What unites the city centre and the central realm is the old city bridge, called Bybroen. The bridge originates from 1681, when the city was rebuild after the great fire, and the bridge over the river Nidelva was then put here for military reasons. Earlier the bridge over Nidelva was placed further west. In 1681 there was a military control post on the western side of the bridge, and this was one of the city gates. The look of today, though, being the bridge with the portals, is from 1861. At that time the bridge was built so that it could be elevated. In the 20th century the construction was made to be of concrete.
The Bybroen is made famous by a song, a waltz, of Oscar Hoddø, the music by Christian Christensen (and Kjell Rian), called Nidelven Stille Og Vakker Du Er. In the very popular song he referred to the bridge as the portal of luck and of happiness. The song is melancholic, written after the German invasion in 1940, and was very important to the generation of that time: At least the bridge was intact.
I have taken the liberty to change the rhythm of the song from 3/4 to 4/4, and also to make a little change in the lyrics:
The arrangement and performance is by Suno (AI).
Influenced by this song, I have made a song myself, on Suno, about the river as such: