Karl Johans gate & Royal Palace
Karl Johans gate / Slottet
The main street running straight from Central Station to the Royal Palace, passing the Storting, the National Theatre and the University of Oslo. It is Oslo's main pedestrian and shopping street.
Karl Johans gate is named after Charles XIV John, who was king of both Sweden and Norway in the 19th century. The street runs about 1.3 km, from Central Station in the east to the Royal Palace in the west. The eastern section is pedestrianized, lined with shops, restaurants and department stores. Heading west, the street passes Oslo Cathedral nearby, the yellow-brick Storting (Parliament) building completed in 1866 (free guided tours in summer), and the Student Park (Spikersuppa), which has fountains in summer and becomes a skating rink in winter. It also passes the National Theatre, where Ibsen's plays are often staged, and the old campus of the University of Oslo, whose Great Hall was once the venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and contains Munch murals. At the western end, on a gentle slope, stands the Royal Palace (Slottet), a neoclassical building completed in 1849 and the official residence of the King of Norway. The Royal Guard changes at 13:30 every day. In summer (roughly late June to August) English-language guided tours of the palace's halls are available (tickets required, check the official website). The Palace Park around the palace is open free to the public for resting. Nearby is the National Museum of Norway, which opened in 2022 and houses the 1893 version of The Scream. It is Northern Europe's largest art museum.
Opening hours
Streets open all day; palace tours in summer only (check official website)
Nearby sights
- Oslo Cathedral
- Oslo City Hall
- Akershus Fortress
- Nobel Peace Center
- National Museum of Norway
- Deichman Bjørvika
- Ibsen Museum
- Oslo Opera House