Walking around Gamle Oslo
One of my favourite places to walk in Oslo is around the neighbourhood of Gamle Oslo. Located between the modern ‘Barcode’ district and the scenic Ekeberg Sculpture Park, Gamle Oslo is a mixed bag of a neighbourhood. It has scattered apartment buildings, small shops and cafes, is close to the multicultural Grønland neighbourhood (see my separate walk on that here) and is currently a bit of a construction site thanks to the railway and tram lines going through it.
If you are looking for somewhere a little more ‘off the beaten path’, I can’t recommend Gamle Oslo enough. The ruins are interesting to walk around, and it makes for a nice walk away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.
Here’s my guide to the various remains at Gamle Oslo.
In this article...
Oslo's History (A Brief Overview)
If you are looking for a detailed overview of Oslo’s city history, I would recommend reading my separate article (click here). But, in the context of Gamle Oslo, here is a short overview.
Basically, Gamle Oslo is the place where the first settlement of Oslo was. According to the Icelandic Sagas, Oslo was founded by King Harald Hardråde around the year 1050 because of the good supplies and close proximity to the big rival, Denmark. However, the settlement has been excavated and remains back to the 9th century have been found. Oslo was likely an urban centre by the end of the Viking Age.
Oslo was an important port and marketplace. It was also the centre of power and religion for Eastern Norway and stood as a base for a number of Norwegian Kings. Because of this, King Håkon V moved the capital from Bergen to Oslo in 1314, building Akershus Fortress and initiating a number of important construction projects in Oslo town centre, such as the stone cathedrals (they were previously wooden), the new royal court, and the bishop’s residence. Dominican and Franciscan monasteries were constructed in the town.
Oslo’s decline began around the time of the Black Death and subsequent Kalmar Union. By the time of the Reformation, the city was in disrepair. The Reformation also broke the independence of the Norwegian Church and its position as a factor of economic power, and it strengthened Denmark’s control over Norway. Some buildings in Oslo remained important, such as Akershus Fortress, but the town was less so.
The end of Oslo’s old town was in 1624, when a large fire swept through the town. It was common for medieval towns to have fire; after all, they were dense wooden settlements and people depended on fire for cooking, heating and lighting. It is believed that Oslo had 18 city fires between 1080 and 1567, and the city was rebuilt just as many times on the same site, where the cellars and foundations remained in tact. The fire of 1624 destroyed most of the residential buildings. The contents of the Hallvard Cathedral were destroyed, though the stone walls remained. Oslo Hospital. Oslo’s Bishop’s Residence and the Oslo Cathedral School all survived the fire.
The Danish King Christian IV decided that rather than rebuilding the city, it should be moved west closer to Akershus Fortress. Residents were given plots of land for free and the new buildings were to be constructed of stone (they ended up being constructed in wood, leading to more fires). The new city was to be called Christiania, after the King. I have a self-guided walk for Christian IV’s Oslo, which you can read by clicking here.
What happened to the old town? Not much. Parts of it were converted to agricultural land for farmers, while others sat in ruins for over one hundred years. The interest in the old town only came in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, when the first excavations were carried out.
Today much of the area has been heritage-protected and converted into park area, while some of the ruins remain under the modern roads and apartments. There is work now on restoring and preserving more of the ruins, but it’s still an ongoing conversation in Oslo.
Defining Gamle Oslo
Today the ruins are located in the neighbourhood Gamle Oslo and are roughly bound by Hovinbekken in the north, the original course of the Alna River in the south and east, and the waterfront at the Medieval Park in the west. The Franciscan monastery (partly covered by Gamlebyen church and Oslo Hospital) just east of Alna is also considered part of the medieval town.
Sites Around Gamle Oslo
The Medieval Park
Middelalderparken
The walk begins at the Medieval Park, which is located just across from the Barcode modern construction buildings. The park opened in 2000 after a large excavation project, and the waterfront was recreated to represent where the original waterfront of Oslo would’ve been.
Today development in the area is prohibited due to ruins and cultural layers above and below the ground.
The Alna River had its outlet where the southern side of the park is located today. In connection with the construction of the Follobanen, which opened in December 2022, the river will again be diverted here.
It is possible to walk along the waterfront. There are two ruins here of particular interest.
Mariakirken
St. Mary's Church
Like almost all the churches at Gamle Oslo, St. Mary’s Church was probably first built as a small wooden church around the 11th century. Also like the other churches, it was rebuilt as a stone church.
St. Mary’s was expanded two more times: in the 13th century with the construction of a Gothic choir and then again int he 14th century with brick extensions. After its final renovation, it was believed to have been one of the most magnificent churches in Norway.
The church had an important role in the function of Norway’s national government up until the Reformation. The church was the chancellor for the Kingdom of Norway and keeper of the great seal. The chancellor was the only permanent institution in the national government with a seat in Norway and functioned as state administration in medieval Norway. The clergy of St. Mary’s had a high rank in the worldly aristocracy from 1300.
Additionally, some of the Norwegian Royals were buried here, such as King Håkon V (who moved the capital to Oslo) and Queen Eufemia. This was also the church where they married.
The church was set on fire by the Swedes in connection with an attack in 1523, and by the time of the Reformation the church was so dilapidated that it could not be repaired. It was demolished in 1542 and the land was used for agriculture.
Excavations of the church were carried out in 1867, 1935 and 1961.
Kongsgården
Royal Residence of Oslo
Hidden behind the brick building are the remains of the Oslo Royal Residence. Archaeological excavations show that the buildings were constructed around the time of King Harald Hardråde, who founded Oslo. It was likely a wooden building but was converted to a stone one under King Håkon V.
Remains of a circular moat have been interpreted as a type of fortification similar to ones found in France and the British Isles. German and English coins dated from between 1040 and 1060 were found in the sandy banks of the moat.
Kongsgården was used until the Late Middle Ages but fell into disrepair as Akershus Fortress became the main administrative centre and royal residence.
Make your way back up to the main road after this. The rest of the ruins are located within close proximity of Oslo Torg.
Saxegården
Manor House
Tucked away behind the apartment buildings is a small wooden house. This is Saxegården, a manor house that can be traced back to the medieval times. Beneath half the house is a vaulted stone cellar from the late Middle Ages. The property is one of the few medieval manor houses in Oslo where the location can be determined with 100% certainty. it is named after the Saxe family, a Norwegian noble family. The current wooden building is from around the year 1800.
Clemenskirken
Clements Church
Clemens Church is likely one of the first churches to be constructed in Oslo as it is believed that Oslo’s first urban structure began around where the church stood. The oldest avenue in Oslo was called Clemensallmenningen. It is believed that the Danish King Harald Bluetooth (yes, that Bluetooth) constructed the church. He was Denmark’s first real King and had Oslo as a base for missionary and military advances in Norway.
Several Scandinavian churches were dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers, St. Clemens. The original church was constructed in wood, but was replaced as a stone building around the year 1100.
The layout of the church is unique: it is one of the very few churches in Norway with a two nave ground plan. Remains of what is one of Norway’s oldest cemeteries have been found under and around the church, with the oldest graves being from around 980 AD. This suggests that there was a well-established Christian community around the year 1000.
The church went out of use after the Reformation and was left in ruins.
Bispegata
Street
This is where the medieval avenue called Bispeallmenningen ran. During excavations in 1954, the original street was found in multiple layers between 1.5 metres and 4 metres below the current surface, and three wooden bridges were found.
Oslo Ladegård
Oslo Bishop's Residence
During the Middle Ages, Oslo Ladegård was the residence of the bishop. It was one of the city’s most important political centres of gravity until the Reformation removed power from the Church.
The current house is from 1725 but is built on the remains of a manor house from earlier times. This is where King James of Scotland (or James I of England) and Princess Anna were married in 1589. In the basement are remains of the bishop’s residence from the 13th century.
Oslo Torg
Oslo Square
The large road junction is where the site of Oslo Torg stood. It was the medieval city’s Roman Forum and meeting place for the King and his men. It is where Oslo’s earliest court stood.
It is believed that Oslo Torg was triangular, similar to the medieval square in Lund’s old town in Sweden.
The main function of the square was as a market. Goods from the port would be brought up here. Additionally, farmer’s from around Oslo would come here to sell their goods. Food was primarily traded, such as grain, flour, butter, cheese, vegetables, fish, and products from domestic animals. There was also toilet paper (which back then was moss), cotton wool, wooden tools, and other items for the home. Foreign retailers also came here, such as the Hanseatic League.
Oslo Torg was also the site of Norway’s only winter market, which was held every year at Lent.
The position of the market began to disappear in the 18th century as other roads were being constructed. In the 1960s, a six-lane motorway was built over the square, and now the entire square and parts of the bishops castle are underneath the motorway.
Minneparken
Memorial Park
Now we’ll visit Minneparken, which is where a number of ruins from Oslo are located.
Hallvardskatedralen
St. Hallvard Cathedral
It is believed that King Sigurd Jorsdalfare began construction of the cathedral in the early 12th century. The cathedral is named after Oslo’s patron saint Hallvard, who was shot when he tried to save an innocent, pregnant woman accused of theft. The body of St. Hallvard was moved from its original location at Lier and enshrined in a silver casket that was placed on the high altar.
The most important parts of the church were completed in 1130, when King Sigurd was buried in the south wall of the choir.
Hallvard Cathedral was Eastern Norway’s religious centre for over 500 years. It was the coronation church, royal wedding church, royal burial chapel, and one of Scandinavia’s most visited pilgrimage destinations.
The style of the cathedral was unique. The builders took inspiration from the south and east of Europe, and it’s believed the present-day Gamle Aker Church was modelled after Hallvard Cathedral.
After the fire of 1624, Hallvard Cathedral was still standing and must’ve been in good condition as it remained as the main church for Eastern Norway until 1639, when the Holy Trinity Church in the new part of Oslo was completed. After this, Hallvard Cathedral fell into disrepair and in 1696 was demolished. It now became a quarry for Akershus Fortress, while some of the stone was used in the construction of Oslo Cathedral. One of the stones from Hallvard Cathedral can be seen on the corner of the tower of Oslo Cathedral today. Additionally, two of Oslo Cathedral’s four bells are from Hallvard Cathedral. Some items from the cathedral have been preserved in museums. For example, in the University of Oslo’s Antiquity Collection there is an altar cross from the 13th century.
In the 1770s, the gravestones (which dated from 1130 to 1660) were removed as filling material and road surface.
The first excavation took place in 1835. At the beginning of the 1920s, the whole ruin came to light. However, in the 1960s part of the cathedral was covered by concrete to allow for the expansion of Bispegata.
Olavsklosteret
St. Olav Monastery
Located next to the ruins of the Hallvard Cathedral is the Olav Monastery. The monastery was built in 1240 next to the Olav Church. They had a herb garden north of the monastery and a pond, both of which were restored in 1929. After the Reformation, the monastery was converted to a bishop’s residence.
The current Oslo bishopric is located in the building built on the eastern ruins. The western ruins were only uncovered in the 1950s.
Korskirken
Cross Church
The last ruins in Minneparken are of Korskirken, a small parish church located on the northern boundary of Oslo. It is not known when the church was built and it is not mentioned in written documents about a famous battle in Oslo in 1240. However, in 1989 a rune stick was found dating to the first half of the 13th century, and it mentions Korskirken.
A Little Further Away...
If you want to explore more of Old Oslo, there are more remains scattered around the neighbourhood. Here they are.
Nonneseter Klosteret
Nonneseter Monastery
Nonneseter Monastery was constructed around 1150 and was a Benedictine convent for nuns dedicated to the Holy Mary. The monastery was mentioned for the first time in 1161. Snorre Sturlason refers to the monastery in Håkon Herdebrei’s saga when he describes the Battle of Ekeberg.
Nonnester Monastery was one of the largest landowners in Norway, owning 272 farms in Eastern Norway. The monastery existed for some time after the Reformation, but it was confiscated in 1547 and given to Akershus Fortress. It eventually fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1616.
The remains were discovered when the building at Scheiwgaards gate 50 was built in 1887.
Today the remains of the monastery can be found under the ground beneath the properties at Schweigaards gate 55 and Grønlandsleiret 73.
Oslo Hospital
This is the site of Norway’s oldest hospital. However, it didn’t start out as a hospital. This site was originally a Franciscan monastery that was established here under King Håkon V.
After the Reformation, the monastery was handed over to the city and turned into a hospital. The hospital operation was based on the work of the Franciscans: the Gray Friars carried out targeted care work for lepers and others of the city’s weakest. It eventually became a psychiatric hospital and remained as such until 2018, when it closed.
The buildings burned in 1567, and the monastery church remained standing until 1794. It was then replaced by the Gamlebyen church, which was built partly on top of the ruins of the old church.
The oldest building on the property is the Gråsteinbygningen (Grey Stone Building), which was erected in 1737 using several types of stone from Ekebrg, including limestone, clay, slate and gneiss.
Gamlebygen Church is a privately owned church located on the property. The first church was built here at the end of the 13th century and was one of the first buildings in Oslo to be built of brick. After the Reformation, the church was also converted into a hospital. The church was destroyed by Swedes in 1567 and has since been rebuilt many times. The last time it was rebuilt was in 1939.
Galgeberg
Gallows Hill
Just north of Gamle Oslo is the neighbourhood Galgeberg. This name gives away what it used to be – Gallows Hill. In the Middle Ages, the area was a place for public executions and the gallows stood here.
The road the gallows stood on was part of the most important road network out of Oslo towards the north.
The gallows stood in a courtyard where the residential complex Galgeberg 3 is. The flagpole marks the specific spot.
Close by is a small street called Justiskroken, which is believed to have been where the executioner lived. A small wooden house stands here and is from the middle of the 18th century.
You can read about the last execution of Galgeberg here: https://www.dagsavisen.no/oslo/byhistorie/2021/10/08/da-det-siste-hodet-rullet-pa-galgeberg/
