Monuments to visit Norway

On the port, there is the Fisketorget, the fish market. It is a very lively market where shrimps and fresh fish abound. But we also sell frozen crab sandwiches and souvenirs. Enjoying fresh salmon, grilled or smoked, is an unforgettable pleasure. It is a visit to make, but be aware that the prices are quite high because of the tourist traffic. However, you can simply stroll around and let yourself be tempted by a small fishcake for the taste.

Akershus is home to a medieval castle dating back to the ^13th century, remodeled in the Renaissance style in the first half of the ^17th century. People come to Akershus mainly for its lawns. The fortress occupies a special place as a national monument because of its position in the capital and its history, which is closely linked to royal and state power. Numerous events have left their mark on the site, which today houses a military academy, offices and a number of cultural sites and events. The site also houses the Resistance Museum, which documents the course of the Second World War in Norway, and the Defense Museum. A stroll through the castle gardens will reveal an exhibition of modern art sculptures, and you can also enjoy the magnificent view of the fjord on one side and the town hall square on the other.

Castle and church. A visit to Akershus Castle is a journey through Norwegian history, from the ^14th century to the present day. Few buildings in Norwegian history have played such a central role. From the remains of its medieval roots to the chambers of the Danish-Norwegian kings, the scenery is striking. Obviously, there has always been a church or chapel on the site of the fortress, ever since it was built in the time of Håkon V. But it was after a fire in 1527 that the second floor was partly converted into a church, and completely refurbished by Christian IV around 1630.

Information center. This offers a one-hour guided tour of the fortress, as well as two permanent exhibitions. The first traces the history of prisoners from the Middle Ages to the prison's closure in 1950. The second explains the Swedish army's siege of the Akershus fortress.

Defense Museum. Two exhibitions trace Norwegian military history from Viking times to the present day. Emphasis is placed on several decisive periods in Norwegian history, such as the union with Denmark until 1814, the union with Sweden from 1814 to 1905, the attack on Norway by Germany on April 9, 1940 and the naval warfare of the Second World War.

Museum of the Resistance. Through several exhibitions of photos, original documents and objects, the Musée de la Résistance aims to explain the country's situation during the Second World War.

The Opera House, the famous one! Inaugurated in 2008, this huge building that seems to emerge from the depths, in the heart of the bay of Bjørvika, is now on all postcards. If it is pleasant to walk on the roof of this giant, thought to be the terrace of Osloïtes and which offers a 360° view on the city and the fjord, it is also very interesting to visit the backstage! The Opera is actually composed of the Norwegian National Opera, the Norwegian National Ballet, the Norwegian National Orchestra, and the Norwegian National Opera Choir! So many people are busy in the corridors of the huge structure, whose backstage is partly open to visitors through large windows on the first floor: rehearsal rooms, costume and set design, etc. The Opera offers a rich program and is divided into three stages: the Main Chamber, the Second Chamber, and the Studio. The roof also serves as a stage for some concerts! In addition to the areas accessible to the public, rooms and adapted equipment allow the conception of performances from beginning to end within the building. The guided tour will take you behind the scenes of the fascinating world of the Oslo Opera House. If you were to see only a few places in Oslo, this is one of them. Its architecture, so cold, of marble, but so warm with its cylinders covered with honey-colored wood overlooking the fjord, manages to make us dream and takes us to another place...

Green walk along the Akerselva river with newly developed walking and cycling paths. You can walk to the Maridalen lake which is 10 km away along 20 waterfalls. The walking route can be combined with the bus. You first pass under the Anker bridge, flanked by its 4 bronzes inspired by Norwegian legends. We then walk along old factories, sawmills and other disused mills to finally arrive at the large lake of Maridal.

Building housing the democratically-elected Sami delegation to Norway's general elections. The president is Silje Karine Muotka. Guided tour every hour. The Saami delegation is elected every four years. Superb architecture, well worth a visit, and don't hesitate to enter if you can, as the wooden balustrades, lamps and large windows overlooking the forest give quite a magical impression, especially for such a public place! Library containing books in all Sami languages.

The small, enchanted villa of the great Norwegian composer and pianist of classical music (Romantic period) is situated high up on a point of greenery overlooking Lake Nordås. Built in 1885 for Bergen-born Edvard Grieg, the house has been preserved in its original state since his death. This museum, which houses all Grieg's period furniture and personal objects, is a house that lives on thanks to the intimate concerts that are still held on the master's old piano. Grieg lived here for over twenty years at the end of his life. Today, there are concerts every day during the International Music Festival, as well as summer concerts on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are on sale at the tourist office. The new, larger concert hall is fortunately hidden under the bridge just before the house. A little further down the road, Grieg's very basic little working hut is practically at the water's edge. His coat, hat and violin still hang on the wall. From the only window, you can see the lake through the branches of the large weeping birches. Another historic building nearby, the Fantoft Stavkirke, a wooden church dating back to 1150, sadly went up in smoke in June 1992, in the wave of arson and Satanism that swept the country. It has since been rebuilt to its original appearance.

This tower built by the Post and Telecommunications is 120 m high. An elevator takes you up to the terrace where you have a breathtaking panoramic view of Trondheim and the surrounding area. It includes the Egon Rotating Restaurant, which is 74 m high. It is one of the most visited attractions in Trondheim.

Built in 2005, the Atlantic Ocean Route is an 8.9 km stretch of Route 64. It connects the village of Vevang to the island of Averøy by 8 bridges crossing a string of islands. This route is the second busiest tourist route in Norway after Trollstigen (Route 63, from Langvatnet to Åndalsnes via Geiranger).

Located just a few minutes from Stavanger, on the shores of the pretty Hafrsfjord to be precise, these giant bronze swords, almost 10 m high and planted on rocks, commemorate the naval battle of Hafrsfjord in 872, which resulted in the unification of Norway into a single kingdom. In 1983, King Olav V inaugurated this monument to celebrate the ^1111th anniversary of the battle. The swords also represent peace, as they cannot be removed.

Holmenkollen, a neighborhood on the edge of the Marka Forest, a beautiful natural wooded area. The forest is visited by locals and tourists alike in summer and winter and offers skiing, sledding, hiking, fishing and tree climbing There is also the Ski Museum, the Ski Jump, the Ski Simulator and even a zip line!

Very easy access by metro from downtown. The view on the city and the fjord of Oslo is great and the place is mythical!

Ski museum and ski jump. The Ski Museum in Holmenkollen, located below the famous ski jump, is the oldest of its kind! It tells more than 4,000 years of skiing history and there are two exhibitions, one on skiing and snowboarding, and the most recent one, "Be prepared", on the theme of climate change. The ski jump is also accessible, and from the top of this tower you will have the pleasure of discovering a 360° view on the city, its fjord and the Marka forest. For the most courageous, a zip line allows you to descend from the ski jump in record time, and at the bottom, a ski jumping and slalom simulator offers you the chance to take the place of great athletes!

Oslo winterpark/summerpark. To the delight of visitors, Oslo's summer park in Tryvann has one of the largest and most beautiful climbing parks in Scandinavia. In winter, the park becomes the largest ski resort in the city's surroundings, making it possible to go skiing by subway, only 30 minutes from the city center!

Red brick building flanked by two large towers visible from quite a distance. The architecture of the town hall is not a masterpiece of design as the Scandinavians know how to do, but at least it has the merit of facing the fjord. On its steps, bronze workers are lined up, more realistic than life, made by Per Palle Storm, one of the great Norwegian sculptors. The walls inside are covered with monumental frescoes from the 1930s-1960s.

Since its construction began in 1824, the Royal Palace has been a symbol of Norwegian history and one of the country's most emblematic buildings. Although the original plans called for the palace to be H-shaped, financial problems led to a revision of the plans and the construction of a U-shaped palace. When Charles XIV John of Sweden died in 1844, the palace was clearly too small for the successor's family, so the wings were lengthened. Since 1849, when it was first occupied, the palace has undergone numerous transformations, particularly over the last century. It is now used primarily as a reception area and as the King's official office. This long yellow building, not very imposing in size, is beautifully situated on the Bellevue promontory at the end of the main avenue Karl Johans gate. Changing of the Royal Guard at 1:30 p.m. On June 7th square, a statue of the first king, Haakon, sculpted by Nils Aas, bears a striking resemblance to Giacometti's sculptures (the late king was very tall and skinny). Surrounding the palace is the Royal Park, one of the city's oldest and largest. It was designed in parallel with the construction of the castle, according to the ideal of the time. The guided tour takes in the palace's most beautiful and important rooms: the luxurious suite of King Haakon VII, the Bird Room painted in trompe-l'oeil by Johannes Flintoe, and the Ballroom.

This majestic hall was erected in 1261 for royal ceremonies in Bergen, and was the centre of political decisions in Norway (King Magnus Lagabøter married the Danish princess Ingeborg Eriksdatter here the same year). The building had to be restored after being severely damaged by fire in 1944. The guided tours (also in French) include the Rosenkrantz Tower, a fortress built in the 1560s by Lord Erik Rosenkrantz.

It is Bergen's most beautiful summer house and perhaps the finest example of rococo architecture in Norway. The mansion was built in the 1770s and is now open to the public after extensive restoration work. The adjoining garden has been recreated as it was originally, with plants that were in vogue 200 years ago. This place can only be visited by reservation and guided tour. If you like architecture, do not miss this beautiful house.

Almost opposite the cathedral, the royal residence in Trondheim is the largest wooden palace in Scandinavia. The building was constructed in 1778, in a style halfway between rococo and classicism. Most of the furniture in the palace today is in the Biedermeier style, but there is Hepplewhite furniture in the Chinese cabinet and Gustavian furniture in the Red Room. It is the official residence of the King and Queen when they are in Trondheim.

This fortress was built in 1672 and was designed by the architect Willem Coucheron in order to be able to defend the city of Kristiansand in case of need. The fort was actually used only once, in 1807, against an attack by the British (from the HMS Spencer). In 1872 it was closed and is now owned by the municipality of Kristiansand. In summer, temporary exhibitions of art and crafts. A relatively interesting visit.

Following the national competition in 1911, the festival hall was decorated with frescoes by Edvard Munch, who narrowly won the competition over Emanuel Vigeland, the sculptor's brother. The three main frescoes arewith the rising sun, history with the old man and child on the bank bills, and Alma Mater, a robust young woman breastfeeding. Nice to see the environment of the Norwegian students!

The Norwegian Parliament is one of the capital's most imposing buildings. Designed by Swedish architect Emil Victor Langlet, it dates back to 1866 and stands out for its spherical shape and yellow color. The interior is richly decorated. It features Oscar Wergeland's painting of the signing of the Constitution, reproduced in every history book. Although it is no longer possible to visit Parliament, a digital guided tour is available on the Parliament website. It presents the different rooms and the Norwegian political system.

In the rue de Damstredet, you'll find a charming collection of colorful doll's houses, which are actually workers' dwellings from the late ^18th century. Telthusbakken, on the other hand, is bordered on one side by old cottages in the same style, and on the other by the gardens of the street's inhabitants. The Kjaerlighetsstien, the path of love, runs through the middle of the plots in the direction of Maridalsveien. At the top of these two streets is the Vår Frelser cemetery.

It is an 18th and 19th century manor house surrounded by two gardens, one baroque, the other English. The interiors and furniture have been preserved in their original state. The manor and its tour are managed by the Halden Historical Collections Association(Halden Historiske Samlinger). A visit rich in history. There is a small shop and above all a great café next door where you can take a break and enjoy a savoury dish or simply a pastry.