Frosta_ Trondheim's kitchen garden
We started a day trip to Frosta from Trondheim, since the weather now in summer 2025 is so generous to us and letting the sun shine for a few weeks in a row.
Let us discover what is going on around Trondheim.
According to Wikipedia, it is the smallest municipality in Trøndelag county. Other villages in Frosta include Logtun, Nordfjæra, Småland, Sørgrenda, and Tautra. Frosta is located in north northeast of Trondheim. According to Wikipedia, Frosta is 76 square kilometres and has a population of 2,645. Due to its rich agriculture, Frosta is known as the Trondheim's kitchen garden".
Arntzen Bakeri
It is 45 minutes from Trondheim's airport, Værnes. We started the trip by driving from Lade in Trondheim. After 40 minutes driving, we reached Arntzen Bakeri, which is known for its special traditional recipes. Remember to order 'Arntzen boller' there to taste the real Frosto Bakeri. resting there for some minutes and enjoying the scenery, then we continued driving, and after 10 minutes we arrived at Frosta tinget.
Frostatinget
In the years 600-1600, 485 representatives from 12 counties met here at Frosta every year on 16th July, the day of Bottolf-massto make laws, and they would establish the law of the land. The Frostatings loven was the law book for the Trondernes lybomarne (Tronders legal area) until Magnus Lagabøtes landslov (National law came in at 1274), a law that was to apply to the entire country.
The large monument in the middle was unveiled in 1914, 100 years after the constitution at Eidsvoll. The Bauta is surrounded by 12 stones, one for each of the counties that met at the Frostatinget. These stones were unveiled on August 1. 1930, with King Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav as guests of honor.
Next to Frostotinget, you see small houses which have some historic pieces in them, and some tourist guide brochures. Passing by those small houses, you reach the Logtun church.
Logtun Church
Logtun church is an old stone church that has a special meaning in Norway's history. Logtun church was used for the first national elections in 1814.
🔍 Summary of Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Romanesque stone church with Gothic and Baroque elements |
| Plan | Nave and chancel; thick stone walls; side portal and west portal |
| Historic Use | Parish church, civic meeting site, 1814 election location |
| Current Status | Preserved as a historical monument, no longer active parish |
| Notable | "Valgkirke", Frostating connection, medieval architecture |
🕰️ Historical Timeline
| Period | Event |
|---|---|
| ~1170 | A church existed on this site; likely tied to Frostatinget. |
| Late 1400s | The current church was probably built or rebuilt. |
| After 1537 | Came into private ownership post-Reformation. |
| 1857 | Purchased by the municipality, likely during national efforts to preserve cultural heritage. |
| 1868 | Replaced by Presthus Church, Logtun was decommissioned. |
| 1903 | Ruins were protected by Fortidsminneforeningen (Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments). |
| 1930–1950 | Restoration carried out by the same society. |
Architectural features of the Logtun Church
Second-hand Architectural Overview of Logtun Church
Construction & Style
- Date of Origin: Circa 1170, as mentioned in the historical timeline. This places it in the Romanesque period of Norwegian church architecture.
- Materials: Built in stone with lime mortar—typical for rural Norwegian stone churches of the time. The walls appear thick, which was common for structural stability and insulation.
- Plan: The layout is a rectangular nave with a narrower, square chancel (sanctuary area). The simple form reflects the Romanesque tradition with an emphasis on mass and solidity rather than verticality.
Key Architectural Features
- South Portal (Korets sydportal): From the 1100s, with side pieces preserved. This Romanesque portal would have had semicircular arches and may have included carved decoration.
- West Portal and Gothic Details: Dated around 1250, the arched field above the south chancel portal is in High Gothic style. This indicates stylistic updates over time, incorporating pointed arches and more refined stonework.
- Restoration (~1650): The church was maintained, likely adding roof structures and windows, and introducing Baroque elements like a pulpit and altar.
After the Logtun church, we continued driving to Helleringstinger.
Helleristninger
In this amazing site, you see one of the oldest rock carvings in Europe. The sign says that there are six panels with 100 carvings in total, while outside of the woods, we just saw three panels. So, you can probably walk around and find the other three.
These carvings date from the end of the Late Stone Age into the Early Bronze Age, roughly 2000BC. At that time, this whole area was under the sea.
The site is protected under Norwegian cultural heritage laws. Public interference—including painting or walking on carvings—is strictly forbidden.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Evenhus, Frosta (near Solvang community hall) |
| Dating | Late Stone Age to Early Bronze Age (~2000 BC) |
| Surface | 6 rock panels, ~23 m above modern sea level |
| Motifs | ~40 boats, ~22 elk/deer, ~11 whales, ring motifs, 2 human figures |
| Purpose | Hunting magic, territorial marking, ritual or social space |
| Conservation | Covered in winter, cleaned in spring, protected by law |
| Access | Easy: parking + signage, short walk |
Second-hand shop
Before the walking to Carvings Rock, you would see a second-hand shop where you would find almost anything with a great price, and by great,t I mean amazingly cheap. So I recommend just taking a look there before you leave, in case you are looking for some souvenirs.
Then we continued driving to Tautra Mariakloster, a church designed in the American style.
Medieval Abbey: The original Tautra Abbey (Sancta Maria de Tuta Insula) was founded in 1207 by Cistercian monks, likely from Munkeby or Lyse Abbey. Built using soapstone and basalt, only the church was stone—other buildings were wooden and have largely vanished. At its height, it managed over 170 farms in the region, but was dissolved following the Reformation in 1531–37, when its lands became crown property.
The Modern Tautra Mariakloster
This monastery has received Årets Bygg in 2006 in Norway.
This place is architecturally recognized with awards such as Forum AID Award 2007 and International Architecture in Stone Awards 2007
In 1999, at the invitation of the Catholic Bishop of Trondheim and local authorities, seven nuns from Mississippi Abbey in Iowa (USA), alongside two Norwegian sisters, began a new monastic community in provisional buildings near the old ruins.
About the architecture
Designed by Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor, planning began ca. 2000. Queen Sonja laid the foundation stone in May 2003. The building was completed and in use by July 2006, and officially consecrated in May 2007.
Structure:
- Load-bearing frame of glue-laminated timber (≈ 215 mm beams).
- Exterior: clad in Otta‑skifer slate, resembling a protective cloak over the structure.
- Building footprint measures approximately 82 m × 29 m, organized as a sequence of modular rooms and internal gardens.
- To cut costs further the architects did away with most of the corridors, reducing the monastery’s surface area by about 30 percent. They also used the most economical slate formats.
- The main structure of the building is of laminated spruce, framed in with laminated timber beams. The covering of Norwegian slates functions rather like a raincoat.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Founding Date | Original abbey 1207; modern priory 1999 (permanent building 2006–07) |
| Architect | Jensen & Skodvin |
| Structure & Materials | Glulam timber frame, Otta-spiker slate cladding |
| Spatial Layout | Corridor-free plan, seven atrium gardens, glass refectory, integrated circulation |
| Environmental Design | Natural light management, fjord views, sustainable local stone and timber |
| Monastic Life | Trappistine nuns, self-sufficient products, community prayer life |
| Awards | Norwegian Building of the Year 2006; several international architecture awards |
Tautra kloster
According to the Visit Frosta website, 'Cistercian monks founded the monastery at Tautra. The Cistercian order emanated from the Chateaux monastery by Dijon, France. In Norway, they settled primarily at Lyse monastery by Bergen. In 1205, some of the monks left Bergen to establish a new monastery in Trøndelag county.
Tautra was selected to be the location for this new monastery. The reason might have been that this island was in excellent condition for gardening and farming, and the location for the island provided security and tranquillity, The fact that Munkholmen monastery outside Trondheim and Munkeby monastery by Levanger were located close by, was certainly also a decisive element in the location of the new monastery. Tautra monastery was dedicated, like all Cistercian monasteries, to the honour of Mary in 1207.
Delicious Burger at Vuddu Valley
On the way back home, we had lunch at an American diner, which was a very pleasurable experience. It is not only a diner place, it also has a huge store and a museum on the second floor. Above the shop, there is a cultural exhibit featuring a fully equipped old general store, a 1930s kitchen, living rooms from the 1950s/60s, an old outdoor toilet, and collections such as vintage U.S. license plates, coffee pots, lunch boxes, and more—all creating a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. The museum is open during regular business hours and is free to enter. If the diner is full, guests can also eat in the barn.
And in the end, we drove by the monument of the allied aircrews from the Royal Air Force killed in attacks and reconnaissance of the German battleship Tirpitz in the Fættenfjord in 1942. This monument was erected by local people in 1985.
And here we are at the end of our journey to Frosta. We saw very beautiful sides of Forsta, and I enjoyed my day trip. Hopefully, you also get the same experience and remember I have kept some other things unwritten, as you should experience yourself and discover some other new sides of your journey. Feel free to write your own experience to me here.
Bygget av Smart Media | Personvernerklæring
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