Royal Palace in Oslo History

The Royal Palace of Oslo currently serves as the official residence of Norway’s king.

It was built in the early part of the 19th century, based on the designs of the Danish-born architect Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow.

Originally it was used as the Norwegian residence of the king of United Sweden and Norway, Charles XIV. It was first used as a permanent residence in 1905 by King Haakon VII in 1905, the year Norway became independent.

Due to improper maintenance, the palace was in danger of falling into disrepair until King Harald V restored it to its original splendor at the end of the 20th century. The park surrounding the palace contains small lakes and statues.

A popular attraction at the palace is the changing of the guard ceremony that takes place daily at 13:30. The palace, which features a statue of the former king of Norway and Sweden, Karl Johan, at the front, is now open to the public.

Royal Palace of Oslo – Visitor Information

The Royal Palace of Oslo can be visited only during the summer months, and only through a guided tour which costs 95 Norwegian Kronen (around 12 euros or $18 USD) for an adult and 85 NOK per student.

Tickets must be bought in advance from the Norwegian post office and other retailers.

See more information on the official website (English version)

Royal Palace in Oslo Location

Address: Royal Palace, Henrik Ibsens gate 1, 0010 Oslo, Norway. Get help with directions using the map provided below:

Royal Palace in Oslo Map

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The Fredriksten Fortress (Fredriksten Festnings Venner) is located in the town of Halden, close to the Swedish border.

Fredriksten Fortress History

Construction on the Fredriksten Fortress lasted from 1661 to 1701 and it was built at the order of the Norwegian king to reinforce the Norwegian – Swedish border.

In 1814, the Fredriksten fortress was again surrounded by the Swedish army and it was under attack for 14 days. Fredriksten was not captured, but after a cease-fire agreement was signed (Convention of Moss), Norway unified with Sweden.

The Fredriksten fortress covers an extensive area of 2,000 square meters (21,528 square feet) and contains storehouses, powder houses, bastions, and deep passageways. The fortress was built in response to continuous Swedish attacks on the frontier post of Halden, which was vulnerable to unexpected assaults.

These days, this well-preserved fort functions as a beautiful tourist attraction that offers a panoramic view of the city of Halden.

The fortress grounds can be visited at anytime freely, but in order to enter the fortress museum one needs to buy a ticket. Guided tours are also available during the summer months.

Fredriksten Fortress Location

Address: Fredriksten Festnings Venner – Generalveien 6, 1769 Halden, Norway. Get help with directions using the map provided below:

Fredriksten Fortress Map

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Bergenhus Fortress History

The Bergenhus Fortress was completed in 1261. The King Haakon’s Hall is the only surviving part of the royal palace built by King Haakon IV Haakonsson (1217–1263).

It is a three-story building with a cellar in the basement, a number of rooms on the first floor, and a large hall in the uppermost story. The building (37.0×16.4 m) is constructed of stone, mostly massive coursed rubble, but with corners, windows, and doors in ashlar.

The basement was unvalued at first, but, probably after a fire in 1266, ten bays of groined vaulting were put in, divided into two aisles and resting on two transverse walls dividing the basement into three rooms and two square piers in the middle room. The vaults, rising to the second-floor level, actually support the pavement of the hall, while the first floor is carried on corbels and in joint holes sunk into the piers.

The windows are placed in the west wall and in the two gables, which have large (restored) four-light plate-traceried windows. The basement is lit by seven narrow vertical loopholes. The seven first-floor windows, each of two pointed lights, all more or less restored, follow closely the original pattern.

The windows of the hall on the floor above, resting on a string course stepped down at both ends, are each of two pointed lights with a quatrefoil pierced in the spandrel above the lights. These windows take up fully half the total height of the building. The main doorway is in the south gable at the second-floor level, suggesting that there was originally a system of external galleries and staircases, which must also have led to the adjacent royal chapel dedicated to the Holy Apostles.

The doorway is late medieval, obviously replacing an original 13th-century doorway. The building probably had a scissor-braced rafter roof (the present roof is a copy of a 12th-century scissor-braced roof in Værnes church, Trøndelag). The battlements and the stepped gables are the results of a 19th-century restoration, partly based on a 16th-century drawing.

King Haakon’s Hall is an example of a royal banqueting hall, a type going back to the aulae (halls) of the Carolingian Kaiserpfalz (imperial palace). It was probably designed and built by masons with English connections.

King Haakon’s Hall served as one of two banqueting halls in the Bergenhus fortress; the remnants of the other are still visible to the west of it. The hall was incorporated into the conversion of the palace as a stronghold in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it became a storage building in the 18th century. It was restored in 1880–95 and again in 1955–61.

Another building that survived in the Bergenhus Fortress is the Rosenkrantz Tower, a massive 13th-century tower. It was completely restored in the 16th century.

Bergenhus Fortress Location

Address: Bergenhus Festning, Vågen, 5003 Bergen, Norway. Get help with directions using the map provided below:

Bergenhus Fortress Map

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Akershus Castle (aka Akershus Fortress or Akershus Festning in Norwegian) is a medieval castle situated in Oslo, the capital of Norway.

Akershus Fortress History

The Akershus Fortress was built in the late 1290s by King Håkon V to ward off attacks from the Norwegian nobleman, Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg. The fortress’s value came from its strategic location near the sea, and it has survived numerous sieges, never being captured in active battle. However, during the Second World War, occupying German forces captured the fortress (without a fight) and used it as a prison and execution center.

However, Akershus Castle was used as a prison prior to WWII too. It housed many famous prisoners, including early Norwegian socialists.

The fortress houses a castle, church, the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum, a model of Christiania (Oslo’s former name), and a prison museum. In addition, many members of the Norwegian royal family are buried in the castle’s mausoleum.

The Akershus fortress has the status of a national symbol because of its role as the seat of the king and government and the many important and dramatic historical events that have taken place here. The national importance is underlined by the fact that the castle is now used as the government’s premier entertainment venue and hosts the Royal Mausoleum.

Akershus Castle – Church
Akershus Castle Church is located in Akershus Castle, the top of the fortress. The services here are open to the public. This small historic church in central Oslo provides a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere.

Akershus Castle – Museums
The Armed Forces Museum at Akershus Fortress shows Norwegian military history from medieval times to the years after World War II. The Armed Forces Museum’s permanent exhibitions are well worth a visit. Here you can experience the military history of Norway from the Middle Ages to the years after World War II. The museum has many unique and exciting items and the visit is free! The Armed Forces Museum has its own museum shop and a pleasant cafe where you can get cold dishes, cakes, and a variety of coffee.

Norway’s Resistance Museum offers an exhibition and archive/library and is the country’s leading institution about the Norwegian occupation. The museum is the country’s leading institution for the study of Norwegian occupation history. Here you can wander through an exhibition that looks at several aspects of the resistance and daily life in Norway during the Second World War.

Akershus Fortress – Visitor info

A visit to Akershus Castle is a journey through the history of Norway from the 1300s to the present day.

Entrance to the castle is possible all year round, but because it is still actively used, during some periods it is closed during working days. A ticket for an adult costs 70 Norwegian kroner (around $13 USD or 9 euros), student tickets cost 50 korona and children’s tickets cost 30 korona. Audio guides are included with admission.

Akershus Castle – Opening hours

→ Between the 1st of September and to 30th of April it is open on Saturday and Sunday between 12:00 to 17:00.
→ Between the 1st of May and the 31st of August it is open Monday to Saturday between 10:00 and 16:00 and on Sundays between 12:30 to 16:00 only.

Akershus Fortress Location

Address: Akershus Slott, 0015 Oslo, Norway. Get help with directions using the map provided below:

Akershus Fortress Map

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