🚲 Trondheim: NTNU, year-round cycling and quiet family neighbourhoods

Trondheim is a compact student city that is very bike-friendly. The campuses are scattered around Nidelva, easily accessible by bike, and in the evening you can stroll through the wooden streets of Bakken or sit by the water in Solstiden. This guide will tell you where to apply for an internship, how to organise a year-round bike trip without extreme conditions, and which areas are convenient for living if you want to be close to both NTNU and the city centre.

🏫 Where can students look for internships?

Start with the ‘showcase’ on campus: KarriereDagene is a large job fair at Gleshaugen, attended by over a hundred companies. It's a good place to get your bearings, from engineering and IT to consulting and energy.

Next, check out NTNU Career: webinars on CVs/interviews and resources for job seekers. Some programmes include internships in their curricula (for example, a 14-week course with work at a local business in the autumn). For exchange internships, there is a placement students format.

Important: the NTNU Bridge portal as a job board will be closed from 1 July 2025, so focus on career days, LinkedIn, company websites and FINN.no (search for ‘internship’/‘sommerjobb’ in Trondheim). The local initiative Workation Trondheim also collects summer positions with a social programme.

Let's move on to the most ‘urban’ skill — riding a bike in any season.

🚴 Is it convenient to ride a bike all year round?

Yes, and it's not extreme. The city has a priority winter network of ~150 km: some routes are kept ‘almost free of snow and ice’, while others are regularly cleared and gritted. Plan your route using the Miljøpakken winter map (red and blue lines).

According to surveys and counters, 30–50% of those who cycle in summer continue to do so in winter; the municipality is raising the standards of winter maintenance for the cycling infrastructure.

Nuances: city bikes operate seasonally, usually from early April to early December; if you buy an AtB period ticket, bysykkel is included free of charge for the same period, which is convenient for short trips.

A unique feature of the city is the Trampe bike lift on the way up to Christiansen: it helps you overcome the steep Brubakken hill (and is great for lifting your spirits).

Mini checklist for winter: studded tyres, bright lights, reflectors, gloves/windproof jacket; parking — in bike racks/bike hotels and in such a way that does not obstruct pedestrians (rules are available from the municipality).

🏘 Which areas are closest to the campus and the city centre?

The landmarks are easy to find: Gløshaugen/Elgeseter/Øya — the triangle formed by the NTNU buildings and the university hospital; Midtbyen (the city centre) is about 2 km away.

Close to the campus and within walking distance of the centre

• Singsaker. Quiet villas, close to Gløshaugen and Bakklandet; popular with students and families.
• Elgeseter/Øya. A stone's throw from the lecture halls and St. Olavs Hospital; convenient bus connections.
• Bakklandet & Møllenberg. Atmospheric wooden houses across the river from the centre; cafés, footbridges, quick bike access to Gløshagen.

Closer to the water and city life

• Solsiden (Nedre Elvehavn). Waterfront, restaurants, walking distance to the centre and bike bridges.
• Ila. Quiet neighbourhood by the fjord, close to Byumarken — convenient for family outings.

For students on a budget

• Moholt. Large student town Sit with accommodation for singles, couples and families; quick buses to the buildings.

Life hack: check out the NTNU campus map (MazeMap) — you can immediately see which bus line and bike route to use when looking for accommodation.

The city is convenient for studying and getting around: internships can be found through career days, NTNU Career and local networks, you can ride a bike even in winter — there is a priority network for this — and choose accommodation around Gjøshagen–Elgeseter–Øya or by the water in Solsiden/Ilha.

Save this guide and share your experiences in the comments: where you found your internship, which winter routes turned out to be the ‘driest’ and which neighbourhood you like best.