Trondheim - Norway - page 359

and a Japanese collection showcasing that country's creativity in metalwork,
lacquer, textiles, and pottery.
Munkegate 3-7. & 73-80-89-50. Admission 50NOK ($7.10) adults, 25NOK ($3.55) children, students, and
seniors. June 1-Aug 20 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm; off season Tues-Sat 10am-3pm (Thurs until
5pm), Sun noon-4pm. Bus: 1 or 4.
Ringve Museum Visited only on guided tours, this is the only Norwe-
gian museum specializing in musical instruments from all over the world. Set on
the Ringve Estate on the Lade Peninsula, the building originated in the 1740s
as a prosperous manor house and farmstead. The mansion was the birthplace of
Admiral Tordenskiold, the Norwegian sea hero. The museum today consists of
two parts—the museum in the manor house and a permanent exhibition in the
estate's former barn. In the barn you can hear the special sound of Norwegian
folk music instruments; there's even a hands-on exhibition where you can dis-
cover the budding musician in yourself. At specified times, concerts are given on
carefully preserved antique instruments, including an impressive collection of
spinets, harpsichords, clavichords, pianofortes, and string and wind instru-
ments. Also on the premises is an old kro (inn) that serves waffles, light refresh-
ments, and coffee.
Lade Allé 60 (3.3km/2 miles east from the center of town at Ringve Manor). & 73-87-02-80. Admission
70NOK ($9.95) adults, 25NOK ($3.55) children, 40NOK ($5.70) students. Guided tours May-Aug 11am-4pm
daily several times a day; Sept-Apr Sun 11am-4pm, 1 tour only at 1pm; Oct-May 19 Sun at 11am and 4pm.
Bus: 3 or 4.
Rustkammeret/Hjemmefrontmuseet One of Norway's oldest museums,
this is a combined army museum and a “Home Front Museum,” both con-
nected with the Archbishop's Palace (see above). In the army museum, the his-
tory of the military is traced from the days of the Vikings. Of more recent
vintage, the Home Front Museum presents the drama of central Norway during
the Nazi occupation in World War II.
Kongsgårdsgata. & 73-99-52-80. Free admission. Mar-Aug Mon-Fri 9am-3pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm;
Sept-Oct Sat-Sun 11am-4pm. Closed Nov-Feb. Bus: 2, 5, 6, 7, or 9.
Stiftsgården This buttercup-yellow royal palace near the marketplace was
built as a private home by a rich merchant's widow in the 1770s, when Trond-
heim began to regain its prosperity. It's the largest wooden building in northern
Europe, with 144 rooms encompassing approximately 1,080 sq. m (12,000 sq.
ft.). The exterior walls were notched together, log-cabin style, then sheathed
with wooden exterior panels. The unpretentious furnishings represent an amal-
gam of design styles.
Munkegate 23. & 73-84-28-80. Admission 50NOK ($7.10) adults, 25NOK ($3.55) children, 100NOK ($14)
family. Guided tours every hour on the hour. June 1-Aug 20 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun noon-5pm. Closed
Aug 21 to late June. Bus: 2, 5, 6, 7, or 9.
Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum One of Norway's major
folk-culture museums, this complex is filled with farmhouses, cottages,
churches, and town buildings, representing aspects of everyday life in the region
over the past 3 centuries. Kids often find this attraction a kind of “Trondheim
Disneyworld,” but it's more real than Mickey Mouse land. It's both educational
and fun to wander about, like a journey back to a living past. Standing 5km
(3 miles) west of the center, the complex is composed of 60 historic, laboriously
dismantled and reassembled buildings, all made from wood and stone, includ-
ing the first all-brick building in Trondheim (ca. 1780). Among the compound's
most interesting buildings are the 200-year-old barns, many with sod roofs,

Kids