🇳🇴 Country

Castles in Norway

20 landmarks in the Castlemap atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 18 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Norway is Akershus Fortress, ranked #149 of 7,738 in the world — followed by Royal Palace, Oslo and Oscarsborg Fortress.

The Castlemap atlas charts 2 castles, 14 fortresses, 3 palaces & châteaux and 1 ruin in Norway. They span more than 7 centuries — from Sverresborg (founded 1182) to Kristiansand Cannon Museum (1944). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Norway.

Map of castles in Norway

On the map they cluster thickest around Oslo — 8 within a 100 km day trip. The northernmost is Vardøhus Fortress, the southernmost Kristiansand Cannon Museum — about 1,742 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Oslo.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 20 landmarks mapped in Norway, 18 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 17th century — 5 of them. 4 predate 1500 and 7 were built after 1700.

All 20 castles in Norway

Akershus Fortress
Fortress · 13th century · #149 worldwide · #1 in Norway
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for…
Royal Palace, Oslo
Palace & château · 19th century · #181 worldwide · #2 in Norway
The Royal Palace in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born Charles XIV John, who reigned…
Oscarsborg Fortress
Fortress · 19th century · #3 in Norway
Oscarsborg Fortress is a coastal fortress in the Oslofjord, close to the town of Drøbak in Akershus County, Norway.
Bergenhus Fortress
Fortress · 16th century · #4 in Norway
Bergenhus fortress is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. Located at the entrance of Bergen harbour, the castle is one of the oldest and best…
Fredriksten
Fortress · 17th century · #5 in Norway
Fredriksten is a fortress in the city of Halden in Halden Municipality, Østfold county, Norway.
Vardøhus Fortress
Fortress · 13th century · #6 in Norway
Vardøhus Fortress, called "Wardhouse" in English historical navigations, is located in Vardø Municipality in Finnmark county, Norway.
Stiftsgården
Palace & château · 18th century · #7 in Norway
Stiftsgården is the royal residence in Trondheim, Norway. It is centrally situated on the city’s most important thoroughfare, Munkegaten.
Kristiansten Fortress
Fortress · 17th century · #8 in Norway
Kristiansten Fortress is located on a hill east of the city of Trondheim which is located within Trondheim Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway,…
Oscarshall
Palace & château · 19th century · #9 in Norway
Oscarshall Palace is a maison de plaisance located in the small fjord Frognerkilen on Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway.
Steinvikholm Castle
Castle · 16th century · #10 in Norway
Steinvikholm Castle is an island fortress on the Skatval peninsula in the present-day Stjørdal Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway.
Trondenes Fort
Fortress · 20th century · #11 in Norway
Trondenes Fort is a fort situated on the Trondenes peninsula in Harstad Municipality in Troms county, Norway.
Austrått Fort
Fortress · 20th century · #12 in Norway
Austrått Fort is a disused coastal artillery site located at Austrått in Ørland Municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway.
Tønsberg Fortress
Ruin · #13 in Norway
Tønsberg Fortress was a medieval fortress and castle, located in Tønsberg, Norway.
Fjell Fortress
Fortress · #14 in Norway
Fjell Fortress, known during World War II as Marine-Küsten-Batterie 11./504 is located on the island of Sotra in Øygarden Municipality in Vestland…
Kristiansand Cannon Museum
Fortress · 20th century · #15 in Norway
Kristiansand Cannon Museum is a museum in Kristiansand Municipality in Agder county, Norway.
Christiansholm Fortress
Fortress · 17th century · #16 in Norway
Christiansholm Fortress was a Norwegian fortress built to defend the city of Kristiansand.
Kongsvinger Fortress
Fortress · 17th century · #17 in Norway
Kongsvinger Fortress is located in the city of Kongsvinger which is located within Kongsvinger Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway.
Sverresborg
Castle · 12th century · #18 in Norway
Sverresborg or Sverre Sigurdsson's castle was a fort and residence built in the medieval city of Nidaros by King Sverre Sigurdsson.
Sverresborg (Bergen)
Fortress · 12th century · #19 in Norway
Sverresborg is a fortress and former castle situated in the Norwegian city of Bergen.
Fredrikstad Fortress
Fortress · 17th century · #20 in Norway
Fredrikstad fortress was a fortification in Fredrikstad, Norway. It was the base of the Østfold Regiment, with defence related responsibilities for…

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Norway?

The Castlemap atlas maps 20 landmarks (2 castles · 14 fortresses · 3 palaces & châteaux · 1 ruin) in Norway — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Norway?

Akershus Fortress, ranked #149 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 13th century.

What is the oldest castle in Norway?

The oldest dated landmark in the atlas in Norway is Sverresborg, founded 1182. Earlier structures may have existed — this is the oldest with a documented founding year.

Where are most of the castles in Norway?

They cluster thickest around Oslo — 8 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km.