Luxury holidays to Trøndelag

Trøndelag is the region at whose heart sits the city of Trondheim, ancient capital of the kingdom of Norway and a place of pilgrimage in Scandinavia. Trøndelag is north of Vestlandet and hugs the rugged coastline with interiors of coniferous and deciduous forests. Trondheim, once known as Nidaros, is where King Olav Haraldsson was canonised in 1031 and today contains a charming mixture of historic sights and stylish, modern architecture. There are interesting museums (Museum of Art, the Maritime Museum, the Trødelag folk museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts), the warehouses of Bryggen, the royal residence and the Nidarosdomen, Scandinavia’s greatest mediaeval building, built over the grave of Olav the Holy, the patron saint of Norway. Inland is the well-preserved mining town of Røros, with colourful, wooden houses with turf roofs. Since the 17th Century until 1977, the community combined agriculture with copper-mining. At Austrått you’ll find a beautiful white manor house dating from the Viking age, and one of the best-preserved mediaeval buildings in Norway. Just offshore are several islands including Munkholmen, Hitra and Frøya. The latter two are renowned for their deep-sea fishing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trøndelag is the central region of Norway, lying north of the western fjords and centred on the city of Trondheim and the Trondheimsfjord. It is known for Nidaros Cathedral, the burial place of St Olav and the end point of the St Olav pilgrim routes; for the UNESCO-listed copper-mining town of Røros; and for its food, as a former European Region of Gastronomy. The region combines a historic city with farmland, forests, a fjord coastline and the islands of Hitra and Frøya.

Trondheim, founded as Nidaros in the Viking age and Norway's early royal capital, is a compact city that rewards two or three nights. Nidaros Cathedral, begun in 1070 over the grave of St Olav, is its centrepiece, alongside the Archbishop's Palace and the royal residence of Stiftsgården. The colourful wharf warehouses along the Nidelva river, the Old Town Bridge and the Bakklandet quarter are best explored on foot, and Kristiansten Fortress gives views over the city. The Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum and the island of Munkholmen are a short trip away.

Røros lies inland near the Swedish border, around two and a half hours from Trondheim by train on the Røros line or by car. The former copper-mining town, worked from the 17th century until 1977, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with streets of painted wooden houses, turf-roofed buildings, smelting works and a church dating from 1784. It suits a stay of one or two nights, and in winter the town holds its traditional Rørosmartnan fair, with sleigh rides through the snow.

Clients can fly from the UK to Oslo and connect to Trondheim by domestic flight, or take the train from Oslo along the Dovre line in about seven hours. Some seasonal direct flights also operate from the UK to Trondheim. Within the region, the Røros line serves the inland mountain towns, and the Hurtigruten and Havila coastal ships call at Trondheim, sailing north towards the Lofoten Islands or south towards Ålesund and Bergen. A hire car suits the Trondheimsfjord, the Golden Road at Inderøy and the coastal islands.

Yes. The Nordland railway runs from Trondheim to Bodø, crossing the Arctic Circle on a scenic journey of about ten hours through forests, valleys and mountain plateaus. From Bodø, a fast ferry continues to Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands. Alternatively, the Hurtigruten and Havila coastal ships sail north from Trondheim along the coast, with overnight cabins. Both routes make Trondheim a natural first stop on a journey from Oslo or the fjords into Northern Norway.

Trøndelag has a strong food culture built on seafood, game and farm produce, and was named European Region of Gastronomy in 2022. Crab, langoustine and scallops come from the islands of Hitra and Frøya, while inland farms produce reindeer, moose, cured meats, cheese and traditional flatbreads such as lefse. Cloudberries are a local speciality. On the Inderøy peninsula, the Golden Road links farm shops, small producers and galleries, and Trondheim has a growing number of restaurants focused on regional ingredients.

Expressions Holidays offers a small selection of hotels across Trøndelag. In Trondheim, the Britannia Hotel is a historic five-star hotel with 257 rooms and suites, four restaurants and a spa, and Thon Hotel Nidaros is a four-star hotel in a gothic-style building in the city centre. In Røros, Bergstadens Hotel serves cuisine made from local produce, and on the Trondheimsfjord, Jegtvolden Fjordhotell at Inderøy is a waterfront hotel close to the Golden Road.

Trøndelag is often combined with other parts of Norway, and each holiday is planned around your dates, interests and preferred way of travelling. Examples include the six-night Norway's Fjords to Arctic Circle by Nordland Railway holiday, combining Trondheim and Bodø, from £2,200 per person, and the nine-night Three Capital Fjord Cities tour of Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim by train and coastal ship from £3,100 per person. One specialist consultant looks after the arrangements from first enquiry to your return, and every holiday includes a concierge service and Expressions Helpful Hints.

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

● Single centre or multi-centre
● Long or short stays
● Combine a number of different hotels in different regions
● Fly to Oslo or Trondheim or other regional airports and then use a mixture of transport
● Rail to Oslo via Copenhagen possible
● Mixture of transport includes flights, hire-car, trains, ferries

Our special interest holidays to Norway

● Cultural tours for individuals
● Walking holidays
● Private guided sightseeing
● City breaks
● Ski breaks - downhill and cross-country
● Family holidays
● Hiking
● Biking
● Activities on water such as kayaking, fishing
● Northern Lights hunting
● Sami culture experiences
● Stay in snow hotels

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Highlights of Trøndelag

Trondheim, once the Viking capital of Norway, and today Norway’s third city, known as the culinary capital of the country. Scenic attractions of the fjords, the Nidelva River and forests nearby. There is the Bymarka Nature Reserve, the Lade Trail and the island of Munkholmen. In the city itself, historic sites include Nidaros Cathedral, dating from 1070, the Archbishop’s Palace, Stiftsgården, Kristiansten Fortress, Bakklandet old town, and the Trøndelag Folk Museum. Between September and March, you can book an Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) experience from Trondheim (book at least 48 hours in advance through the Visit Trondheim tourist office).

Cultural highlights of Trøndelag

Trondheim is often the focal point for stays in this area and the ancient city is bursting with cultural activities and sites: Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim maritime museum, the Armory, the historic wharves, Steinvikholm castle. The Trondheim Symphony Orchestra and Opera give performances. Visit the Sverresborg Trondelag folk museum and the University museum. A short distance from Trondheim by train is the ancient mining town and now UNESCO World Heritage site of Røros. The old mining town is well preserved and the town has strong Sami traditions.

Festivals of Trøndelag

Røros has a 6-day winter fair, summer Olavsfest in Trondheim, Trondheim International Folm Festival, Trøndelag food festival, Jazz festival in May

Gastronomy of Trøndelag

The area is strong on seafood and fish. Hitra crab and Froya scallops are local foods. The region is also known for its cloudberries and reindeer meat. The countryside produces slow-growing vegetables. Must try specialities include crab, langoustine and other shellfish from Hitra and Froya; reindeer, moose and venison; cured meats and homemade flatbread; local baked goods such as lefse, lemse and pjalt; blue cheese and others. The region has many microbreweries and produces local juices.

Trøndelag travel information

Trondheim is reached by air and also by train from Oslo. It is also a port of call on the Hurtigruten and Havila coastal ferries.

By air

You can fly to Oslo and then connect to Trondheim by internal flight or train. However, there are also some direct flights from the UK to Trondheim which may be seasonal.

By rail

You can reach Trondheim by train from Oslo. The journey takes about 7 hours. From Trondheim you can take the train to Bodo, journey time being about 10 hours with a daily departure from Trondheim between 07.00 and 08.00 hrs. From Trondheim you can also explore locally by train on the Roros line.

By hire-car

A hire-car is recommended for getting into the countryside and if you want to tour the area. One-way drop-off charges can be expensive as it is costly to reposition the car locally, but we can arrange touring holidays that combine more than one hire-car perhaps or making sure the itinerary works so that you return the car to the original location.

Boats

Trondheim is an excellent starting point for one of the Hurigruten or Havila coastal cruises. North to Bodo and Lofoten, south to Alesund and Bergen.

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

Our special interest holidays to Norway

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday

Call us on 01392 441245

Here you will find a map of Trøndelag showing the locations of the hotels that we offer

Our bespoke, luxury hotel holidays can be

Our special interest holidays to Norway

Included in all our holidays

● Concierge service
● Handcrafted helpful hints and local information provided with all our holidays
● Personal service by your sales consultant who looks after all aspects of your holiday