Trondheim, Norway: Old Town Bridge

It seems almost obligatory while visiting Trondheim to stroll across the Old Town Bridge. Old is the right word for it, since it has been around for more than 300 years. It's always looked down on the Nidelva River, with its distinctive waterfront warehouses nearly.

Trondheim had a big fire in 1681 - didn't every city in that era go through that? - and came up with a good-sized rebuilding plan. The bridge was part of it. It went up in 1685, and was made of wood while supported by stone. Gates were part of the structure until 1816.

The bridge received a facelift in 1861, and has been a popular spot for centuries. The local nickname can be translated to "Gate of Happiness," which is asking a lot of a bridge. 

Kristian Oskar Hoddo mentioned the river in one of his waltzes. When he wrote it in 1940, he was allegedly standing on the bridge. That story doesn't have a happy ending. Hoddo was part of the Resistance in Norway during World War II, and was executed along with eight of his companions in 1943.