Skinnarbøl, known locally as Grenseslottet (the Border Palace), is an Empire-style manor house completed in 1849 near the Swedish border east of Kongsvinger. The estate lands passed through several Swedish noble families, including the Natt och Dag and Oxenstierna dynasties, before ending up in Norwegian hands.
Between 1892 and 1905, King Oscar II and Queen Sophia used the manor regularly. Queen Sophia suffered from poor health and relied on a wheelchair, and she grew especially fond of Skinnarbøl because the building had only a single floor with wide doorways, making it far easier for her to move around than the multi-storey Royal Palace in Oslo. While the King often stayed in the capital, the Queen preferred her summers here at the border. The manor is protected by Riksantikvaren and is privately owned, so it cannot be visited, but the building is visible from the road.
Between 1892 and 1905, King Oscar II and Queen Sophia used the manor regularly. Queen Sophia suffered from poor health and relied on a wheelchair, and she grew especially fond of Skinnarbøl because the building had only a single floor with wide doorways, making it far easier for her to move around than the multi-storey Royal Palace in Oslo. While the King often stayed in the capital, the Queen preferred her summers here at the border. The manor is protected by Riksantikvaren and is privately owned, so it cannot be visited, but the building is visible from the road.
