Akershus Fortress is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. It was built to protect the city, as well as provide a residence for royalty. Over the years, the castle has been used as a military base, a prison, and is currently the home to several museums.
Akershus Fortress is believed to have been built in the 1290s by King Haakon V. It was constructed in response to an earlier attack on Oslo in 1287. The castle began being mentioned in sources around 1300. It has survived many sieges. It has never been successfully besieged by a foreign enemy, but it surrendered to the Germans in 1940.
During its time as a prison, it held the most dangerous and terrifying criminals in the region. Later, it was occupied by the Nazis, and people were executed there by the German occupiers. The castle was liberated in May of 1945.
The fortress has proved to be excellent at keeping people out, but what about keeping them in? Today, the castle is said to be home to many ghosts. One of them is the called Mantelgeisten, which means “the cloaked one.” She wears a long robe and appears and disappears without warning late at night.
There’s also been sightings of a vicious ghost dog, called Malcanisen. The dog guards the front gate. Legend has it that a gatekeeper buried a guard dog alive at the front gate believing it would come back as an angry spirit, damned to guard the front entrance forever. The legend also warns that if anyone were to see the ghost dog’s apparition, they will surely die a gruesome death in three months’ time.
Visitors of Askershus Fortress have reported hearing chains rattling and the screams of those tortured within its walls. People have even felt the hot breaths of the unseen on their necks.
Places as old, with such a tragic history, as Akershus Fortress store up energy and seem to collect ghosts.
If you’re ever in Norway, you can plan a visit to tour Oslo’s haunted castle in the summer. It appears to be absolutely stunning, and who knows—maybe you’ll be witness to some of the castle’s ghostly inhabitants.
