History

Fredriksten Fortress is built in an imposing location on the ridge overlooking the town, and is a prominent landmark for people arriving in Halden whether by car or by boat.

The access route is clearly signposted for motorists, and it is a short walk from Halden town to the fortress. The fortifications are highly picturesque, and an integrated part of Halden’s identity.

Following the Roskilde peace agreement in 1658 Norway had to cede the County of Bohuslen to Sweden. As a result, Halden became a new frontier town, necessitating far stronger fortifications of the town and the new border line.

The construction of permanent fortifications for Fredriksten was started in 1661, and the fortress held a prominent position in the national defences between 1660 and 1814. In the period 1814 to 1905, when Norway was in a union with Sweden, the importance and purpose of the fortress was unclear. Following the dissolution of the union in 1905 the fortress was abandoned and demilitarised, and it was decided that the fortress should be preserved as a national monument.

The main fortress and outer fort
The main fortress and buildings inside the walls are known as the Citadel, forming the core of Fredriksten fortress, and what many think of as the actual Fredriksten Fortress. The main fort towers over the town, whether seen from the west or from the south in the Iddefjord.