Now fully restored, Akershus Fortress is both a popular tourist attraction and a site used for official government and state functions.

Akershus Fortress history

Also known as Akershus Castle (Akershus Slott), it was begun in 1299 under King Hakon V to replace Tønsberg as one of Norway’s most important castles. Hakon had Akershus Fortress built in response to earlier attacks on Oslo by a Norwegian nobleman, Earl Alv Erlingsson of Sarpsborg. After the attack, it was clear Oslo needed a stronger defensive heart.

The fortress first saw battle in 1308 when the Swedish attacked and took the throne. Akershus was besieged again in 1523 by Swedish soldiers who were chased out by Oslo’s residents when they burnt down their own homes around the fortress. Akershus Fortress’ location by the sea gave Norway a key strength in protecting trade by sea during the early modern period. Whoever controlled Akershus, controlled Norway.

The Akershus Fortress surrendered without bloodshed to the Nazi forces in 1940 when the Norwegian government fled the city during Operation Weserübung. During World War Two, people were executed by the Nazi occupiers at Akershus, including members of the Pelle resistance group. After the war, 8 Norwegian war criminals were also tried and executed at the fortress.

Akershus Fortress today

Today, there’s plenty to see at Akershus Fortress. The castle boasts everything from the former living quarters of medieval Danish-Norwegian royalty to dank dungeons and also the castle church, now a military church. Akershus Fortress is also home to the Armed Forces Museum and Norway’s Resistance Museum, particularly significant considering the site’s ties to the Nazi occupation.

Without charge, join state visitors in exploring the Akershus . From the fortress, great views over he fjord and historical heart of Oslo illustrate just how vital Akershus was for medieval rulers of Norway.

Getting to Akershus Fortress

Located by the waterside, Akershus Fortress is hard to miss. If you are using public transport, the Oslo tram number 12 will take you to Kontraskjæret stop, a 500m walk from the museum. For drivers, there is car parking nearby the museum at Akershusstranda on the waterfront.

Today, Austratt Fort is open to the public who can tour its engines rooms, mess hall, 200-strong soldiers’ accommodation and the site’s main highlight, its vast gun turret and impressive triple gun with 38,000 metre-range.

Near Austratt Fort there is an interesting exhibition about the occupation of Fosen at Austratt.

History of Austratt Fort

Austratt Fort is a disused coastal artillery site located at Austratt in Orland, Norway.

It was built in 1942 during the German occupation of Norway by the German Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany) to protect Norway’s third longest Fjord, the Trondheim Fjord (Trondheimsfjorden.)

The centrepiece of the fort is an 800-ton, 11-inch gun turret from the German battleship Gneisenau, which was capable of firing 730-pound shells 38 kilometres, before it was damaged in Kiel. The gun is five stories tall, and is the only of its kind left in existence.

The gun was last fired in 1953, and the fort was decommissioned in 1968. It opened as a museum in 1991.

Austratt Fort today

Today, the underground barracks and turret shaft with its ammunition rooms are open to the public. The site owes its good condition to the Norwegians keeping the site in operating condition until 1968, and today, it is one of the most complete examples of a World War Two coastal battery extant.

The site also has its infantry defences intact, which includes a recently renovated 4.7cm French-made anti-tank gun in good working condition, which protects the entrance of the complex.

Comprehensive guided tours are available, and will take you down five stories into the mountain. Inside, you can experience the inside of the gun turret, and see and hear about the lives of Germans at the barracks, including the electrical generating system and hospital.

The guided tour, which is daily during the summer time, includes the Fosen War Historical Collections, which convey what the war was like as it was experienced in Fosen.

Getting to Austratt Fort

The fort is a 30 minute drive from the centre of Orland, via Fv721 and Fv710. There’s also a fairly regular connecting bus service that takes around an hour and a half, and travels along the beautiful coastline and scenery of the fjord.

Bryggen history

Founded in 1070, Bergen’s Bryggen area came to encompass all the buildings between the sea and the road leading south to Vågsbunnen. The pier was constructed as early as 1100 and around 1350 the office of the Hanseatic League was established in Byrggen.

As the town grew into an ever-more important trading centre, the buildings were taken over by Hanseatic merchants and the warehouses used to store goods, such as stockfish from the north and cereals from Europe.

In 1702, many of the Hanseatic League’s offices were damaged in a fire and shortly after the league stopped using the offices in Bryggen. While another fire in 1955 devastated the original buildings furthers, during the excavations, 647 medieval day-to-day runic inscriptions were revealed.

Bryggen today

Today, the notable and colourful buildings in Bryggen still stand, including the 300 year-old Bellgården and the oldest, tallest building in the area, St Mary’s Church. You can also visit the Bryggens Museum to see the medieval runes, as well as the beautiful Hanseatic Museum and Schøtstuene.

Getting to Byrggen

Bryggen is just off the E39 and 555 highways through Bergen, most easily reached by car.

History of Kristiansand Cannon Museum

Construction of this fortified stronghold began in 1941 and it took several years for the entire complex to be completed. It was built in a position of great strategic value, with the intention being to block the Skagerrak strait and the seaways of Eastern Norway and thus close the routes to the Allies.

Originally these coastal defences, called Batterie Vara by the Germans, contained four massive guns; however, only one survives at the Kristiansand Canon Museum today. The gun’s barrel is almost 20 metres long and it weighs a hefty 110 tonnes. As well as the main batteries, Møvik Fort contained sixteen smaller guns and several bunkers, fortified tunnels, and a military barracks.

After the war the Norwegians operated the site until it was closed in 1959 and much of the equipment was sold off as scrap, including the three other guns. After restoration work in the 1990s the fort was opened as the Kristiansand Cannon Museum in 1993.

Kristiansand Cannon Museum Today

Today, visitors to the site can explore the wider complex, delve into bunkers and tunnels, and of course, see the main gun itself, still in its original casement. The ‘Fortress Trail’ guides people around the complex and includes a number of exhibitions explaining the history and operation of the stronghold.

Getting to Kristiansand Cannon Museum

From the centre of Kristiansand, the museum is an 18 minute drive via the E18 road. There are also a number of public transport options which stop at Kroodden, after which the site is a 15 minute walk. By bike, it’s a scenic 50 minute cycle via the Kroodden road.

Kvalvik Fort history

The German occupation of Norway began after the army invaded Norway in April 1940. During the war, the occupying Germans built an extensive system of coastal defences between 1942 and 1944, known as the Atlantic Wall or Atlantikwall, in order to defend against an anticipated Allied attack. The wall was frequently mentioned in Nazi propaganda, exaggerating its size and strength, claiming it stretched from Spain to Norway’s cape.

Among these fortifications was Kvalvik Fort, on the Norwegian island of Frei. Part of the Festung Norwegen (Norwegian stretch of the Atlantic Wall), the fort was strategically placed to defend two fjords within the Norwegian archipelago, overlooking the shipping lanes. Built by Russian prisoners of war in 1943, the fort consisted of underground tunnels, four cannon bays, extensive bunkers leading to a central command centre and anti-aircraft guns. Yet by peacetime in 1945, Kvalvik was uncompleted.

Kvalvik was also used as a submarine base, as many other fortifications and ports such as nearby Trondheim were, the Kriegsmarine (German navy) converting bases to hold U-boats.

Kvalvik Fort today

Today, much of the fort is still intact, restored by local enthusiasts, and you can spend a long time exploring the bunker, canons and other war artefacts. Through agreement with the cultural office, guided trips in various languages are offered. The area is maintained by the municipality in close cooperation with Kvalvik Fort’s Friends. There is all-day access, the doors kept open for those who bring a torch with them to explore.

The area is well adjusted for wheelchair users, and there are several information boards on site. The fort is set in a beautiful location and is a great spot for sitting to picnic, looking out from the gun platforms across the Norwegian fjord to the mountains framed by clouds.

Getting to Kvalvik Fort

Because of its particularly remote location, reaching Kvalvik Fort is difficult without a car. The fort is a 20 minute drive from Kristiansun, and a 3 hour drive across the E39 to Trondheim. There is parking on-site, but be aware signage from the road is minimal.

Nidaros Cathedral history

The first incarnation of Nidaros Cathedral was built in the second half of the 11th century and construction continued for at least a hundred years.

The cathedral is built over the tomb of St. Olav, the Viking king who brought Christianity to Norway. In the Middle Ages, a silver coffin with St. Olav’s remains was placed on the high altar of the cathedral. However, during the reformation, the shrine was sent to Denmark to be converted into silver coins and Olav’s remains were buried in a secret place in the cathedral. To this day, no one knows exactly where.

Work began in 1070, and the cathedral was completed around 1300. After several fires and a lack of maintenance in the Middle Ages, the cathedral was in very poor condition. In 1869 extensive restorations were begun, and today the cathedral is again restored to its original grandeur.

The stained glass dates from the early 20th century. The sculptures on the west front are by leading Norwegian artists, and the most recent was erected in 1983. Below the nave is the crypt with headstones from the middle ages.

Nidaros Cathedral today

Today the cathedral is mostly of Gothic design and reflects the work of a significant 19th century restoration project. The main façade of the cathedral is found on its western side and boasts a huge rose window surrounded by ornate statues and stained glass decoration. Inside, these windows can be seen in their true glory with their vibrant colours providing an impressive spectacle. Also within the cathedral is the medieval crypt, which includes a number of tombs and burial stones.

Nidaros Cathedral remains a popular attraction with both pilgrims and tourists and boasts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Tours are available at certain points throughout the day, though visitors are welcome to explore on their own.

Alongside Nidaros Cathedral are two other major tourists draws, the Archbishop’s Palace and the Royal Regalia – combined tickets are available for all three sites.

Getting to Nidaros Cathedral

The cathedral is around a half an hour drive from Trondheim Airport. It is within easy walking distance of other attractions in Trondheim. St Olavs gate light rail station is nearby and there are several bus stops in the vicinity.