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Karl Johans Gate

Old towns ·Oslo
4.11.8K
#1Old towns in Oslo#2Old towns in Norway
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About

Karl Johans Gate is Oslo’s main ceremonial street, running from Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace.

More photos 11

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Karl Johans Gate — Pedestrian stretch of Karl Johans gate beneath the clock tower User:Mahlum · CC BY-SA 3.0 · edited
Karl Johans Gate — Pedestrian stretch of Karl Johans gate beneath the clock towerKarl Johans Gate — Cobblestone street with flower planters and the green clock towerKarl Johans Gate — Flower displays beside the avenue's historic buildings and towerKarl Johans Gate — Busy street view with colorful façades and flower bedsKarl Johans Gate — Evening view down Karl Johans gate beneath street lampsKarl Johans Gate — Rainy night street scene with illuminated shops and wet pavementKarl Johans Gate — Night view along the cobbled avenue toward distant spiresKarl Johans Gate — Street lamps illuminate the avenue at night near a palaceKarl Johans Gate — Shopfronts and traffic along Karl Johans gate after darkKarl Johans Gate — Outdoor café seating beneath colorful façades on the avenueKarl Johans Gate — Constitution Day parade along the avenue beside university buildings

Why go

  • Street performers, including jugglers and musicians, from May through October.
  • The 17 May children’s parade passing Slottet as the royal family waves.

Don't miss

  • King Karl Johan equestrian statueA statue of the king on horseback stands outside the Royal Palace.Outside the Royal Palace1875 On the map
  • Henrik Ibsen pavement quotationsQuotations from Ibsen’s works are set into the pavement along his former daily route.Between Frederiks gate and the Grand Hotel2006 On the map
  • EgertorgetThe street changes direction and width here, and both ends are visible.Egertorget On the map

Interesting facts5

1/5

  1. Brannvakten, a former fire station, stands at number 11.

    Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia

  2. The Norwegian national parliament is housed at number 22.

    Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia

  3. The Grand Hotel is at number 31.

    Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia

  4. The pedestrianized section is mainly commercial.

    Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia
  5. 1,020 metres

    The street is 1,020 metres long, followed by a further 300-metre stretch to the Royal Palace.

    Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

Karl Johans Gate has two sections with different histories. The eastern section began in Christian IV’s city; its parts had names including Østre Gade, Kirkebakken and Kirkestredet. After the ramparts were removed for Oslo Cathedral, three sections became Østre Gade. The western stretch was later paved with granite, and Ibsen quotations were added to the pavement.

  1. 1830sH.D. Linstow planned the western section as a parade avenue and sightline to the Royal Palace. It was built in the 1830s.
  2. 1844Thøger Binneballe built the street’s first four-storey building.
  3. 1852The avenue was renamed for King Karl Johan after his death.
  4. 1866The parliament building joined the two street sections at Egertorget, the street’s highest point.
  5. 2005The western section was redesigned for the centenary of the union’s dissolution with Sweden. Granite replaced asphalt and concrete.

How to get there

  • On footThe street runs from Oslo Central Station in the southeast to the Royal Palace in the northwest.

Sources: Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia · Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia · Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia · Karl Johans gate - Wikipedia · checked 28 Oct 2026

Where
Karl Johans gt. 30, 0162 Oslo, Norway

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Questions and answers

How much does it cost to visit Karl Johans Gate?

The street is free to walk along.

How long does it take to walk along Karl Johans Gate?

The street is 1,020 metres long, with a further 300-metre stretch to the Royal Palace.

How do you get to Karl Johans Gate from Oslo Central Station?

The street begins at Oslo Central Station and runs northwest to the Royal Palace.

Are children welcome at Karl Johans Gate?

Children take part in the 17 May parade up the street past Slottet, where the royal family waves.

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