Kristiansten Festning

A Fortress from the Past

Walking through the park surrounding Kristiansten Festning.

On Sunday afternoon, the sun was out and shining in Trondheim. We took advantage of the pleasant weather to do a bit of sightseeing.  Our first stop was to Kristiansten Festning (Kristiansten Fortress).

Near the fortress entrance looking down towards the city.

Kristiansten Festning lies on a large hill in the east side of Trondheim, and was built in 1681 to protect the city center from invaders. 

Welcome to Kristiansten Fortress.

Construction for the fortress completed in 1685, and saw its first main invasion by the Swedes in 1718. After an intense battle, the Swedes were forced to retreat back to Sweden, however many perished during the occupation and retreat due to the horrendous winter conditions.

Outer wall of the fortress.

During WWII, the fortress was used by the Nazis to execute Norwegians. However, after the war the tables were turned and a number of war criminals and traitors were executed on the site.

The defensive tower and canons lined up atop the fortress.

Today the fortress mainly consists of canons positioned along the edges, a restaurant, old stable area, and defense tower. There are also a few different levels and some tunnels to explore.

On the top floor of dojonen (the defensive tower)

Dojonen, or the defensive tower, is the present-day fortress museum.  Admission is free, and inside there are different historical displays and artifacts recovered from the site.  The tower has three floors accessible to the public by ladder. On every level canons guard the windows. The top floor had a low ceiling, but I was the perfect size to walk around without needing to duck. The wooden beams on the actual floors themselves were a bit sketchy in some places, so we didn't stay up top too long before heading back downstairs.

View of Trondheim from atop the fortress.

If you want to get a good view of Trondheim, then the fortress is the place to be! It's also fairly close to the city center, and easy to walk up to, making the views more than worth it.

Different levels within the fortress.

Though there aren't too many actual buildings standing atop the fortress, there is quite a lot of space along the grounds, and also a large park surrounding the fortress down below.

Art sculpture standing near the defensive tower.

There were a lot of interesting sculptures around the grounds of the fortress. Most were different humanoid figurines, but also a few dog sculptures.

Statue of a crying girl.

Honestly, the artwork was a bit dark and somber. Most figurines were kind of cowering or had their faces hidden, making them look slightly frightening and almost demonic.

Looking east over the fortress grounds.

Besides taking in the history and vantage point, the fortress is a great space to walk around, take in some fresh air, or even enjoy a picnic. 

Photo-op with Norwegian flag and cannons.

I had a lovely time visiting Kristiansten Festning and definitely would recommend stopping by it if you visit Trondheim!