ABOUT
Niklas and Eleni both come from Germany. Eleni is from the eastern part (Erfurt) and Niklas is from the western part (Cologne). In 2015, they met at the university, where Niklas studied computer science and Eleni studied chemistry. They got married in 2022, right before moving to Norway. They speak German and English and are now trying to learn Norwegian, but they moved before knowing the language.
Moving to Trondheim
When and why did you move to Trondheim ?
Our move to Trondheim in October 2022 was more of a coincidence. We always discussed living abroad, and we both agreed that it would be either Canada or the Scandinavian peninsula. The colder weather and the closeness to nature sounded perfect to us. The plan was to go on holiday in Norway and Sweden (where we had never really been before) and decide afterwards which one we like best. Before the holiday, Eleni went to a chemistry fair and talked to companies from both countries to get an overview of her possibilities. Three weeks later, she had a signed contract, and we used the holiday to find a flat in Trondheim. At that point, we were just hoping for the best and after visiting Sweden, we knew that Norway was the right decision.
What specifically is Trondheim famous for?
Foremost, it is a student city. NTNU, the biggest university in Norway, is located here. Roughly one third of Trondheimâs inhabitants are students, and you can feel that.
Trondheim is also home to the impressive Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen), a medieval cathedral that has served as the traditional location for the consecration of the Norwegian kings. It is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and a significant pilgrimage site.
There is a charming and historic neighbourhood on the east side of the river, known for its well-preserved wooden buildings, narrow streets, and vibrant atmosphere. Bakklandet is a popular area for shopping, dining, and exploring.
Trondheim is also home to the impressive Nidaros Cathedral (Nidarosdomen), a medieval cathedral that has served as the traditional location for the consecration of the Norwegian kings. It is the northernmost medieval cathedral in the world and a significant pilgrimage site.
There is a charming and historic neighbourhood on the east side of the river, known for its well-preserved wooden buildings, narrow streets, and vibrant atmosphere. Bakklandet is a popular area for shopping, dining, and exploring.
What should people consider before deciding to move to Trondheim?
The pay is not always as good as expat websites like to make us believe. Maybe in the Oslo area, but certainly not in the smaller cities. Also, people are not very outgoing here. They are friendly, but befriending a Norwegian is a lot of work. When you are a student or in your early 20s, it’s easier, though.
How did you get set up? (phone plan, bank âŠ)
In Norway, you need a personal number. Without it, you canât do anything. But once you have it, everything kind of clicks into place. They know who you are and opening bank accounts, phone contracts etc. can be done easily via the internet. The only problem was that it took nearly three months to get the number, and you canât apply for it before you actually live there (if you are from outside the EU or donât have a job yet, it can take even longer).
Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance?
Not at all. Medical insurance is free and covered by taxes. You only pay a small amount per appointment, but never more than ~3000 NOK a year. But one should keep in mind that dentists are not included in this free health insurance. You can always get an extra insurance to get more or better coverage, and some companies also give you an additional insurance as a benefit.
What did you bring with you?
Everything! We rented a truck, called a few friends and emptied our 100 sqm flat in one stressful day. Student Style. We realized too late that these trucks are only cut out for a certain load, and with our furniture alone we already reached the maximum weight. We stored our boxes in the cellar of our old flat and Niklas drove the truck 20h (!) up to TrondheimâŠwith the dog as only companion. Eleni took the plane because her work had already started. When Niklas arrived, we unloaded the truck, he drove back and one week later returned with another rental truck and our boxes.
How did you find an apartment?
Flats can be found on either finn.no or hyble.no. We visited Trondheim on our trip through Scandinavia and viewed a couple of flats. We wanted to settle for a sublease, which was far from perfect, but we needed some place to stay. Then our current landlords wrote to ask us if we wanted to rent their place. They saw our profile on hyble.no and thought we would be a good fit. The place is 50 sqm smaller than we were looking for, but the location is amazing. We now live in a 3-Room-flat with a beautiful view over the fjord and directly located at one of Trondheimâs beaches. We pay around 14000 NOK/ month, which is not cheap, but still reasonably priced for this proximity to the city. But you can definitely find something cheaper if you look longer and donât bring a dog (this limits the options – as everywhere).
What surprised you about life there?
Although Trondheim is the third-largest city in Norway with about 250,000 inhabitants, we consider it a small town. Surprisingly, it feels way bigger than expected and small at the same time. There is everything bigger cities offer: plenty of shops, food options, nightlife, events. But at the same time, you see the same people and familiar faces everywhere you go.
Another surprise was how well we handled the dark winter days and how bad the bright summer nights were. Coming that far up north, we knew that winter without daylight (or only three hours of sun) will be hard. But most of the weekdays we would sit inside the office anyway, and when the snow hit in December it started to get much brighter from the reflection alone. Summer was, however, a tough one. Even at 2 AM, it felt like 6 PM, and we just could not get ourselves to go to bed. Our minds were sleep-deprived, but our bodies were not tired. It was the best feeling to finally see the stars again in late summer.
Living in Trondheim
What apps / websites / stores do you find useful in your daily life in Trondheim?
There are a couple of apps that we use often. AtB (A to B) is the app for Trondheimâs public transport system. Vipps is used to pay in some stores or send money to friends free of charge. Yr is a great app for weather forecast in Norway, and UT (ut.no) is a nice place to find hikes and tours for the weekend.
Usually all of these apps have a website which is useful as well. Also, Facebook is used a lot for events and information.
Rema1000 is usually the âcheaperâ place to go grocery shopping. Other places are Coop, Meny, Kiwi and so on. Coop also has a lot of stores for more than just groceries, like Obs Bygg as a hardware store.
What are your favourite places in Trondheim ?
Mat far Hagen is a great place to find Vegan food. They have an all-you-can-eat buffet or wraps and sandwiches.
There is also a second-hand store called Transit where you can sit on all kinds of furniture and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.
We live right at Korsvika, a beautiful beach, which is sadly a little crowded in the summer. It is also a perfect place to watch the northern lights.
For hiking and weekend trips, Bymarka in the west and Estenstadmarka in the east a beautiful all year around.
A little bit outside the city you can find Storfossen which, like the Norwegian name suggests, is a big Waterfall. But what is really amazing about Storfossen is the hike to it. Just follow the river from Hommelvik into the forest. Itâs magical.
There is also a second-hand store called Transit where you can sit on all kinds of furniture and enjoy a nice cup of coffee.
We live right at Korsvika, a beautiful beach, which is sadly a little crowded in the summer. It is also a perfect place to watch the northern lights.
For hiking and weekend trips, Bymarka in the west and Estenstadmarka in the east a beautiful all year around.
A little bit outside the city you can find Storfossen which, like the Norwegian name suggests, is a big Waterfall. But what is really amazing about Storfossen is the hike to it. Just follow the river from Hommelvik into the forest. Itâs magical.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Trondheim?
Currently, we try to live with 30000 NOK (~2550EUR) each month. That includes rent, energy, food and some pub/restaurant visits. Both of us spend a little bit extra for lunch at the office if we donât prepare something the day before. We are definitely not frugal, but always have some money left at the end of the month. Also, our rent is not the cheapest. Finally, we bought a car last month, so we will see if we need to raise our budget.
What's on your list of favourite restaurants and cafés in Trondheim?
– Mat fra Hagen (vegan)
– Espresso House (cafĂ© with a couple of vegan alternatives)
– Transit (second hand store with coffee bar)
– Espresso House (cafĂ© with a couple of vegan alternatives)
– Transit (second hand store with coffee bar)
Do you feel safe in trondheim?
Yes, very safe!
What are some local artists that you recommend checking out?
Frode Jektvik, AleneMor and Los Bandidos – We me those three Bands/Singer at the Three Lions Pub while attending Pub quizzes.
Final Thoughts
What do you know about music from Norway?
Apparently, Black Metal is very common in Norway.
Was it easy making friends and meeting people?
Itâs not easy at all. When you are not in university any more it gets surprisingly hard.
It also does not help that Norwegians are not known for being social.
But we managed. We now have a decent social circle. Friendships just need longer to build here, and maybe you have to join a club or go out of your comfort zone to do so, but eventually also the Norwegians come around. It also helps that Trondheim is very international and so other expats are easier to befriend since they are in the same situation.
What are some disadvantages to living in Trondheim?
Not Trondheim-related, but the family is far away. Sure, you can fly there in a few hours (if nothing goes wrong), but you have to fly, there is no other way (it takes 21h constant driving including ferry from where we used to live).
What are your plans for the future?
Currently, we are working on converting our VW T6 into a camper van to go on trips through Norway. We really want to see more of this amazing country. We have never been north of Trondheim yet and we are really looking forward to it!
Thank you so much Niklas and Eleni for sharing your incredible journey moving to Norway! I loved the part where you talk about seeing the stars again, thatâs quite magical. Good luck with your future endeavors đ Their Instagram : Here
