A colourful, historic capital of Norway, Trondheim's history reaches back to 997 AD, when it was founded by Viking King Olav Tryggvason. It may be Norway's third-biggest city, but there's a welcoming and intimate feel here, with a photogenic waterfront, and glowing wooden warehouses adding old-time charm. The history runs deep, but nowadays Trondheim is also a leading technology centre, and home to 30,000 students, who inject youth and vitality into the city's streets. View lessMuseums dedicated to Norway's musical heritage will strike a sweet chord, while the endless wilds of central Norway and the Trondheim Fjord unveil themselves close by. A destructive fire laid to rest to old Trondheim's narrow wooden alleyways, but a flavour of the old city survives in the Bakklandet neighbourhood. Traditional timber houses and colourful wharves line up along the waterfront, painting a pretty picture with pistachio-green and turmeric-yellow licks of paint. Vibrating cyclists rattle along the cobbled old streets, while flowers spill down from window ledges in this quaint, but lively area of cafes, restaurants and curiosity shops. Head to the Old Town bridge - Gamle Bybro - to enjoy the colourful lines of houses on both sides of the river, on your way to the gothic Nidaros Cathedral, which towers above the city, with its pointed, emerald-green spire punctuating the sky. The most northerly Gothic cathedral in Europe, aim to visit during one of the organ performances that rattle the beautiful stain-glass windows. Built on the burial site of King Olaf, in 1070, you can test your knees by taking on the narrow ascent of the tower, where glorious views of Trondheim await. Take in the beauty of the city with a trundling tour aboard the most northerly tram in the world - Gråkallbanen.