Skip to main content
/menu/MenuLogoAlt
My Favorites
Oscarsborg Festning

Oscarsborg, the Fortress Island

Oscarsborg Fortress

Just a few minutes by ferry from the town of Drøbak, where the Oslo Fjord is at its narrowest, you find Oscarsborg. An idyllic coastal gem where stately fortifications and underground tunnels accompany the barracks turned hotel, and where biblically named cannons set the mood for a ‘banging’ visit with a historical buzz.

Transportation

The journey to Oscarsborg Island starts at Sundbrygga, where a ferry boat for tourists commutes between Drøbak and Oscarsborg. In weekends in spring and in the summer season the ferry also departs from Sjøtorget in the center of Drøbak. 

Timetables to and from Drøbak-Oscarsborg Fortress here. 

If you travel from Oslo, you can go by bus all year around and in the summer season also by boat directly to Drøbak.  

Accommodation

The fortress island Oscarsborg, which was released for civilian use in 2004, offers an excellent place for an overnight stay. Whether you dock with your own boat in the guest harbor or check in at Oscarsborg Hotel & Resort.

In the old officers 'and students' quarters, simple military barracks have been converted into beautiful hotel rooms, many with sea views. Military jackets and helmets are used as decoration in the rooms of this unique accommodation.

In addition to a comfortable double bed, the family rooms have military bunk beds, where soldiers have marked their presence by writing their surnames on the concrete walls. The attentive receptionists always try to match the surname on the wall with the guest's name, if possible.

Despite the military setting, there is neither morning inspection nor requirement to make the bed if you stay overnight, just a short walk to the restaurant, Forpleiningen (Mess Hall). There you have great outdoor seating and seasonal dishes on the menu.

Or what about a delicious party menu at the fortress where the last three Kings of Norway also have enjoyed meals?

Oscarsborg Hotel & Resort has several conference rooms and has become a popular destination for bridal couples fulfilling their bonds of matrimony in a stately banquet hall.

Read more about Oscarsborg Hotel and Resort

Not far away you also find Oscarsborg Guest Harbour.

Oscarsborg museums & guided tour

Oscarsborg Museums consists of the Fortress Museum, the Coastal Artillery Museum, the Firing Commandpost, the Torpedo Battery, and the Cannon Park. Their focus is largely on the historical events that took place on April 9th 1940 and the German invasion, when the battlecruiser Blücher sailed through a dark and misty fjord at night.

Oscarsborg's role and the sinking of Blücher helped to delay Hitler's plan to take Oslo and became very important in Norwegian history.

The Fortress Museum has everything from interactive installations where you can get a digital sound tour from your own mobile, to exciting exhibitions. It’s something worth experiencing when visiting Oscarsborg.

Read more about general information and opening hours for the museum here  

For a deeper dive into Oscarsborg's history, there are several very knowledgeable authorized guides who offer tours of the island.

The guides provide extra insight into the fortress island's historical significance and give you access to areas that are not otherwise accessible to the public.

 

Guided Tour in Summer at 12:30 PM

Every Day From Monday, June 24th to Sunday, August 11th, we only offer "Open Tours," meaning you join a group tour with others.

There is no registration for these tours. Tickets can be purchased via Vipps from the guide or on our website. Click on the square below and then select the small square on the right. Note: Tickets can only be purchased on the same day, and the price is NOK 200 per person. Children under 12 years old are free.

Time: The tour starts at Helikopterplassen at 12:30 PM and lasts for 2 hours. There will always be 2 guides, so everyone can join.

The tours are in Norwegian, but some guides can do the tours in english as well. 

You can book round trips and guided tours here

Beaches

In present days, Oscarsborg is a peaceful island gem a short distance from the capital, with fresh sea air, great hiking opportunities and sandy beaches. While most of the attractions are on Søndre Kaholmen, you can find a sheltered bay on Nordre Kaholmen, to roll out a picnic blanket, go for a swim, and enjoy life by the Oslo Fjord. Pack a bathing suit!

 

Oscarsborg's larger neighbor Håøya, also an idyllic island with beautiful beaches, offers camping sites alongside the fiord and a great café, Håøya Naturverksted. Here they make cheese from the milk of goats that freely roam the island, and bake bread in old style wood-fire ovens. There is a regular ferry between Oscarsborg and Håøya in the summer.

Restaurants

In addition to the restaurants associated with Oscarsborg Hotel & Resort, you can enjoy a meal at Havnekroa restaurant in the guest harbour. A large outdoor seating area right on the water gives dining an informal atmosphere, where the scent of the fiord elevates the flavors on your plate. Check also out the new Oscarsborg gjestehavn spiseri.