The cultural heritage trail of Oscarsborg

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1) THE HARBOUR FORT
Oscarsborg Fortress was begun in 1845. The Harbor Fort was the first permanent defense to be completed. From 1847, all visitors had to pass through the Harbor Fort so that personnel could control the fortress.

2) EASTERN COASTAL BATTERY
The Eastern Coastal Battery was built in 1848 to control the eastern shipping lanes. Behind the cannons is the defense gallery. This was the last redoubt in the defense of the Main Fort. The possibilities for defense in the gallery and the niches up against the Main Fort were limited. The passage is curved to make it more difficult for the enemy. The niches still provide minimal protection. The soldiers who were stationed here were probably aware of their situation.

3) THE MAIN FORT
During the German attack on Norway on the night of April 9, 1940, Colonel Eriksen wrote himself into the nation's history. By engaging the German squadron, a delay was created that made it possible for the Royal Family, the Storting and the Government to escape. For hours, Oscarsborg Fortress was bombed by German aircraft. The traces are still visible on the walls. Here in the courtyard, the Oscarsborg Opera puts on great opera performances for 1,500 audiences in August. See more information on the website about the summer program. 

Oscarsborg Museum is located in the fort and shows the role of the fortifications in the defense of the capital from the mid-19th century until the closure of the fortress as an operational unit. Great emphasis is placed on the events surrounding April 9, 1940. Here you will also find the Coastal Artillery Museum, which shows the emergence and role of the Coastal Artillery in the years from 1899 to the present. The Fortress Museum also arranges guided tours and tunnel safaris for the little ones. In the gatehouse to the main fort, several rooms have been restored and refurbished for new activities. The newspaper cartoonists' «Galleri Oscarsborg» is a good testament to the fact that the transition from military to civilian activities has created new life on historical grounds.

The restaurant «Offisersmessen» is located on the 2nd floor of the main fort and it is Oscarsborg Hotel & SPA that invites its guests to culinary experiences, in fantastic premises, here. History is in the walls and helps to create a setting and an atmosphere in a class of its own for both large and small celebrations. On the same floor you will also find the hotel's bar and lounges. On the third floor is the banquet hall that can accommodate up to 130 people for dinner.

4) WESTERN COASTAL BATTERY
The western shore battery was built in 1848 and had ten guns to control the western seas. When the Jetty (see point 5) was completed in 1878, the western strait was closed off, and the shore battery was largely redundant as a defensive structure. The covered part of the battery was then converted into a power station for Oscarsborg Fortress's so-called «inner lighting» , as well as charging the batteries for the fortress's electric ferry. The five southernmost casemates (rooms) were arranged as engine rooms, accumulator rooms, workshops and a water basin for the lighting system in the innermost casemate. 

The defense gallery was put into use as a boiler room and storage room for coal. Later, a communications center was established, and in the 1970s, a storage room for radioactive isotopes was established in the northern part of the battery. The battery has now been restored so that the public can once again experience this exciting defensive structure. Unlike the Eastern Beach Battery, which has been restored to its original condition, we have wanted to show the facility's various periods of use here. Therefore, we have only repaired damage and left reminders of previous functions visible to visitors. The building was moved to its current location in 1904.

5) THE JETTY
Work on the 1,500-meter-long underwater wall began in 1874. The wall runs from Hurum via Småskjær to Søndre Kaholmen, blocking the western shipping lane. The fill, which consists mainly of stone blocks weighing up to 2 tons, amounts to approximately 315,000 cubic meters, and construction took four years (1874–1879). The mass was transported on barges from Røyken. 50 m of the jetty has now been removed to make way for pleasure boats in the western shipping lane.

6) WESTERN BEACH QUAY / CRANE QUAY
The Crane Quay was built in 1862 to take ammunition ashore. From here, the ammunition was transported through a tunnel to the underground magazines of the Main Battery. The fortress' electric ferry was also located here, which operated between Kaholmene, Håøya and Bergholmen. The wharf today constitutes Oscarsborg Fortress's only existing deep-water quay and is used for larger boats. This is where the regular ferry from Sætre in Hurum and Oslo/Aker Brygge docks during the summer months.

7) WORKSHOP ENVIRONMENT AND PROTECTION PLAN
Oscarsborg Fortress was a vibrant community of carpenters, blacksmiths, bricklayers and painters. They had knowledge that was important for maintenance and building new ones. The buildings and structures document a knowledge that is in the process of disappearing. All buildings and structures in the Armed Forces – from the Harbour Fort to the flagpole – have their own identification number. The number consists of ten digits and tells where the object is located and what its function is. The building is only marked with the last two digits. We have chosen to keep the numbering because it forms part of the history of Oscarsborg Fortress.

8) THE LATRINES
The latrine was originally located at the back of the barracks. There were 11 outdoor toilets and a urinal.

9) THE SCHOOL BARRACKS
The school barracks were built in 1892/93 and originally served as a barracks for the crew. In a new defense plan in 1887, the Artillery NCO School at Akershus was divided into a NCO school for the Field Artillery, and one for the Fortress and Mountain Artillery. The latter was moved to Oscarsborg. 

The need for accommodation increased and a new barracks was built. It was placed in the shelter of the mountain wall to be covered against shelling. The school barracks today houses conference rooms on the 1st floor, while the 2nd and 3rd floors are to be renovated as office space. The space in front of the school barracks was used for drills and other gatherings. Here was the line-up for the soldiers, where the commander gave his orders and soldiers received their refs. During the summer season, the barracks area is used for concerts and a place where guests can visit our summer hosts for information about activities and ferry times.

10) RESTAURANT «FORPLEININGEN» / OSCARSBORG HOTEL & RESORT
«Forpleiningen», which is the old mess, is now used as a restaurant. In the premises where the soldiers ate their meals until 2002, Oscarsborg's guests can now combine good food and drink with a fantastic fjord view. The hotel now offers both à la carte and corporate catering in these premises, which have a lot of air under the roof. The hotel's reception is also located in this building. The hotel's Spa is located in the Student Accommodation. Here you will find four comfortable treatment rooms, relaxation rooms, saunas, changing rooms, quiet rooms and an outdoor jacuzzi. 30 different treatments and very skilled spa therapists are offered.

11) FORT COURTYARD
The Fort Couryard has been used for exercises and other gatherings. Nowadays, the place is also used for larger gatherings and concerts such as the «Fireworks Concert». Today, there is a memorial here to coastal artillerymen who gave their lives for Norway's Freedom during the war of 1940-45 and a statue in memory of Colonel Birger Eriksen who was commander at Oscarsborg from 1933-1940.

12) ATTACKS ON NORWAY - 9 APRIL 1940
At 04:21 the Main Battery opened fire on the battlecruiser Blücher. Immediately afterwards the batteries on the Drøbak side opened fire. The fire was well-aimed and very effective. The next vessel, the cruiser Lützow, was also hit by several shots from the shore. Paradoxically, the enemy was chased away by German guns with Jewish names such as Aron and Moses. You can learn the story of the names at the museum or on the guided tours.

13) THE KING WATCHTOWER
The watchtower on «Kongen» («The King»)  was the Oscarsborg Fortress' lookout and flag post. The first lookout was a primitive wooden platform on stilts. Here, soldiers monitored ship traffic in the Oslofjord and ensured that the Norwegian flag was displayed on the island's highest point. The current watchtower was built in 1932. The Norwegian flag also flew here on April 9, 1940. Although the flag tower was a prestigious target, it stood its ground and continued to proudly display the Norwegian flag. You are welcome to get a great view of the fortress's strategic location.

14) THE ROYAL GROVE
Oscarsborg Fortress was essentially completed in 1855. During King Oscar I's visit on August 23 of that year, Oscarsborg got its name. In Kongelunden we find the nameplates of other kings who have visited the fortress. Oscars II, Haakon VII, Olav V and Harald V.

15) THE SMITY
The smithy from 1861 was originally built as a laboratory, but was put into use as a smithy and workshop in 1901. This is one of the few buildings that emerged relatively undamaged from the German air raids on April 9, despite its exposed location. The building was completely renovated in 2011.

16) THE GYMNASIUM
The building was built as a gymnasium. The ground floor was used as a warehouse for the cloth house and later as a machine shop for the non-commissioned officer's school. The building is used for traveling exhibitions.

17) THE COMMANDANT'S RESIDENCE
The Commandant's Residence belonged to an educated class of the population through their background, education and work. They were trained in drawing, painting, dancing and music, and consequently were dominant figures in social life. 

The officers brought new customs and ideals to the local communities where they were deployed. The commandant's residence sits on a hill overlooking the fortress. The ornamental garden was the subject of many parties and constituted a private sphere for the commandant and his family. Today, the venerable building is used as the office of the commandant of Oscarsborg and the National Fortifications Authority, which manages the islands.

18) THE HARBOUR INN
Oscarsborg Havnekro is open and serves lunch and simple dinner dishes, refreshments, ice cream and kiosk items.

19) THE COMMANDANT'S PUBLIC BATH
The Commandant's Bathhouse was built in 1948. The predecessor to today's building, which was located on the same site, was called the «Women's Bathhouse» and was built in 1907. The bathhouse had a suitably discreet location at a time when naked female skin was inappropriate for young soldiers. If you want, you can try the bathhouse, but be aware of periods of strong currents, so remember to keep a close eye on children.

20) «THE WATERY GRAVE»
Askholmene (the low archipelago east of Håøya) became Blücher's wet grave. Memories of the once proud ship still surface in the form of oil spills. 

Many swam ashore at Askholmene and the landward side that morning in April 1940, but somewhere between 500 and 1,000 German officers and soldiers perished in the cold and eventually burning water. The Germans erected a memorial to their fallen at Askholmene, but this was demolished in the spring of 1945 by an American major.

21) THE TORPEDO BATTERY
Here, the torpedoes that sank Blücher were fired in 1940. The battery, which is now part of the Oscarsborg Museum, has undergone many reconstructions and was operational until 1993. Together with the torpedo workshop next to the entrance, a visit to the torpedo battery provides an exciting introduction to one of the most secret parts of Oscarsborg.

22) OSCARSBORG GUEST HARBOUR
The Oslofjord's most charming guest harbor is probably Oscarsborg Guest Harbor. With a completely unique location, on a fantastic cultural monument, the stage is set for maritime joys and exciting experiences for young and old. The harbor is quiet and family-friendly and has room for about 110 boats.

23) OSCARSBORG SPISERI - RESTUARANT
In the summer of 2024, a new restaurant, Oscarsborg Spiseri, opened on the waterfront in Oscarsborg Guest Harbour. Here you can enjoy good food and drinks in pleasant, maritime surroundings.