At the edge of Nordmarka, on the shores of Bogstadvannet, sits one of Norway's most historically significant manor houses. The land was cultivated in prehistoric times, then owned by Hovedøya monastery until the Reformation in 1536, when the Crown confiscated it. In 1649, King Fredrik III sold the estate to Morten Lauritzen, beginning the private ownership that would last over 300 years.
The estate's golden age began in 1772, when 23-year-old Peder Anker bought Bogstad and transformed it from a prosperous farm into a grand manor. Between 1773 and 1780, he rebuilt the main house in Classicist style, added a ballroom inspired by Versailles, brought back a vast painting collection from Rome, and laid out Norway's first English landscape park. Anker went on to become Norway's first Prime Minister after 1814, and Bogstad was where much of the political groundwork for Norwegian independence was discussed. His daughter Karen married Count Herman Wedel Jarlsberg, the kingdom's first finance minister, who inherited the estate and continued its role at the centre of Norwegian power.
The manor remained in the same family until 1955, when it was left to the Bogstad Foundation and opened as a museum in cooperation with Norsk Folkemuseum. The interior is fully furnished with original paintings, chandeliers, and furniture from 1750 to 1850. Outside, the 130-acre landscape park is the oldest of its kind in Norway. Down by the lake there is a beach, and on the shore sits Oslo Golfklubb, Norway's oldest and most exclusive golf club. In winter, the area is popular for cross-country skiing.
The estate's golden age began in 1772, when 23-year-old Peder Anker bought Bogstad and transformed it from a prosperous farm into a grand manor. Between 1773 and 1780, he rebuilt the main house in Classicist style, added a ballroom inspired by Versailles, brought back a vast painting collection from Rome, and laid out Norway's first English landscape park. Anker went on to become Norway's first Prime Minister after 1814, and Bogstad was where much of the political groundwork for Norwegian independence was discussed. His daughter Karen married Count Herman Wedel Jarlsberg, the kingdom's first finance minister, who inherited the estate and continued its role at the centre of Norwegian power.
The manor remained in the same family until 1955, when it was left to the Bogstad Foundation and opened as a museum in cooperation with Norsk Folkemuseum. The interior is fully furnished with original paintings, chandeliers, and furniture from 1750 to 1850. Outside, the 130-acre landscape park is the oldest of its kind in Norway. Down by the lake there is a beach, and on the shore sits Oslo Golfklubb, Norway's oldest and most exclusive golf club. In winter, the area is popular for cross-country skiing.