Nearest Hop-On
Photo: Svein Erik Knoff
Gamle Bybro is also known as the ‘Portal of Happiness’ after the lyrics of the popular romantic waltz ‘Nidelven stille og vakker du er’, written by Oskar Hoddø. Both the song and the characteristic appearance of the portals have probably contributed to the bridge witnessing many a marriage proposal over the years.
It is said that Hoddø wrote the waltz about Nidelva one night at the end of April 1940 while standing at Gamle Bybro. During the Second World War, Hoddø was a resistance fighter against the Nazi occupation of Norway. On 17 November 1943, he and eight other resistance fighters were executed by the Nazis at Kristiansten Fortress.
Today, Gamle Bybro is one of Trondheim’s most recognisable landmarks and is one of the most photographed motifs in Trondheim.
