Midtbyen is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
of the
city of Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and i ...
in
Trondheim Municipality
Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populou ...
in
Trøndelag
Trøndelag (; or is a county and coextensive with the Trøndelag region (also known as ''Midt-Norge'' or ''Midt-Noreg,'' "Mid-Norway") in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County (); in 1804 the county was ...
county,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
. The borough comprises much of the city centre of downtown
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; ), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros, and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2022, it had a population of 212,660. Trondheim is the third most populous municipality in Norway, and is ...
plus part of the
Bymarka rural areas to the west.
Location
Midtbyen proper is located north and west of the river
Nidelva
Nidelva is a river in Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. The name of the long river translates to "the River Nid" since the suffix ''elva'' is the Norwegian language, Norwegian word for "the river".
Location
The Nidelva starts at the Hytt ...
, south of the Trondheim channel and east of the neighborhood of
Ila, thus being north of
Øya and
Elgeseter, west of
Bakklandet
Bakklandet is a neighborhood in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. It lies in the borough of Østbyen in Trondheim Municipality, on the east side of the Nidelva river between the Bakke Bridge (''Bakke bru'') and the Old Town Br ...
and south of
Brattøra. The borough of Midtbyen also comprises areas of Ila,
Byåsen,
Trolla and
Stavne. The city's most historic buildings and central institutions are located here. The area is primarily
commercial
Commercial may refer to:
* (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services
** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money
* a dose of advertising ...
with
office building
An office is a space where the employees of an organization perform administrative work in order to support and realize the various goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...
s and
retail stores
The retail format (also known as the retail formula) influences the consumer's store choice and addresses the consumer's expectations. At its most basic level, a retail format is a simple marketplace, that is; a location where goods and services ar ...
, though there is also some dense housing. The westernmost part of Midtbyen is dominated by housing, while commercial interests dominate the eastern section. In the middle of Midtbyen is Trondheim Torg (''Trondheim torv''), a square that features a statue of the city's founder,
Olav Tryggvason.
History
Midtbyen dates back to the
Viking Age
The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...
when it started as a marketplace, in 997 according to the saga of Olav Tryggvason. It was formerly called Kaupangen i Nidaros by Olav Tryggvason and later Nidaros (
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
: Niðaróss). The original marketplace of Trondheim grew up around the mouth of the
Nid River. In the 11th century, Nidaros was turned into the
Archiepiscopate of Nidaros and for a period, until 1217, it was the capital of Norway. Midtbyen and the immediate surrounding area remained the only settled area of Trondheim until the late 19th century when the city started expanding outside the Midtbyen limits. The name Midtbyen dates back to after the merging of Trondheim with the surrounding
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
in the 1960s.
Transport
As the centre of the city, Midtbyen serves as the most important
transportation hub in Trondheim. Public transport has its main hub at the intersection of Prinsens Gate and Kongens Gate, while the
Trondheim Tramway
The Trondheim Tramway in Trondheim, Norway, is the world's most northerly tramway system, following the closure and dismantling of the Arkhangelsk tramways in Russia. It consists of one line, the Gråkallen Line, running from St. Olav's Gate ...
terminates at
St. Olavs gate. Just over the canal on
Brattøra is
Trondheim Central Station providing both local and express train services. In the summer there is also a ferry to
Munkholmen
Munkholmen () is an islet in Trondheim Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. The island sits in the Trondheimsfjord about northwest of the island of Brattøra and the mouth of the river Nidelva in the center of the city of Trondheim. The ...
from Ravnkloa.
Media gallery
TrondheimNidelva-improved.jpg, Traditional buildings along Nidelva
Nidelva is a river in Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. The name of the long river translates to "the River Nid" since the suffix ''elva'' is the Norwegian language, Norwegian word for "the river".
Location
The Nidelva starts at the Hytt ...
2010-08-04 - Trondheim - Nidarosdom 2 - panoramio - Edgar El.jpg, Nidaros Cathedral
Trondheim sentrum, Bakklandet, Brattøra.jpg, Port area
Institutions
The southern part of Midtbyen is dominated by
places of worship, including
Nidaros Cathedral
Nidaros Cathedral () is a Church of Norway cathedral located in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county. It is built over the burial site of Olav II of Norway, King Olav II ( 995–1030, reigned 1015–1028), who became the patron saint of th ...
(''Nidarosdomen'') and the
VÃ¥r Frue Church
Vår Frue Church ( / ) is a medieval parish church of the Church of Norway in Trondheim Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the downtown Midtbyen, Trondheim, Midtbyen area of the city of Trondheim, just a few blocks north ...
, while
Kalvskinnet, the southwestern sections of Midtbyen, hosts the
engineering
Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
and
computer
A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...
faculty of
Sør-Trøndelag University College and the institute of
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
at the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU; ) is a public university, public research university in Norway and the largest in terms of enrollment. The university's headquarters is located in Trondheim (city), Trondheim, with region ...
. The central area of Midtbyen is dominated by financial institutions, including the corporate headquarters of
Sparebanken Midt-Norge,
BNbank and
Fokus Bank.
See also
*
List of boroughs in Trondheim prior to 2005
References
External links
Map of the boroughs of Trondheim
{{authority control
Geography of Trondheim