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Nidaros Cathedral
Photo: DXR · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
🇳🇴 Trondheim, Norway · Lutheran · Built c. 1070-1300; major restoration 1869-2001 Closed now

Nidaros Cathedral

Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim is Norway's most important church and a national sanctuary, built over the burial site of King Olav II (St Olav), the monarch credited with bringing Christianity to Norway. Construction began around 1070 and continued until about 1300, producing the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and a masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic architecture.

Throughout the Middle Ages the shrine of St Olav made Nidaros one of the great pilgrimage destinations of northern Europe, and the ancient pilgrim routes to the cathedral have been revived in modern times. The building suffered fires and decline after the Reformation before undergoing a vast restoration between 1869 and 2001 that recreated its elaborately sculpted west front and richly decorated interior.

Nidaros is the church where Norwegian monarchs are consecrated, and the Norwegian crown regalia are kept in Trondheim. Today it continues to welcome pilgrims and visitors and to host daily worship, standing as a symbol of Norwegian Christianity, nationhood and continuity.

Annual visitors
≈ 400,000
Local time
00:34 (Europe/Oslo)

🕘 Visiting hours

Mon–Fri 10:00–15:00
Sat 10:00–14:00
Sun 13:00–15:00

Hours extended in summer (often to 17:00-18:00); winter as low as 15:00 close; approximate

Saints & blessed venerated here

  • Olav II Haraldsson (St Olav) Saint

    Patron and national saint; cathedral built over his tomb, Norway's chief shrine

  • Mary the Virgin Saint

    Marian devotion central to the medieval cathedral

  • Sunniva Saint

    Patron saint of western Norway venerated in Norwegian tradition

  • Hallvard Vebjornsson Saint

    Norwegian martyr saint depicted and venerated in Norway's medieval church

Care & donations

Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Workshop (Nidaros domkirkes restaureringsarbeider)

Admission charge for visitors; free entry for worship services

Official website →

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