Bakklandet, Trondheim (must see)

Bakklandet is sometimes referred to as "Old Trondheim." This is inaccurate. The first settlements of Trondheim were in Kalvskinnet. Bakklandet is an area along the river Nidelva, that flows through the city to the fjords and the sea. The Bakklandet area today may be an idyllic tourist mecca, but originally it was a center for trade.

Bakklandet was an open area outside the city. It was first developed in the early 17th century. The city had grown and needed to build across the river Nidelva. Bakklandet became the first suburb of Trondheim. As fate would have it, the Swedes attacked Trondheim in 1658 and they burned Bakklandet to the ground.

In 1681 the city bridge was thrown across the Nidelva, connecting Trondheim to Bakklandet and Kristiansten Fortress. Traffic increased and trade and opportunities with it. Fires remained a problem. Ships were forbidden to store flammable goods on board. Trading houses built piers in Bakklandet. Business grew apace.

The Swedes came back in 1718. This time they did not burn down Bakklandet. Norwegian troops did that, to create a defensive open area around Trondheim. In the wake of the Swedes came reconstruction once more. By 1770 the streets were paved and Bakklandet was back in business.

The neighborhood of Bakklandet today is composed of smallish wooden houses and narrow streets. The old warehouse buildings along the river stand in the water on their pilings. Tourists wander over the plank walkways of the Old Town Bridge. They stop to take a look at the view of the town and the river.