My second day in Oslo, I wanted to go out and see Oslo and all of its glory. After breakfast in the Haraldsheim Hostel dining room, I returned to my room to get my things, and as I was getting ready to catch the bus at the bottom of the hill to downtown Oslo, I met two Australian guys, Tommi and Denham, who were heading in the same direction. We hit it off immediately after introducing ourselves and decided to hang out together for a day of sightseeing in Oslo.
Our first destination once arriving in Oslo was to the information center near the Akerbrygge, Oslo's fashionable district near the Oslofjord. At the information center, we saw brochures for the Akershus Slott (Fortress), and we decided that was going to be our next destination.
It was starting to get hot on the walk over to Akershus, but Denham, Tommi, and I were talking the whole way about our homes and ignoring the fact that we were turning into human lobsters. It was a short walk to Akershus, and we paid our admission fee (30 NOK for adults, 10 NOK for Children, and a student discount for anyone with Student ID) with yours truly getting a student discount with my University of Idaho Student ID.
Akershus Slott was the fortress and former royal residence of Norwegian royalty for many centuries. It protected the royal family and residents of Oslo from enemy attacks and never had been successfully captured by a foreign enemy.
Construction of Akershus began in the 1290s by King Haakon V (hoe-kon), and it replaced Tonsberg and other fortresses and castles in the area as the primary fortress and castle in Norway. The first test of Akershus as a fortress came in 1308 when the Swedish army under Duke Erik of Sodermanland attacked it. Sweden wanted a big seaport that could house the large Swedish Navy at the time. Whoever ruled Akershus, ruled Norway, and after this victory, Erik won the throne of Sweden.
In 1940, Akershus was surrendered to the Nazi occupation without a fight. The castle was used as a prison by the Nazis, and several Norwegian resistance fighters were executed behind its walls. After the war, war crime trials were held in Norway, and eight Norwegian traitors, including Vidkun Quisling, were tried, found guilty, and executed at Akershus Slott.
Today, Akershus is still a military area, but it is open to the public for tours until 9pm. The Resistance Museum (see my other entry on Oslo) and the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum are located at Akershus, and the Norwegian Defense Ministry is stationed here. Akershus is also used for formal ceremonies and other official functions by the Royal Family and Norwegian Government, and it is the final burial place for most of Norwegian royalty including the beloved Olav V and King Haakon VII and several Norwegian queens.
I loved Akershus Castle for its rustic interior and exterior. It wasn't as ostentatious as Versailles or other French chateaux, and unlike Versailles, photos are allowed to be taken in Akershus.
There are guided tours of Akershus Slott daily, but my Aussie friends and I chose to tour the fortress on our own. Later on in my trip, I returned to Akershus to see the Resistance Museum and toured the Fortress Grounds. There is a statue of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who is considered a hero to the Norwegian people for his stand against the Nazi tyranny during World War II.
A tour of Akershus Slott takes about 1-2 hours and is very much worth your time when you visit Olso.