The column at the heart of Torvet, Trondheim's main square, carries a bronze statue of Olav Tryggvason, the Viking king who founded the city around 997 AD. Olav stands with his sword, looking down at the modern square that bears his name. The column doubles as the gnomon of an enormous horizontal sundial laid into the cobbles around it — at midday in summer the king's shadow tells the time on the stone hour marks.
A central meeting point and the natural orienting landmark for anyone walking through the centre. The Saturday market sets up around the base of the column.