The Most Haunted Places in Norway
Norway is the land of folktales and trolls, but haunted places can be a little tricky to find. In fact, when I was making a ghost tour of Bergen, I got stuck because many Norwegians don’t believe in ghosts! Still, with all the history to be found in Norway, there have been some gruesome incidents that have led to tales of hauntings, so I did a deep dive online to find the most haunted places in the country.
Here are some of the stories on the most haunted places in Norway that I found. Will you add these to your Norwegian adventure? Be sure to let me know!
The Most Haunted Places in Bergen
I wrote a seperate guide for the most haunted places in Bergen, which you can view below.
The Most Haunted Places in Norway
Akershus Fortress (Oslo)
Akershus Fortress is probably one of the least surprising haunted location Norway. There are few places in Norway that have more supernatural tales than in the fortress. Most of the stories come from the time the fortress functioned as a prison for Norway’s most notorious criminals. During their time at the prison, they would be forced to do hard labour and the prison guards used irons, chains and isolation as disciplinary techniques. There have been reports of whispers and scratching along the fortress hallways.
There is another haunted tale of Akershus Fortress – the demon dog Malcanisen. It is said of Malcanisen approaches you, then it means you will soon die; everyone who encounters him dies within three months. There have also been sightings of ‘nightpyres’ – burning women the size of babies with awful smiles. Their appearance is thought to precede a fire at the fortress.
Nidaros Cathedral (Trondheim)
I remember visiting Nidaros Cathedral with the intent of learning about the ghost stories, as this one fascinated me the most. Considering the cathedral’s history, it is probably not so surprising that there are tales of ghosts here.
The ghost here is in fact a monk. The monk was first seen in 1924 by bishop Marie Gleditsch, who claimed the apparition had a bloody gash along its throat as though it had just been cut. There was even blood dripping from the wound!
There have been frequent reports of inexplicable chanting and organ music in the cathedral late at night.
However, keep in mind this ghost is a little controversial as historians claim no order of monks were ever connected to the cathedral.
Munkholmen (Trondheim)
This tiny island has been an abbey, fort and a prison. People have heard and seen mysterious appearances here. Many believe the ghost to be the famous prisoner Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld, who was imprisoned on the island for 18 years.
Utstein Kloster (Stavanger)
Utstein Abbey is the only medieval monastery in Norway that’s still in operation. As a former monastery, it has housed many men – but it’s a woman’s presence that still lingers in the place today. In the 18th century, the monastery was bought by the Garmann family. Christoffer Garmann lived there with his wife, Cecilia, who unfortunately died in childbirth in 1759 at 25 years old. Despite his promise to her on her deathbed that he would never marry again, Christoffer got engaged to a woman 36 years younger than him (!) 20 years later.
Hoping to escape the promise to his wife, he arranged for the wedding to happen in Stavanger Cathedral. But Cecilia found him anyway, appearing in front of him in the middle of the ceremony. Christoffer died eight days later. Cecilia has been seen wandering the monastery in her wedding dress, presumably to make a point.
Dalen Hotel (Dalen)
It’s not just historic fortresses and churches that are haunted, but hotels too! Dalen is one of the most beautiful historic hotels in Norway. . Located in the small village of Dalen in Telemark, the hotel was built in the late 19th century to accommodate guests taking the Telemark Canal. Guests and staff share accounts of Room 17’s notoriety, where the spirit referred to as “The English Lady” lingers in her eternal unrest.
Originally known as Miss Greenfield of England, she arrived at Dalen Hotel one spring morning during the late 19th century and stayed as a guest for several months. Remarkably, her pregnancy remained a secret from the hotel’s staff. After she left, they made a grim discovery in the room – a lifeless infant. Miss Greenfield was arrested and charged with murder but took her own life before the trial could begin.
To this day, a table is set for her at the hotel restaurant. The sound of a baby crying can be heard.
Hotel Union Øye (Øye)
Hotel Union Øye is a charming historic hotel located in the Sunnmøre region near the Hjørundfjord and Geirangerfjord. Here, though, a tragic love story took place at the end of the 19th century.
This ghost story involves Linda, a servant girl who fell in love with a German officer. The officer was trapped in an unhappy marriage and he fell in love with Linda. Whenever the officer would visit the hotel, he and Linda would stay in the ‘Blue Room’.
The officer tried to get a divorce but was denied. This upset him to the point that he committed suicide. As you can imagine, Linda was heartbroken by this. She ended up taking her own life too.
People hear the ghost of Linda weeping in the Blue Room. Guests checking into the hotel get a silver bowl of garlic. If you’ve had a long trip and just don’t feel in the mood for ghostly shenanigans, you can keep the bowl in your room. However, if you’re curious, all you have to do is leave the bowl outside the door and wait.
Bærums Verk (Oslo)
Bærums Verk is a historic village and ironworks located just out of Oslo. The Værtshuset restaurant here is one of the most notorious haunted places in the country – it is also one of the oldest restaurants of its kind in Norway as it opened in 1640. Many accounts of supernatural occurrences have been documented here. Many attribute these phenomena to the ghostly presence of Anna Krefting, the woman who managed and oversaw Bærums Verk for five decades during the 18th century. She has been spotted several times in the restaurants second floor, eternally dressed in green.
In the administration building of Bærum Verks shopping district, there have been reports of a phone that rings every night at the exact same time. Those who pick up never hear anything but an odd, static hissing sound in the other end.
Lier Asylum
Lier Asylum is probably the most famous of the haunted places in Norway, at least among Norwegians. The old Lier Psychiatric Hospital opened in 1926. Between the 1930s and 1960s, the hospital started “experimental treatments” which included subjecting patients to lobotomies, LSD, and medically induced comas for days at a time. Due to the disproportionate ratio of patients to nurses, there were lots of reports of violence. Many of the old buildings have been torn down to make way for new housing, and the other buildings will also be renovated as apartments. Would you buy an apartment in that building?
The Church Ruins of Nes (Vormsund)
Over time, there have been accounts of peculiar phenomena, strange noises and unusual illuminations within the ruins of Nes Church in Vormsund. At the heart of these occurrences lies the enigmatic figure of Jacob Christian Finckenhagen, a priest who served the church from 1800 to 1837.
The tales surrounding his life and fate remain a subject of controversy. Some assert that his offspring are interred within the walls behind the alter, while others claim he met his demise by hanging from the church rafters.
Alternatively, it’s suggested that he simply succumbed to old age. Regardless of the uncertainty, numerous reports persist of his restless spirit wandering the church ruins during the night. Some visitors claim their movements become impaired and sluggish like they are submerged in water.
Fredriksten Fortress (Halden)
Fredriksten is a historic fortress in the town of Halden and is historically one of Norway’s most significant fortresses.
Here you’ll find the White Lady – Den Hvite Dame – who is said to reside at the fortress. She was once the fortress commander’s mistress. After her lover was killed by a cannonball fired by Swedish forces attacking the fortress, his remains were not recovered. She killed herself by jumping off the fortress wall and is said to appear near the white tower at midnight.
The Most Haunted Places in Norway
There are so many fascinating historic sites in Norway, and the fact that they have these tales and legends makes them even more interesting to visit. Would you visit these haunted places in Norway?
If I’ve missed a story, be sure to let me know!
