Trondenes Historiske Senter

About the museum

Trondenes Historiske Senter lies by Trondenes church, three kilometres outside Harstad centre, and is a department of Sør-Troms museum (STMU). The centre was opened in May 1997. The area has a long history: at Trondenes there are traces from the Bronze Age, boathouse foundations and burial sites from the Viking Age, and Trondenes church dates from the Middle Ages. There are few places in the country where one can see so clearly the correspondence between saga literature and traces in the landscape.

The exhibition “Med plog, kors og sverd gjennom 1000 år” (With Plough, Cross and Sword Through 1000 Years) shows the history of the region from the Stone Age to the 1950s, with the main emphasis on the Viking Age, the Middle Ages and the Second World War. The exhibition is arranged chronologically and has captions in Norwegian, English and German. On the ground floor the Viking Age and the Middle Ages are at the centre, but the museum also tells of less bright chapters: the peninsula’s traces of the Second World War, the Soviet prisoner-of-war camp and Finnmarksbyen, a post-war reconstruction camp.

Trondenes Middelaldergård (Trondenes Medieval Farm) is a reconstructed farm complex from around the year 1200, built on finds from archaeological excavations and written sources. The farm has an årestue (a hall house), a smithy and a stave church, and in summer the farm is alive with animals and small fields. At the museum there is a café and a museum shop, and a cultural trail leads out into the cultural landscape.

Highlights

• The exhibition “Med plog, kors og sverd gjennom 1000 år”
• Reconstructed medieval farm from around 1200 with årestue, smithy and stave church
• Trondenes church from the Middle Ages, in the immediate vicinity
• Cultural trail with traces from the Bronze Age and Viking Age
• Barnas Museum for children aged 4 to 10

Permanent exhibitions

• Med plog, kors og sverd gjennom 1000 år – Chronological exhibition on the region’s history from the Stone Age to the 1950s, with emphasis on the Viking Age, the Middle Ages and the Second World War.
• Trondenes Middelaldergård – Reconstructed farm complex from around the year 1200 with årestue, smithy and stave church.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Sør-Troms museum

Admission & discounts

Winter price from 1 October to 31 March: adults NOK 175, children NOK 55. Summer price from 1 April to 30 September: adults NOK 195, children NOK 75. The annual pass includes admission to the museum and Trondenes Middelaldergård and gives access to all activities at the farm.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The attraction has a toilet, an accessible toilet and a lift, and is adapted for wheelchairs. Dogs are normally not admitted to the museum, but working dogs such as guide dogs and assistance dogs have access to all areas.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Barnas Museum is the museum’s own offer for children and families, developed for children aged 4 to 10, with playful learning inside the exhibitions, outside on the farm and in the cultural landscape. Activities vary through the year.

Getting there & parking

The museum is three kilometres outside Harstad centre.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Trondeneskaféen at the museum serves home-baked cakes, coffee and open sandwiches, and can be contacted on +47 907 35 810. The museum shop sells literature about the exhibition and small items such as postcards and magnets.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Sør-Troms museum offers packages for businesses and private individuals; see the museum’s website.

Plan your visit