A Comprehensive Guide about Living in Trondheim

Life in Trondheim

Education in Trondheim

Trondheim’s cityscape is dominated by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), along with other technology-oriented institutions like the SINTEF research facility and St. Olav’s University Hospital.

NTNU is the second largest university in Norway. As its name suggests, the university is focused on engineering and the natural and physical sciences. It also offers advanced degrees in other academic disciplines such as architecture, medicine, fine arts and the social sciences. NTNU is ranked among the top 246 universities in the world by the Top Universities Guide.

There are two international schools in Trondheim — Birralee International School and Trondheim International School. Birralee, which caters to children aged four to 16, follows a curriculum based on the British National Curriculum, and also meets the requirements of the Norwegian National Curriculum. Trondheim International School runs both a preschool for three to six year olds, as well as an International Baccalaureate program for children aged six to 16.

Healthcare in Trondheim

As a whole, Norway is one of the healthiest nations in the world. This is due in large part to the country’s superb healthcare system, which is heavily subsidized by the government and supported by the country’s National Healthcare Scheme (NIS). Contrary to popular belief outside of the country, public healthcare in Norway is not completely free, but is still highly affordable compared to other countries. If you visit a doctor, you will have to pay a fee. However, once you reach a limit of 2105 NOK, you won’t have to pay any more medical bills for the rest of that calendar year. It is worth noting that dental care for anyone over 16 is not included in the government health insurance scheme.

Expats who are registered in the National Population Register (Folkeregister) will automatically be assigned a general practitioner (GP) from within the public healthcare system. You can find a GP yourself if you wish, and are allowed to change once per year.

The main hospital in Trondheim is St Olav’s University Hospital. The emergency number for ambulances is 113, while the number for St. Olav’s is +47 06800. Response times for ambulances are normally very good.

Culture and Leisure in Trondheim

Whether you’re an expat who’s into theater, music, art or cinema, you will be well-catered for while living in Trondheim. The Trondheim Museum of Arts houses Norway’s third largest collection of public art, mainly the works of Norwegian artists from the last 150 years.

As for theater, Trondheim has the oldest working theater in the whole of Scandinavia — the Trøndelag Teater, which puts on regular plays. The city’s film scene is also very vibrant.

Trondheim is known for having a varied music scene — the city has its own symphony orchestra, while lovers of pop and rock music will be interested to know that Norway’s National Center for Pop and Rock Music is located in the city, and is known as Rockheim.

Skiing is extremely popular in Norway, and Trondheim makes no exception. Granåsen is a Nordic skiing venue situated in Byåsen, and regularly plays host to World Cup competitions in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and biathlon. Hiking and recreational skiing are popular activities among the city’s residents.