Kvadraturen district

The Kvadraturen district, in Oslo

The Kvadraturen district is the historic heart of Oslo, with a grid plan wanted by King Christian IV. The Oslo audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this old district, born from the reconstruction of the town in the seventeenth century.

The grid plan of Christian IV

The Kvadraturen district is the oldest preserved district of Oslo. Its name, which evokes the grid, comes from its regular grid plan, drawn in the seventeenth century by the Danish king Christian IV. After a fire that ravaged the medieval town, the sovereign decided to rebuild it at this site according to a rectilinear plan modern for the era, and renamed it with his name, Christiania, which the town bore for a long time before becoming Oslo again. The district keeps old buildings, regular streets and a historic atmosphere, near the Akershus fortress. It is the cradle of modern Oslo.

What to see

Here you wander in the regular streets with a grid plan drawn by Christian IV in the seventeenth century, between old buildings and historic atmosphere, near the Akershus fortress. Kvadraturen is the cradle of modern Oslo. It is a stop for those curious about history, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Kvadraturen district lies in the historic heart of Oslo, near the Akershus fortress, reachable on foot. It is a freely accessible public district; the shops and restaurants have their own hours. You discover it during a walk in the centre.

Why does the Kvadraturen district bear this name in Oslo?

Its name evokes the grid: the district was drawn according to a regular grid plan by King Christian IV in the seventeenth century, during the reconstruction of the town then renamed Christiania.

Where is the Kvadraturen district?

In the historic heart of Oslo, near the Akershus fortress, in Norway.