Akershus Castle and Fortress (Akershus Slott og Festning), Eastern Norway, Norway
4.0 (3.212 reviews) Saturday: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent Ranking #39 in Oslo Historic Sites • Castles
A stunning place, one of the highlights of Oslo
Akershus Castle is in a prominent position overlooking Oslofjord to the east of Pipervika. Construction of the castle started in 1299 during the reign of King Håkon V. The castle was then developed into a fortress in 1592 and then fifty years later rebuilt into a renaissance castle. Having enjoyed past visits to Castle and Fortress we decided to visit the site again. The Fortress grounds are substantial and to walk around them there is no fee but there are guided tours on Saturdays and Sundays for an extra cost. It is a labyrinth of walkways, arches and steps and on the western ridge there are some lovely views of the harbour area of Oslo. It is one of highlights in the city and is easy to get to being a short walk from the city centre.
Address
Festningsplassen 1, Oslo 0015 Norway
Mobile
Website
http://www.visitnorway.com/us/Where-to-go-us/East/Oslo/To-do--see/Attractions-in-Oslo/Akershus-Fortress-/
Working hours
Monday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday : 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 04, 2024, 22:21
User Ratings
4.0 based on (3.212 reviews)
Reviews
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4Ed_Uyeshima 5:00 PM Sep 29, 2022
Atmospheric Fortress Overlooking Oslofjord
When Oslo became Norway's capital in 1299, the ruler at the time, King Haakon V, ordered the construction of this medieval fortress to ward off invading barbarians. Turned out to be a smart move as Sweden kept trying to conquer Norway back then. Its current restoration began in earnest when Norway gained its independence from Sweden in 1905. Now it's become a cool, atmospheric place to stroll in the evening after a too-expensive meal in nearby Aker Brygge where all the tourists congregate. Surrounded by rocky walls and lined with cobblestone paths, the fortress features an inevitable row of cannons and a great panoramic vista point of Oslofjord except this one evening when a supersized cruise ship blocked our view in one direction.
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4Michael S 5:00 PM Sep 4, 2022
Fortress in the heart of the city
The grounds of the fortress are open to the public for many hours of the day, and the high wall of the fortress offer lovely views of the harbour and surrounding fjord. Unfortunately, when there are cruise ships in port, they dock right in front, blocking the view from most vantage points. The other thing to note is that areas of the fortress are home to the military as a working base, so if you ignore the posted signs, or are behaving disrespectfully of the property you will be accosted by a stern. armed member of the military. The fortress has two museums, the Akershus castle, and the resistance museum. We chose to visit the castle, and we really enjoyed ourselves. The day and time we were there we had it mostly to ourselves, and the staff working there were happy to answer any questions we had.
