Post by Grubb.
The Akershus Fortress Castle is a few blocks up from where we’re staying on a promontory overlooking Oslo Viken (bay). It dates back to the late thirteenth century. Used as a royal residence, it was designed to protect the city from uninvited Swedes and has successfully survived all sieges since then. Since the July 22, 2011 terrorist attacks, the Prime Minister lives in the area.
The castle has the usual medieval banquet halls and dungeons and suits of armor, but I thought the best part was a low-ceilinged stone room devoted to the reign of Queen Margaret (1353-1412) who, during the 100 Years War, unified Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The outfits she wore, her jewelry, the weapons her guards carried, an amazing collection of medieval accouterments all were on display thanks to the generosity of Samuel Goldwyn and gang who loaned their wardrobe and props from the movie “Margrete: Queen of the North” (2021).
