Discover Kvadraturen

Kvadraturen is Oslo’s own little renaissance town! The gridiron streets are chock-full of history and charm, as well as historical sights. Welcome! Explore our selection of recommended sights and tours.

64 sights

7 tours

This is Kvadraturen

Kvadraturen refers to the area bordered by the city’s fortress, Akershus festning, the street called Grensen, and two main squares, Egertorget and Jernbanetorget.

In medieval times, Oslo was on the other side of Bjørvika, in what is now known as Old Town. Most buildings were made of timber, and in 1624 the city was completely destroyed by fire — for the 19th time!

King Christian IV then decided that the city was to be moved to what is now known as Kvadraturen — and to be rebuilt in brick to prevent future fires. The streets would be straight and wide, with clear sight lines — as they remain to this day.

The King named the city after himself. It was called Christiania.

Tours

The term tour refers to a sequence of sights within a single theme. The walking tour will take you from sight to sight in a pre-defined order.

Selected sights

We present 33 different sights in Kvadraturen. Below are some of our recommendations:

1/8 Christiania Torv

Christiania Torv

Christiania Torv was the town’s very first square. It was the site of the city’s Holy Trinity cathedral, before it burned down in 1686.

This square is also where you’ll find Christiania’s oldest building, dating back to 1626, and the first town hall.

Steen og Strøm

Kongens gate 23 has, ever since Steen og Strøm moved in there in 1874, been known as the capital’s best place for a continental shopping experience. The current building, which dates back to 1930, is one of only a handful of Art Deco buildings in Oslo.

Hovedpostkontoret — the General Post Office

The former General Post Office has a rich and diverse history. The building was erected in 1914–1918, on the site of the original Parliament.

Stortorget

Stortorget became the city’s main market square in 1737. This was where town met country. The square sat between the blocks where the city’s middle and upper class residents lived, and the suburbs, where the many poor and working class people lived.

Oslo Cathedral

The Church of Our Saviour is Oslo’s official cathedral. It was erected in 1697, after the city’s second cathedral on Christiania Torv burned down.

Rådmannsgården and Anatomigården

Rådmannsgården was erected in 1626 by Christiania’s enormously wealthy rådmann (councilman) Lauritz Hansen, and it is one of the oldest buildings in Oslo. The neighbouring building, known as Anatomigården (the Anatomy Building), dating back to 1640 is the city’s oldest timber frame house.

Magistratgården

Magistratgården from 1647 was once one of the largest buildings in the city. It got its name from the city’s municipal executive or magistrat, whose offices were located in this building in the period from 1843 to 1870.

Christiania Theater and Norges bank

The building that now occupies this site was originally erected for Norges Bank in 1906. Christiania Theater was located in approximately the same place in the period from 1837 to 1899.

View all our 64 sights

History of Kvadraturen

Something unusual happened four hundred years ago. An old medieval city, Oslo, was abandoned, and the city’s inhabitants built an entirely new city. This new city was called Christiania, and it is the part of Oslo’s city centre we now call Kvadraturen.