Active Pursuits

In summer the people of Trondheim take to their great outdoors. Summer is short, and they aim to make the best of it.

Fishing -- Fishing aficionados throughout Norway have heard about the waters below the Leirfossen Dam, 8.8km (5 1/2 miles) south of Trondheim's center. When it was built, no provisions were made -- much to the rage of ecologists -- for the migration of salmon to spawning grounds upriver. Consequently, the waters at the dam's base have traditionally teemed with a rich variety of marine life, especially salmon. The largest salmon ever caught at the dam's base weighed 32 kilograms (71 lb.) -- an awe-inspiring record. In addition, the River Nidelva is one of the best salmon and trout rivers in Norway. For more information about fishing licenses, contact TOFA (Trondheim og Omland Jakt- og Fiskeadministrasjon), Leirfossvn 76 (tel. 73-96-55-80), the authority controlling fishing in Trondheim and its surroundings.

Golf -- Just a 5-minute drive from the Trondheim Airport at Vaernes, Stjørdal Golfklubb (tel. 74-84-01-50) is the only 18-hole golf course between Rena in the south and Narvik in the north. For Norway, its season is long, lasting from May until the end of October. Another of the city's golf courses, Trondheim Golfklubb, lies at Sommerseter in Bymarka. This 9-hole course opens onto panoramic views of the city. The Midnight Golf Tournament takes place here in June. For play time, call tel. 73-53-18-85.

Hiking -- The greenbelt on the outskirts of Trondheim is called Bymarka, and locals use the woodland as a giant park. It offers 60km (37 miles) of gravel paths, plus 80km (50 miles) of ordinary paths. In winter skiers find 80km (50 miles) of tracks, including six that are floodlit. In summer our favorite hike is the Ladestien (The Lode Trail), stretching for 14km (8.7 miles), going along the Lade Peninsula and opening onto panoramic views of Trondheimsfjord. A shorter and equally scenic trail, the Nidelvstien, runs along the banks of the Nidelva River, going from Tempe to the waterfalls at Leirfossene.

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Warm-Weather Ski-Jumping in Trondheim -- An offbeat adventure that might appeal to those with a high-adrenaline thirst for danger involves the brave athletes who stay well rehearsed in ski-jump techniques throughout the summer. The Granåsen Ski Jump in Trondheim (about 8km/5 miles south of the center), along with the slightly older and Olympic-famous ski jump in Lillehammer, are the only ski jumps in the world that prepare for summer by lining their downhill slopes with high-impact, very slippery plastic. The result is a bizarre, even surreal sport -- warm-weather ski-jumping -- that's televised throughout Norway, drawing fans from around the region. The schedule for these events is highly fluid (after all, they're rehearsals, not competitions), and events seem to crop up at erratic moments that sometimes (but not always) correspond to the arrival of cruise ships near the town's harbor. If you want to attend such an event, ask the tourist office for information on when the next rehearsals will be conducted. Entrance is free.

Skiing -- On the eastern flank of the Vassfjellet mountains, the Vassfjellet Skisenter (ski center) lies in a sheltered position with good snow conditions. The area begins 8km (5 miles) south of the city limits and offers six tow lifts, including one for kids, plus nine runs in all. The area boasts 4km (2 1/2 miles) of the largest illuminated slopes in Norway. Ski buses run to the area. For more information, call tel. 72-83-02-00.

Swimming -- Pirbadet & the 3-T Fitness Center, Havnegate 12 (tel. 73-83-18-00), lies in one of the most avant-garde buildings in Trondheim. Perched beside the sea and the town's commercial piers, and separated from the rest of the city by the sprawling bulk of the railway station, this futuristic-looking, mostly glass free-form structure houses one of the best-equipped gyms in Norway (the 3-T Fitness center) and Pirbadet, a collection of pools, water slides, Jacuzzis, and wave-making machines that's among the most up-to-date of any indoor pool in the world. It's municipally funded, and clients tend to be office workers early in the morning, swim students at midday, and recreational swimmers later in the day. On weekends several thousand recreational swimmers cram into its sun-filtered interior. Entrance to the Pirbadet pool complex costs between 100NOK and 120NOK ($15-$18/£8.20-£9.85) for adults, depending on what time of day they arrive; entrance to the 3-T fitness center is 175NOK ($27/£14).

Tennis -- Trondheim has several courts, both indoor and outdoor. For reservations at a court close to your hotel, call Trondhjems Tennisklubb (mobile) at tel. 93-63-55-01.