Strategically located on the eastern shore of Oslo harbor, the fortress and Akershus Castle - is undoubtedly one of the masterpieces of the historical architecture of the Norwegian capital and one of the city's most popular attractions .The massive walls of the fortress are hidden in a surprisingly elegant Renaissance palace, in the chapel of the castle lie the kings of Norway, and inside the building there is a very good Museum of Norwegian Resistance, dedicated to the events of the Second World War .An additional "chip" is a rather spectacular change of the guard, as they say, find the difference with the Alexandrovsky garden .
A bit of history
In 1299, Oslo became the capital of medieval Norway, and to protect the city from external threats from the sea, the then King Hakon V ordered the building of a military fortress .Together with the fortress in the Norwegian Tønsberg they were the strongest strongholds of Scandinavia .This was only the beginning of the architectural history of the citadel - over the centuries it was repeatedly completed and re-planned, so that today we can only guess at the initial plan of Hakon V .After the devastating fire of 1624, Oslo was almost rebuilt - and most of the urban neighborhoods of the then Christiania were moved to land sites behind the fortress .Suburbs grew even more in 1818, with an increase in the population, and external enemies were diminished, so that between 1899 and 1963 the area around the citadel was mostly cleared .
The last modifications with the castle were made by King Christian IV in the 17th century - then there appeared magnificent Renaissance interiors: luxurious banquet halls and reception rooms. But the cellars were used with a much more practical purpose: in the narrow cell-cells, there were unwanted grandees.
| View of the Akershus Fortress |
| Inside the fortress Akershus |
What to see
In the castle of Akershus, you should see the main halls decorated in the Renaissance style, with many historical artifacts - the Romerike Hall is especially interesting. In the chapel of the castle, built at Christian IV, there are tombstones of the kings of Hakon VII and Olaf V - by the way, it is still operational, there are services for the glory of the Norwegian army.
In a small museum of the fortress, located inside the main gate, you can learn more about the history of the construction of the complex. Another interesting museum is dedicated to the history of the Norwegian resistance during the Second World War. Among the artifacts are underground newspapers, maps and photographs, as well as an amazing exhibit - a set of dentures with which the Norwegian prisoner of Polish prison received radio broadcasts.
Address and opening hours
Address: Akershus Slott, Akershusstranda, Akershus Festning.
Opening hours: Akershus Fortress - every day from 6:00 to 21:00. Akershus Castle: from Monday to Saturday - from 10:00 to 16:00, Sunday - from 12:30 to 16:00 during the summer period, in winter the hours of operation are reduced. Excursions are held at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 from Monday to Saturday and at 13:00 and 15:00 on Sunday.
The entrance to the fortress is free, to the castle - 65 NOK or free with a map of Oslo Pass, to the Museum of the Norwegian Resistance - 50 NOK or for free with a map of Oslo Pass.
| The yard of Akershus fortress |
| The interior of the church |
| The sarcophagi of the King and Queen |