The seventeenth-century star fortress on the hill east of the river was built after the 1681 fire to defend the rebuilt city, and it has the finest view in Trondheim. The walk up takes fifteen minutes from Bakklandet — through cobbled streets, up wooden steps, and onto a grassy ridge where the white-walled donjon stands above the rooftops.
The grounds are open all year and free to enter, with the cathedral, the river bend, the harbour, and the fjord spreading out below. The donjon itself is open in summer with small exhibitions on the fortress's military history. Bring a picnic — locals come up here on bright evenings to watch the city catch the late sun.