From Coffee Stand to One of the Biggest
The beautiful Trondheim Christmas market. Photo: Will Lee-Wright
The annual Trondheim Christmas Market in midtown kicks off on December 4th, running for nearly an entire month until December 21st! Visiting the Trondheim Christmas Market is one of the best things to do in Trondheim during the winter and a perfect opportunity to learn about Norwegian Christmas traditions and ‘trøndersk’ food and culture.
Photo: Mckenna Starck
Locals and visitors alike agree that nothing fills the darker months of winter with twinkling lights and genuine Christmas joy like Trondheim’s very own Christmas market. Located in the heart of Trondheim at the town square, the Trondheim Christmas Market is now one of the largest in the Nordics. This year marks the 22nd consecutive year of what has been recognized by major international media like the UK Telegraph as one of Europe’s top sixteen Christmas markets. Each year, thousands of visitors stroll through the open-air market:
Photo: Wil Lee-Wright
It’s a magical winter wonderland setting, complete with horse-drawn carriages, local fare, and tasty treats accompanied by festive music, nestled in traditional indigenous Sámi tents with wood-burning fires. In 2021, the Trondheim Christmas Market introduced a ferris wheel to the already jam-packed concept, which offers audio guides in Norwegian, English, and German.
Photo: Marius Rua
From Christmas lovers to Scrooges, everyone finds a little bit of warmth at ‘julemarkedet’. Perhaps it is the low-key offerings of locally produced food, beverages, and presents, or the display of Trondheim’s tallest Christmas tree that makes this tradition a truly memorable occasion each year. It may be the feeling of unexpectedly crossing paths with friends, family, or colleagues to wish one another happy holidays, or hearing one of the resident troubadours belting out cherished carols and songs while enjoying a seasonal beverage. This sensory experience of lights and traditional decorations, filled with the comforting scents of Christmas fires and roasting almonds, will be everything you need to prepare for the most-anticipated time of the year.
From its humble beginnings in 2002 with a few simple stands offering a cup of coffee to today’s market stretching in three directions from the town square, Trondheim Christmas Market displays over 80 exhibitors and providers bringing you unique hand-crafted goods, and local food and beverages. At ‘julemarkedet’, you can shape your own Christmas, all the while sharing in the magical feeling of a traditional Norwegian ‘jul’. Read more about the history of ‘Julemarkedet Trondheim’ further down in the article.�