the real Troll of Trondheim!

About David Nikel

Originally from the UK, David now lives in Trondheim and was the original founder of Life in Norway back in 2011. He now works as a professional writer on all things Scandinavia.

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1 thought on “In Pictures: The Real ‘Troll of Trondheim’”

  1. Thanks for these photos. We visited Trondheim about 8 years ago in February – no snow or sub-freezing temperatures but a lovely city and it is good to see it again.

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