The Trondheimsfjord
A historic voyage along the seaway where earls and powerful chieftains once set out to unite Norway as a nation under one king
Be fully alert when you sail into Norway’s third-longest fjord, between the passages of Kristiansund-Trondheim and Trondheim-Rørvik. You will see thriving birdlife, luxuriant green hills, and numerous historic sites. At Reins Cloister at Rissa on the Fosen Peninsula¸ archaeologists have found artifacts from 3,000-year-old settlements.
Harald Fairhair united the country under one kingdom and became the first king of Norway. This was achieved with considerable assistance from the earls in Trøndelag at the decisive battle fought at Hafrsfjord in 885 A.D.
The Trondheimsfjord is Norway’s third-longest fjord, stretching more than 80 miles from the Agdenes lighthouse to Hjellebotn. The outer stretch is approximately 2 – 3 miles, and then the fjord widens as it bends eastward towards Trondheim and further northeast, with a number of fjord arms branching from this fjord.
Previously, the inner stretches were busy with maritime traffic, but now only a few ferry crossings remain. The Norwegian Armed Forces’ seafaring activities here have also been downsized substantially. Still visible, however, are German coastal defense fortifications built during World War II to protect Trøndelag against an Allied invasion.
Several of our ships have been built at shipyards along the fjord. Both MS Midnatsol and MS Trollfjord were built at Fosen Mekaniske Veksted, close to Rissa.
