Kolvereid claims title of Norway’s smallest city

Kolvereid, a settlement of roughly 1,800 people in Trøndelag, was granted city status in 2002 and now holds the distinction as Norway’s smallest city, reports Dagbladet.

Terje Settenøy, deputy mayor of Nærøysund municipality, describes Kolvereid as a compact, well-planned hub with a new primary and lower-secondary school, sports facilities, a skate park, and green spaces all clustered in its centre. “We have one of the finest city centres in all of Nord-Trøndelag,” he says.

The city sits on a narrow isthmus between the fjords Sørsalten and Innerfolda, with Kolvereidvågen—an inlet of Innerfolda—forming its waterfront. Local employment is tied to retail, public and private services, construction, and maritime industries along the bay.

Settenøy, a full-time politician since 2020, notes that while Rørvik, the municipality’s other city, has nearly twice the population, Kolvereid residents take pride in their distinct identity. “People underestimate us,” he says. “They picture a crossroads and a co-op—we’re a bit more than that.”