Old Aker Church, Oslo, Norway

Standing: Must see · Heritage site
Rank: Rank 42 of 3,842

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

About Old Aker Church

Old Aker Church (Gamle Aker kirke) is a medieval church and active parish church that is the oldest existing building in Oslo. It is a three-aisled Romanesque basilica of limestone, believed to have been built by King Olav Kyrre around 1080 as the church for all of Vingulmark, the historic area around Oslo. The church has been pillaged and damaged by fire several times; after a lightning strike in 1703 the tower, bells and entire interior were destroyed, and the exterior was restored by Heinrich Ernst Schirmer and Wilhelm von Hanno in 1861. It stands at the top of Telthusbakken in St. Hanshaugen.

Checked 2026-11-05 · Source

What's inside

Inside are a Baroque pulpit and baptismal font from 1715; the tower dates from 1861. An interior restoration in 1950–1955 removed plaster from the walls and restored the Baroque furnishings. The church is surrounded by Old Aker Cemetery and a stone wall, and the oldest part of the churchyard dates back to the 12th century. It was built over the site of the Akerberg mines, an ancient silver mine in use since the early Viking Age and mentioned in the Historia Norvegiae of about 1170.

Checked 2026-11-05 · Source

Place details and sources

Building: Church OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Type of place: Place of worship OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Established: 1080 Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Heritage designation: cultural heritage preservation in Norway Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Architectural style: Romanesque architecture Wikidata · Checked 2026-09-09
Religion: Christian OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Denomination: Lutheran OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Operator: Kirkelig fellesråd i Oslo OpenStreetMap · Checked 2026-09-09
Wikipedia article: Old Aker Church Wikipedia · Checked 2026-09-09