Akershus Festning

I was in Norway last year, after I found cheap airplane tickets to fly from Greece.

During my 5-day stay there, I was fortunate to see many exciting new museums and places. It was my first time in a Scandinavian country, and I had never gotten in touch with Nordic culture. I have to admit that I liked it a lot, including the art, although at first it seemed a bit stiff for me.

Anyway, here is my small review for the Akershus Festning, to which I went on a cloudy morning to take a walk:

Originally used as a place to imprison criminals (thieves, murderers etc. ), it was built in 1290. It is overseeing the port of Oslo, so it's reasonable that it was used as a fortress, a place that was used to protect the city from intruders and to warn the people in order to get ready for an potential invasion. My trip was in April, but the crazy thing was that there was still snow in the streets and it was really really cold. Anyway, back to the topic, the fortress is of the medieval times and inside there are typical Norwegian buildings (triangular-like roof, pale colors on the walls), some cannons are still there and 'watch over' the sea. There were not so many tourists, so the walk was pretty enjoyable for me, since there wasn't much noise from crowds or tourist groups.

On my way back, on the left side there are these stables, but on the other part of the street, there is a very cute caffe, that has a small square in front of it, I loved this place, seemed like a quite well-known coffee shop. Here's a picture :)

That's all for the Akershus Festning, enjoy :)

A great way to discover Oslo and enjoy a beautiful summer day or night. Akerhus Fortress. The fortress was completed in the 1300s, I have been told. It was build to protect the city of Oslo. The fortress gives a great view over the popular Aker Brygge, Oslo city, the harbour and even the fjords. It is magnificent, especially during sunset or during a picknick. In the summer, several guided tours are given through the fortress, however, you can also just visit or climb the walls by yourself and relax. The fortress is popular for events such as concerts, celebrations and ceremonies.