Trondheim or Kaupangen ved Nidelven, as the city was called at first, grew on the sides of river Nid (Nidelva). According to tradition, Trondheim was founded in 997, but we know that already in the Viking Age there was a smaller trading centre at the mouth of the river Nid. In the northern parts of the city there were workshops on the banks of the fjord, while the city itself was spread like a band along the river. On the south side there was the great Cathedral, in those days called ΓÇÿKristikirkenΓÇÖ (the Church of Christ), the ArchbishopΓÇÖs Palace and the royal manor, whose silhouettes dominated the whole city.
