Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim (must see)

King Olav II reigned in Norway from 1015 to 1028. He is also Saint Olav, the patron saint of Norway. Nidaros Cathedral was built to be the burial site of Saint Olav. It took over 230 years before it was complete in 1300. The cathedral has also served as the coronation site of the kings of Norway.

The cathedral was named Nidaros, after the original name for Trondheim. It was Catholic until 1537, when it was swept up in the Protestant Reformation and taken over by the New Church of Norway. It is the world's northernmost medieval cathedral.

The great stone church can seat 1,850 souls. It shows Gothic and Romanesque architectural influences. In 1814 the cathedral served as a polling station in Norway's first national election.

There were fires in 1327 and again in 1531. In 1708 the cathedral was totally burned down, leaving only the stone walls. In 1719 it was struck by lightning and once more burned.

Restoration began in 1869. It was declared completed in 2001 but maintenance of the structure continues. The west facade of the cathedral is alive with carved figures and animals. Only five of the actual medieval statues have survived intact. Those not unscathed can be found in the Archbishop's Palace museum.

Saint Michael perches at the highest point of the north tower, wings spread while he sticks it to the devil in the form of a dragon. The facade is covered with masks, angels, gargoyles and as many creatures as can be imagined.

The octagon shaped choir and its ambulatory are the oldest parts of the Cathedral. The ambulatory is joined to the choir by a stone screen with three arches. The center arch frames the figure of Christ the Teacher. At the site of the medieval high altar is a silver reliquary holding an arm of Saint Olav.

A second altar is in the intersection of the transept and the nave. The altar holds a modern crucifix commissioned by Norwegian-American immigrants of the 20th century.

Each year Nidaros cathedral is the venue for Olav's Wake, the anniversary of Saint Olav's death.