List of castles and palaces in Norway

Examples of Norwegian fortifications

The fortress house Rosenkrantz in the castle and later fortress Bergenhus

The filigree neo-Gothic Oskarshall Castle

The star-shaped fortress Fredrikstad with Fort Isegran opposite

This list gives an overview of castles , palaces and fortresses in Norway .

Historical preliminary remarks

The Norwegian history with the time of the Vikings has a few fortifications, which correspond to a castle. In the early - but also still high-medieval times - there were only refuges (better known as Hillforts in English ), which consisted in particular of a rampart or curtain wall made of mostly uncut and mortar-free layered large stones, with a recessed entrance, mostly on ledges or ridges. To be mentioned include a. the Brattingsborg in Saude ( Telemark ) Borgklinterne ( Borgklinten ) on Ørland (east Ottersbo and Austrått on Trondheimsfjord ) Kongsholm in Selbosoe and Gildeskred near Sogndalsfjøra . 80 to 100 are known on present-day Norwegian territory, around 30 of them in the Trøndelag area .

The first castles were only built with the emergence of a late kingdom and fortified royal courts similar to the palatinate . Many other early and high medieval fortifications were only made of wood and little is known about their history. From around 1200 onwards, more castles were built, mostly as border fortifications towards Sweden or from the beginning as fortress-like structures and around larger settlements such as Oslo , Bergen and Tønsberg . There are also fortified fortified churches in Oslo, Hamar and Nidaros . Only a few castles of the nobility are known, also because larger feudal seats or areas were never able to establish themselves next to the kingdom in Norway. However, some small country estates had magnificent castle buildings built at the end of the late Middle Ages or in the modern era; the most powerful are of course the royal seats around Oslo. Former Norwegian fortifications that are now on the territories of other states, such as B. Bohus Fortress , Kirkwall fortified church or Viking built Peel Castle are not listed here.

list

Surname	place	Type	Creation time	State of preservation / current use	image
Akershus Fortress	Oslo - Akersneset Peninsula	lock	around 1300	Building complex emerged from a castle and expanded with fortress elements, landmark , former national prison , burial place of Norwegian kings, museums, representational purposes	more pictures
Audunsborg (also Hegrenesburg )	Ålhus , on Jølstravatnet	Castle	between 1276-1286	Postal Baron Audun Hugleiksson , Palas was similar Håkonshallen , in the 17th century. Ruinously
Austråttborgen Castle (Østråt, Østraat or Austråt, Austrått Castle)	Ørland	lock	1654-1656	Instead of a wooden castle with a stone chapel from the 13th century, the large medieval mansion was expanded as a square building complex in stone in 1656, burned down in 1916 and rebuilt, since 1918 state property, land and farm Austråttgården owned by the municipality	more pictures
Avaldsnes Kongsgård (Royal Palace or Royal Court of Avaldsnes)	Avaldsnes	fortified royal court	after 872	Built under King Harald Fairhair , second third of the 12th century. The Birkebeiner was the center of power , probably around 1367 in a conflict between Håkon VI. Magnusson destroyed with the Hanseatic League , excavations took place in 2017
Bergenhus Fortress (Håkonshallen)	Mountains	Castle	around 1100	Built in stone around 1250, integrated into a larger fortress around 1660, around 1700 with Sverresborg into a large fortress, separated again in the 19th century, gradual loss of the fortress character, today under the command of the naval school and other military facilities (accountability administration of the Norwegian armed forces, the defense Museum, the Home Guard district of Hordaland , the music corps of Vestland and the conscription work Bergen)	more pictures
Bishop's Castle Oslo (Bishop's Palace, Old Bishop's Palace, Oslo Bispeborg )	Oslo - Gamlebyen (Old Town)	Castle	around 1210	Timber construction from the 12th century, built under the Oslo bishop Nikolas Arnason as a church castle and bishopric , expansion until the beginning of the 14th century, the tower in the curtain wall had a covered wooden bridge to the (today's ruin of the) cathedral of Halvard ( domkirke St. Halvards ) , Damaged by a Swedish attack in 1523, after the Reformation of 1537 large parts of the castle were torn down, remains excavated until 1919, parts of today's Oslo Ladegård (northwest corner covered) are visible, partly built over with a country house	more pictures
Borg (Sarpesborg)	Sarpsborg	Castle	1016	Ortsburg, founded in 1016 by Olav II. Haraldsson (Olav the Holy), nucleus of the later Sarpsborg, in 1569 when the place was destroyed by the Swedes, finally buried by landslide in 1702, no remains
Christiansholm fortress	Kristiansand - Kvadraturen (old town)	fortress	1672	Defensive fortress, eastern port of the city. The fortress was stationed on a small island on behalf of the Danish-Norwegian King Friedrich III. from Denmark . The fortress fended off a British attack in 1807 and was laid down as a fortress in 1872. Today owned by the city and used for cultural purposes.	more pictures
Citadellet ("Fortress on the Chicken Head" ("Fortet på Kyllinghodet"))	Hoarding - Karljohansvern	fortress	1848 to 1851	Fortress, demolished in 1971	more pictures
Archbishop's Castle Trondheim (Erkebispegården, Archbishop's Palace Trondheim)	Trondheim	Castle	around 1200	Fort-shaped fortified church of the diocese of Nidaros, eastern part around 1200, western part around 1250, one of the largest preserved stone buildings of the Middle Ages in Scandinavia, located in front of Nidaros Cathedral , exhibition of the Norwegian crown jewels	more pictures
Fredriksholm Fortress	Kristiansand - Møvig - Fredriksholm island	fortress	1655-1662	Island fortress to protect the city of Kristiansand and the harbor, laid down in 1804, blown up and destroyed by the British in 1807, ruins preserved	more pictures
Fredrikstad Fortress	Fredrikstad - Gamlebyen (Old Town)	fortress	1663-1665	Defensive fortress (replaced smaller fortifications from the Torstensson War ) to protect the place Fredrikstad on behalf of the Danish-Norwegian King Frederick II of Denmark , base for Peter Wessel Tordenskiold in the naval battle in the Dynekilen Fjord in 1716, surrendered in the Swedish-Norwegian War in 1814 , abandoned as a fortress from 1903, last military installations closed in 2002, preserved, tourism	more pictures
Frederiksten Fortress (Fredrikshald)	Heaps	fortress	1661-1701	Under the Danish-Norwegian King Friedrich III. commissioned Swedish siege of the fortress 1718/19, after that hardly any more importance, in parts preserved and restored, museums and events	more pictures
Fritzøehus Castle	Larvik	Castle, mansion	1863-1865	Modern castle for the Scandinavian noble family Treschow	more pictures
Gamlehaugen	Bergen - Fjøsanger	lock	1899	Modern castle in the Scottish barony style on an estate from the 17th century, today the official residence of the Norwegian royal family during stays	more pictures
Hamarhus (Hamar Episcopal Castle, Bispegården Hamar)	Hamar - Domkirkeodden	Castle	around 1250	Castle ruins of the Hamar Bishop's Castle, destroyed in the Norwegian War of Reformation in 1537, finally destroyed by Swedish troops in the Three Crowns War in 1567	more pictures
Hafslund manor house (Hafslund hovedgård)	Sarpsborg - Hafslund	Castle, mansion	1758 to 1762	1344 area mentioned for the first time, mansion of a noble estate, temporary owner of the estate was u. a. Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz , closed in 1825, later owned by a sawmill	more pictures
Isegran Castle	Fredrikstad - Kråkerøy Island- Isegran Peninsula	Castle	13th century	Small castle or fortress house of Jarl von Borgarsyssel Alv Erlingsson , also called MindreAlv , later rebuilt into a small fortress, nothing preserved (was one of two non-royal castles in Norway)
Fort Isegran	Fredrikstad - Kråkerøy Island- Isegran Peninsula	fortress	around 1670	The peninsula separated from Kråkerøy and developed as a small fort (fortress), managed by Östfoldmuseen Foundation - Fredrikstad Museum
Kongsten Fort ( Fort Christianstein )	Fredrikstad	fortress	1682-1685	Independent fortress east of Fredrikstad based on plans by Major General Johan Caspar de Cicignon , provisionally preserved in 1677 ( Svenske Skremme ), abandoned as a fortress from 1903	more pictures
Kongsvinger Fortress	Kongsvinger	fortress	1673-1784	Successor to Vingersund Schanze (also Tråstad Schanze ), late medieval / modern high fortress above the city on the Glomma river , preserved, restored, under monument protection, fortress museum	more pictures
Oslo Royal Castle	Oslo - Karl Johans gate	lock	1825-1836	Modern castle for Karl III. Johann , expanded from 1844, royal residence from 1905 after the dissolution of the Union	more pictures
Royal Court (Fitjar)	Fitjar	fortified royal court	not clear
Royal Court (Oslo) (Oslo Royal Palace, Kongsgården Oslo)	Oslo - Gamle Oslo	fortified royal court	around 1050	Built as a motte under King Harald Sigurdsson the Hard , expanded with a tower, hall and builders, replaced by Akershus around 1300, afterwards only used as the seat of medieval Norwegian Chancellors, ruins remain; Cultural monument (No. 76058).	more pictures
Royal court (Seim)	Alver - Lindås - Seim	fortified royal court	circa 975	Located on the Lurefjorden , for King Harald Fairhair and his son Håkon I the Good , not mentioned after 1000
Königshof (Utstein)	Klosterøy Island	fortified royal court	not clear	Located in the area of ​​the former Utstein monastery.
Royal Court (Værne) (Royal Palace of Værne)	Rygge	fortified royal court	not clear	From 1200 hospital and later Værne monastery , destroyed in 1570, ruins excavated around 1812.
Mjøskastellet	Ringsaker - Steinsholmen Island	Castle	around 1230	Castle ruins of a tower castle on the island Steinsholmen in the middle part of the Mjøsa Lake, built under Håkon IV. Håkonsson , documented in 1234, part of the medieval Håkon-Håkonsson legend from 1260, small remains of the walls have survived.	more pictures
Norske Løve	Horten - Vealøs Island	fortress	1848 to 1851	Fortress, preserved	more pictures
Oskarshall Castle	Oslo - Bygdøy	lock	1847-1852	Neo-Gothic castle for Oskar I of Sweden , 1863 to the Norwegian state	more pictures
Paléet (palace)	Oslo	City palace , royal residence	1744-1745	The palace was a large, one-story, walled city palace in Oslo, built until 1745, later added and rebuilt. With a palace garden and a garden palace as well as other buildings that were walled in. Located between Oslo Stock Exchange and Jernbanetorget (Fred. Olsens Gate 6, formerly Store Strandgate). Norway's third royal residence after 1814. The palace was demolished after the fire on May 14, 1942.	more pictures
Steinvikholmen (also Steinvikholmen Castle )	Stjørdal	Inselburg	around 1100	Built in 1525 as a late medieval island and archbishop's fortified church with a fortress or fort-like appearance by order of the last Archbishop of Norway Olav Engelbrektsson on the island in the Åsenfjord , dilapidated until the 19th century, restored, museum.	more pictures
→ Rosendal Castle	Kvinnherad - Rosendal	lock	1665	Castle as a wedding present for Karen Mowat and Ludvig Rosenkrantz and seat of the only barony in Norway; since 1927 owned by the University of Oslo	more pictures
Skansen (also Rundellen , Skansen Fortress or Skansen Castle )	Tromso	Castle / fortress	13./14. Century	Simple castle or small fortress to protect the city of Tromsø and monitor Tromsøysund, later used as a customs castle , only small remains of the ramparts, modern building ( customs house ), museum and gallery.	more pictures
Sverresborg (Bergen)	Mountains	Castle	around 1185	Höhenburg used until the 17th century, still a military base today, but open to the public.	more pictures
Sverresborg (Nidaros) (also Sion or Zion )	Nidaros	Castle	1182/1183	Höhenburg, ruin	more pictures
Tunsberghus	Tonsberg	Castle	around 1100	Erected as a wooden castle, rebuilt in stone as a hilltop castle around 1250, destroyed in 1503, excavation of the ruins in the 20th century, today with an observation tower from 1880	more pictures
Valdisholm Castle (also Walletsøhus , Vallersøy )	Eidsberg -Lindhol- island Valdisholm	Castle	around 1220	Castle ruins in small remnants of a small ring castle with keep and hall, made of brick rubble stones; built under Håkon IV. Håkonsson on the island in Glomma , documented in 1225, fief for Arnbjørn Jonsson (1225–1240), last mentioned in 1346, probably burned down, mentioned in 1575 in the Saxo Chronicle as a castle ruin; Monument number: 78946.	more pictures
Vardøhus fortress	Vardøya island	fortress	between 1300 and 1330	Under Håkon V. it was preserved as the easternmost fortress towards Novgorod , square 30 × 40 m, expanded as an octagonal star fortress in 1738	more pictures

See also

Portal: Castles and Palaces  - Overview of Wikipedia content on the subject of castles and palaces

• List of castles and palaces

literature

• Bodo Ebhardt : European fortifications in the Middle Ages , Vol. III with section: Norwegian castles , Verlag Rauschenbusch, Stollhamm 1958, pp. 361–381 (in the original); u. a. New edition (unaltered reprint from 1939, 1958): Stürtz-Verlag, Würzburg 1999/2001.
• Heinrich Karl Wilhelm Berghaus: Sweden, Norway a. Denmark the 3 Scandinavian empires: In addition to an introduction to the knowledge of Europe . therein: Description of the place of Norway , Hasselbergsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Berlin 1858, pp. 544–574

Web links

Commons : Castles in Norway  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Commons : Palaces in Norway  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Commons : Fortresses in Norway  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Norway on www.burgenwelt.org

Individual evidence

1. ↑ This is probably a complex in Selbusjøen that has a fortification in the style of a Cyclops wall, see also: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde : Volume III K – Ro Section: Kyklopische Mauern, Verlag KJ Trübner, Strasbourg 1911–1919 p. 117
2. ↑ ^{a b} Bodo Ebhardt: Europe's defense construction in the Middle Ages , p. 362
3. ↑ ^{a b} Ostnorwegen Oslofjord Fredrikstad Isegran on www.visitnorway.de ; accessed on September 4, 2019

References and Notes

1. ↑ Borgklinten in the Norwegian Wikipedia
2. ↑ Audunborg in the English Wikipedia
3. ^ Avaldsnes Kongsgård estate in Wikipedia
4. ↑ Old Bishop's Palace in Oslo in the English Wikipedia
5. ↑ Christiansholm Fortress in the English Wikipedia
6. ^ Archbishop's Palace Trondheim in the English Wikipedia
7. ↑ Fredriksholm Fortress in the English Wikipedia
8. ↑ Fredrikstad Fortress in the English Wikipedia
9. ↑ Fritzøehus in the English Wikipedia
10. ↑ Hamarhus in the English Wikipedia
11. ^ Battle of Hamar in the English Wikipedia
12. ↑ Hafslund Hovedgård in the Norwegian Wikipedia
13. ↑ Fort Isegran in the Norwegian Wikipedia
14. ↑ Fort Kongsten in the Norwegian Wikipedia
15. ^ Oslo Kongsgård estate in Wikipedia
16. ↑ Værne Monastery in Wikipedia
17. ↑ Mjøskastellet in the Norwegian Wikipedia
18. ↑ Paléet in the Norwegian Wikipedia
19. ^ Sverresborg (Bergen) in the English Wikipedia
20. ^ Sverresborg in the English Wikipedia
21. ↑ Valdisholm borrowing in the Norwegian Wikipedia

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