Akershus slottskirke

Akershus slottskirke occupies the south wing of Akershus Castle inside the fortress, entered from the courtyard and lit by five arched windows facing south. It is among the oldest churches in Oslo: the first chapel probably dates from the early 1300s, when the fortress was established, and part of the castle's first floor was converted into a chapel after the fire of 1527, expanding through the late 1500s. The altar and choir were moved from the west to the east wall in the rebuilding of 1738-41, a new main entrance followed in 1826, and further restorations came in 1911-16 and 1953-57, the latter exposing the red brick walls seen today. The church seats 150 — the capacity it reached in 1843, when fixed chairs were replaced with benches. Three organs have served the room: an 1843 instrument of ten stops by Petter Albrechtsen, a replacement in 1967, and a new organ from Weimbs Orgelbau inaugurated in 2024 and bearing King Harald's monogram. Beneath the church lies the royal mausoleum, completed in 1949 to a design by Arnstein Arneberg in limestone and marble. It holds the white marble sarcophagus of King Haakon VII and Queen Maud and the patinated bronze sarcophagus of King Olav V and Crown Princess Märtha. Today the church is the Armed Forces' principal chapel, administered by the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Service, with regular services, ceremonies, weddings and concerts. Its intimacy and close contact between audience and performers have made it a favourite chamber-music room among musicians. Visitors reach it on a ticket to Akershus Castle, with guided tours of the church included; the castle can close to the public at short notice for events.