Old Christiania: Cathedral, Kvadraturen and the fortress: a walk in Oslo

The 17th-century grid city behind the fortress: cathedral and bazaar halls, Oslo's oldest streets, a Michelin lunch or cheap Thai, then the fortress and the WWII Resistance Museum.

Best time: Morning (museums open 10:00)

The route, stop by stop

1
Oslo Cathedral
Painted ceiling; 15 min.
The 1600s cathedral used for royal and state ceremonies, with a richly decorated interior and stained glass.
2
Svanen Cocktailbar
Note it for the evening; 2 min.
Cocktails in a preserved 1896 pharmacy with the old apothecary shelves; food writer Anders Husa calls it his favourite cocktail bar.
3
Kvadraturen (Christiania old town grid)
Oldest street grid; 20 min.
Oslo's historical centre: the Renaissance street grid behind Akershus Fortress.
4
Mini Bottle Gallery
Optional quirky stop if open; 30 min.
A quirky three-level collection of some 12,500 miniature bottles with odd themed rooms; a fun rainy-hour stop.
5
Akershus Fortress
Ramparts and castle yard; 30 min.
The castle and fortress on the harbour headland: free ramparts with views over the fjord, plus the Resistance Museum and Armed Forces Museum inside the walls.
6
Norway's Resistance Museum
WWII occupation story; 60 min.
A compact, gripping walk through the 1940-45 occupation told with pictures, documents, posters, models, original newspapers and recordings, in a 17th-century building at the…

Walking directions

Old Christiania: Cathedral, Kvadraturen and the fortress

The route, stop by stop

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