Hovedøya is the closest island to central Oslo, just a short ferry ride from Aker Brygge. It is a tiny island, no more than 800 metres across, but it packs a surprising amount of history and nature into that small space.
The most significant remains are those of a Cistercian monastery, founded on 18 May 1147 by monks from Kirkstead Abbey in England. During the medieval period, the monastery became one of the wealthiest religious institutions in Norway, holding over 400 properties including fisheries and timber yards. It was pillaged and burned in 1532 during the Reformation, and much of the stonework was later carted off to build extensions to Akershus Festning. The ruins that remain were not properly excavated until the 1840s. They are modest but atmospheric, standing among the trees on the northern part of the island.
The island also has a military past. Two cannon batteries from 1808, built during the Napoleonic wars, guard elevated positions with their stone walls still intact. Two gunpowder depots from the same period survive nearby. During the Second World War, the Germans established a camp on the island with several barracks. After the liberation, the camp was briefly used as an internment facility. Today only a single barracks building remains, near the monastery ruins.
The western side of the island has flat rocks dropping into deep, clear water, making it some of the best swimming in the inner fjord. There are also two small gravel beaches. In summer, Hovedøya fills up with Oslo residents coming to swim, picnic and barbecue on the grassy lawns. Between April and October, fires are only permitted at designated spots.
The ferry to Hovedøya departs from Aker Brygge and the crossing takes about ten minutes. It runs on the regular Ruter public transport system, so a normal zone 1 ticket or travel pass is valid.
The most significant remains are those of a Cistercian monastery, founded on 18 May 1147 by monks from Kirkstead Abbey in England. During the medieval period, the monastery became one of the wealthiest religious institutions in Norway, holding over 400 properties including fisheries and timber yards. It was pillaged and burned in 1532 during the Reformation, and much of the stonework was later carted off to build extensions to Akershus Festning. The ruins that remain were not properly excavated until the 1840s. They are modest but atmospheric, standing among the trees on the northern part of the island.
The island also has a military past. Two cannon batteries from 1808, built during the Napoleonic wars, guard elevated positions with their stone walls still intact. Two gunpowder depots from the same period survive nearby. During the Second World War, the Germans established a camp on the island with several barracks. After the liberation, the camp was briefly used as an internment facility. Today only a single barracks building remains, near the monastery ruins.
The western side of the island has flat rocks dropping into deep, clear water, making it some of the best swimming in the inner fjord. There are also two small gravel beaches. In summer, Hovedøya fills up with Oslo residents coming to swim, picnic and barbecue on the grassy lawns. Between April and October, fires are only permitted at designated spots.
The ferry to Hovedøya departs from Aker Brygge and the crossing takes about ten minutes. It runs on the regular Ruter public transport system, so a normal zone 1 ticket or travel pass is valid.