Kvadraturen

Kvadraturen is the area between Akershus fortress and Grensen, Jernbanetorget and Egertorget. Named after King Christian IV's city from the Renaissance. Only a few buildings from the 17th and 18th century can still be seen. The area is today known as Kvadraturen ("the quadrature") because of the rectangular street pattern of Christian IV's renaissance town.

In Kvadraturen you find the square Christiania torv, which is known for the fountain shaped like a hand pointing to the ground. This is where the Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV decided to rebuild the city after the big fire in 1624. He pointed to this spot and said: "The new town will lie here!"

Several well-preserved buildings from the 17th century can be seen in Kvadraturen, such as the building that housed Oslo's first town hall, and the city's oldest restaurant, Café Engebret. In modern times, the area has also gotten several museums and galleries. In addition to the museums at Akershus Fortress, you also find the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Architecture, the Astrup Fearnley Museum, the Film Museum and many small galleries in Kvadraturen.