Bygdøy or Bygdø is a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

situated on the western side of

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

, Norway. Administratively, Bygdøy is part of the borough of

Frogner Frogner is a residential and retail borough in the East End and West End of Oslo, West End of Oslo, Norway, with a population of 59,269 as of 2020. In addition to the original Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg, Norway, Urani ...

. It historically was part of Aker Municipality and became part of Oslo in 1948. Bygdøy is a popular recreation area and is among the most fashionable residential areas in Norway, where the most expensive properties in the entire country are found. Bygdøy is also the home of five national museums as well as a royal estate. Wealthy families of Christiania acquired country houses in Bygdøy during the 18th and 19th centuries; by the 19th century Bygdøy had become a favourite of the wealthy in the capital region and was exclusively settled by the wealthy and their servants.

Tourism

Bygdøy has parks and forests, and beaches including the

Huk Huk or HUK may refer to: People * Alexander Huk, American neuroscientist * Ihor Huk (footballer) (born 2002), Ukrainian footballer * Ihor Huk (surgeon) (DOB unknown), Ukrainian surgeon * Tomáš Huk (born 1994), Slovak footballer * Agnieszka Kł ...

ordinary and

nudist Naturism is a lifestyle of practicing non-sexual social nudity in private and in public; the word also refers to the cultural movement which advocates and defends that lifestyle. Both may alternatively be called nudism. Though the two terms ar ...

beaches. In 1885 there were only 111 houses at Bygdøy; today most of the huge gardens are split into smaller patches of land, making Bygdøy largely a residential zone but retaining a profile of upscale demographics.

Bygdøy Royal Estate Bygdøy Royal Estate (), also known as the ''Bygdø Royal Farm'', is a Kongsgård estate and manor house that occupies a large part of the northwestern part of the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, Norway. It is the official summer residence of the king ...

(''Bygdøy kongsgård''), the official summer residence of the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty king ...

, and

Oscarshall Oscarshall Palace is a ''maison de plaisance'' located in the small fjord Frognerkilen on Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. History The palace was built from 1847 to 1852 by the Danish architect Johan Henrik Nebelong on commission from King Oscar I ...

, site of the Queen Joséphine Gallery, are also located here. Large parts of the area such as the Bygdøy Royal Estate are protected from development. In the aftermath of the

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+07:00, UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicenter, epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The Submarine earthquake, undersea ...

, a memorial for the victims of the catastrophe was initiated by the Norwegian government. The memorial is located on the western shore of Bygdøy and was officially unveiled by HM King Harald V on 19 October 2007.

Museums

Bygdøy is the site of five

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

s: *

Kon-Tiki Museum The Kon-Tiki Museum () is a museum in the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, Norway. It houses vessels and maps from the '' Kon-Tiki'' expedition, as well as a library with about 8,000 books. It was opened in a provisional building in 1949. In 1957, th ...

(''Kon-Tiki Museet'') – houses exhibits from the expeditions of

Thor Heyerdahl Thor Heyerdahl KStJ (; 6 October 1914 – 18 April 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer and Ethnography, ethnographer with a background in biology with specialization in zoology, botany and geography. Heyerdahl is notable for his Kon-Tiki expediti ...

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History), at Bygdøy, Oslo, Norway, is a museum of cultural history with extensive collections of artifacts from all social groups and all regions of the country. It also incorporates a large open ...

(''Norsk Folkemuseum'') – an open-air museum with buildings, relocated from towns and rural districts * Viking Ship Museum (''Vikingskipshuset'') – houses the Oseberg ship,

Gokstad ship The Gokstad ship is a 9th-century Viking ship found in a burial mound at Gokstad in Sandar, Norway, Sandar, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway. It is displayed at the Viking Ship Museum (Oslo), Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. It is the largest pr ...

and

Tune ship The Tune ship (''Tuneskipet'') is a Viking ship exhibited in the Viking Ship Museum (''Vikingskipshuset på Bygdøy'') in Bygdøy, Oslo. The Tune ship is of the karve, a small type of longship with broad hull. It was found at the Haugen far ...

Norwegian Maritime Museum The Norwegian Maritime Museum () is located at Bygdøynesveien on the Bygdøy peninsula, on the western side of Oslo, Norway. The Norwegian Maritime Museum is situated near several other museums, including the Fram Museum; the Kon-Tiki Museum; th ...

(''Norsk Maritimt Museum'') – exhibits on coast culture and maritime history *

Fram Museum The Fram Museum () is a museum telling the story of Norwegian polar exploration. It is located on the peninsula of Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. Fram Museum is in an area with several other museums including the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Norwegian Mu ...

(''Frammuseet'') – site of the ship '' Fram'' used by

Roald Amundsen Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (, ; ; 16 July 1872 – ) was a Norwegians, Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He was a key figure of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Born in Borge, Østfold, Norway, Am ...

Etymology

The name is from Norse times (''Bygðey''). The first element is ''bygð'' 'built district' (area with houses and population) – in Norse times this was the only inhabited island in the inner part of Oslofjord. The last element is ''ey'' 'island'. (Bygdøy was originally an island, but it became a peninsula because of

post-glacial rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound an ...

.) The island belonged to the

Cistercian The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

monastery at

Hovedøya Hovedøya is one of several small islands off the coast of Oslo, Norway in the Oslofjord. The island is quite small, no more than 800 metres across in any direction, the total area is 0,4 square kilometre. Its population is 5. It is well known f ...

, but it was confiscated by the Crown in 1532. The name was then changed to "Ladegaardsøen". The first element in this new name was "''ladegård''" meaning "farm to give a manor (here

Akershus fortress Akershus Fortress (, ) or Akershus Castle ( ) is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress has been the namesake and centre of the ...

) income". The last element "''-øen''" is the Danish finite form of "''ø''" or "island". The old name was revived in 1877. It was first spelled "Bygdø", but from 1918 officially spelled "Bygdøy". However, the name Bygdø is preferred by many of its inhabitants and other West End inhabitants.

Transportation

Bygdøy is accessible by bus, as the

Oslo Public Transport Administration AS Oslo Sporveier or the Oslo Public Transport Administration is a Public property, municipally owned aksjeselskap, limited company that is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Oslo, Norway. The company does ...

's bus line n.30 runs every 10 minutes from

Nydalen Nydalen is a neighbourhood in the Nordre Aker borough in northern Oslo, Norway. History In the late 19th century, the banks of the Akerselva River were dotted with various industrial buildings, Nydalen included. However, a transformation soo ...

via

Sentrum Sentrum, meaning city-centre, is located on the southeast side of Oslo near the inner Oslofjord. The district is dominated by high rises like Postgirobygget and The Plaza. Oslo's Central Station is located on the eastern side of the borough. ...

and

Nationaltheatret The National Theatre in Oslo () is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts. History The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was ...

. Between April and October, the neighborhood can also be reached by the local public ferry departing from

Aker Brygge Aker Brygge is a neighbourhood in central Oslo, Norway. Since the 1980s and 1990s, it has been a popular area for shopping, dining, and entertainment, as well as a high-end residential area. It was previously an industrial area. Location Aker B ...

every 30 minutes. Cars are allowed and there is a modest parking lot in front of the

References

External links

Kon-Tiki Museum - Thor Heyerdahl's Research Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bygdoy Neighbourhoods of Oslo