Nidarosdomen is the world's northernmost medieval cathedral and the most important church in Norway. It was built over the grave of King Olav Haraldsson, who was killed at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 and declared a saint the following year. According to tradition, when the coffin was opened a year after burial, his body was unchanged, with hair and nails still growing. A healing spring emerged from the grave. The site became the biggest pilgrimage destination in Northern Europe.
Construction of the stone cathedral began around 1070 and took over 200 years, in a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles using local soapstone. At its peak, Nidaros rivalled Canterbury and Santiago de Compostela as a pilgrim destination.
Then came the Reformation. In 1537 the last Catholic archbishop, Olav Engelbrektsson, fled to the Netherlands. The silver shrine containing St. Olav's remains was sent to Denmark and melted into coins. The bones were secretly reburied somewhere inside the cathedral. By the 1570s, nobody remembered where. They are presumably still there, but no one knows the spot. The only relic that survived is a femur, now in a silver reliquary in Oslo's Catholic cathedral.
The building itself has burned six times: in 1328, 1432, 1451, 1531, 1708, and 1719 when lightning struck. After each fire, only the stone walls remained. A major restoration started in 1869 and was not fully finished until 2001. The west front, rebuilt between 1905 and 1983, is a mix of what could be reconstructed from old drawings and what the sculptors simply invented. One detail: the Archangel Michael on top of the northwest tower, sculpted by Kristofer Leirdal in 1965, has the face of Bob Dylan. Leirdal said he was inspired by Dylan's opposition to the Vietnam War.
This is where Norwegian kings are consecrated. The last coronation was King Håkon VII in 1906. Since then the ceremony has been a consecration, most recently King Harald V in 1991. The Norwegian crown jewels are displayed in the cathedral.
In summer you can climb the 172 steps to the top of the tower for the best view over the city. The pilgrim route to Nidaros (St. Olavsleden) was revived and recognized as a European Cultural Route in 2010. Pilgrims still arrive on foot.
Right next to the cathedral is Erkebispegården, the Archbishop's Palace. It was the residence of Norway's archbishops from the 12th century until the Reformation. Today it houses a museum with medieval artefacts, original gargoyles removed from the cathedral, and the army museum. The two buildings together take about 90 minutes if you visit both interiors.
Construction of the stone cathedral began around 1070 and took over 200 years, in a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles using local soapstone. At its peak, Nidaros rivalled Canterbury and Santiago de Compostela as a pilgrim destination.
Then came the Reformation. In 1537 the last Catholic archbishop, Olav Engelbrektsson, fled to the Netherlands. The silver shrine containing St. Olav's remains was sent to Denmark and melted into coins. The bones were secretly reburied somewhere inside the cathedral. By the 1570s, nobody remembered where. They are presumably still there, but no one knows the spot. The only relic that survived is a femur, now in a silver reliquary in Oslo's Catholic cathedral.
The building itself has burned six times: in 1328, 1432, 1451, 1531, 1708, and 1719 when lightning struck. After each fire, only the stone walls remained. A major restoration started in 1869 and was not fully finished until 2001. The west front, rebuilt between 1905 and 1983, is a mix of what could be reconstructed from old drawings and what the sculptors simply invented. One detail: the Archangel Michael on top of the northwest tower, sculpted by Kristofer Leirdal in 1965, has the face of Bob Dylan. Leirdal said he was inspired by Dylan's opposition to the Vietnam War.
This is where Norwegian kings are consecrated. The last coronation was King Håkon VII in 1906. Since then the ceremony has been a consecration, most recently King Harald V in 1991. The Norwegian crown jewels are displayed in the cathedral.
In summer you can climb the 172 steps to the top of the tower for the best view over the city. The pilgrim route to Nidaros (St. Olavsleden) was revived and recognized as a European Cultural Route in 2010. Pilgrims still arrive on foot.
Right next to the cathedral is Erkebispegården, the Archbishop's Palace. It was the residence of Norway's archbishops from the 12th century until the Reformation. Today it houses a museum with medieval artefacts, original gargoyles removed from the cathedral, and the army museum. The two buildings together take about 90 minutes if you visit both interiors.