Trondheim: Nidarosdomen

We got off the ship’s courtesy shuttle at the second stop ... near Nidarosdomen, billed as the northernmost Medieval Cathedral in the world ... named after the former name of Trondheim ... Nidaros. Construction of the cathedral began in 1070 to provide a final resting place for King Olaf, a Viking King who was canonized and later became the national saint of Norway.

The moniker “dark cathedral” was especially appropriate today as the interior was only dimly lit. I later learned that will change once the lighting upgrade is completed. Restoration work, which began in 1869, continues to this day.

As well as wandering around the interior of the church, we did the Nidarosdomen Spire Climb ... 172 steps up a narrow, curving staircase. Not that difficult, except for the pace which felt like a forced march because there was nowhere to step aside to let those in a hurry go ahead of us. In the end, it was worth it for the aerial views we enjoyed from the viewing terrace.Read more