Oslo Cathedral (or Oslo domkirke) is the main church and seat of the Lutheran diocese of the Church of Norway, as well as the parish church in the capital’s city center. The current building dates from the late 17th century and was renovated in 2010.
On the southwest corner of the tower is a relief depicting a man being attacked by a lion and a dragon, which would have belonged to Oslo’s first cathedral, completed in 1130 and dedicated to the capital’s patron saint, St. Hallvard. This building was abandoned in 1624 and a new cathedral was built in the new city center (Akershus), inaugurated in 1639. Barely fifty years later, however, the building burned down, and rather than be rebuilt, the authorities decided to build a new cathedral in a different location. Completed in 1697, this is the cathedral that still stands today on a small hill.
Don’t miss the altarpiece in the cathedral’s choir, as well as the pulpit and gallery reserved for the royal family. Also noteworthy is the impressive painted wooden ceiling, with its vivid colors and animated figures, by artist Hugo Lous Mohr.
This visit to Oslo Cathedral was made on December 23, 2018.
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