Bygdøy
Encyclopedia
Bygdøy or Bygdø is a peninsula
on the western side of Oslo
, Norway
. Administratively, Bygdøy belongs to the borough of Frogner
.
Bygdøy has several museum
s, like the Kon-Tiki Museum
, which shows all year long the legendary expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl
; the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
(Norsk Folkemuseum); the Viking Ship Museum
; the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the ship Fram
, used by Roald Amundsen
. Bygdøy Royal Estate
(Norwegian: Bygdøy Kongsgård, Bygdø Kongsgård), the official summer residence of the King of Norway and Oscarshall Castle
are also located here.
Bygdøy is one of Norway's oldest cultural landscapes with a rich history. Bygdøy has beautiful parks and forests and some of Oslo's most popular beaches, including the Huk ordinary and nudist beach. In 1885 there were only 111 houses at Bygdøy, today most of the huge gardens have been and are being split into smaller patches of land, making Bygdøy largely a residential zone while retaining a profile of upscale demographics. However, large parts of the area such as The King's Forest and the Bygdøy Royal Estate are protected from development.
In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 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.
times (Bygðey). The first element is bygð 'built district' (= area with houses and population) - in Norse times this was the only inhabitated 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
.)
The island belonged to the Cistercian monastery at Hovedøya
, but is was confiscated by the Crown in 1532. The name was then changed to "Ladegaardsøen". The first element in this new name was ladegård m 'farm to give a manor (here Akershus fortress
) income'. The last element -øen is the Danish finite form of ø '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.
's bus line n.30 runs every 10 minutes from Oslo Central Station. Between April and October, the neighborhood can also be reached by the local public ferry departing from Ager Brygge every 30 minutes. Cars are allowed and there is a large parking lot in front of the Kon-Tiki Museum
.
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
on the western side of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Administratively, Bygdøy belongs to the borough of Frogner
Frogner
Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....
.
Bygdøy has several museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, like the Kon-Tiki Museum
Kon-Tiki Museum
The Kon-Tiki Museum is a museum at the archipelago Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. It houses vessels and maps from the Kon-Tiki expedition, as well as a library with about 8000 books. It was opened in a provisional building in 1949. In 1957, the current building—designed by architects F. S. Platou and Otto...
, which shows all year long the legendary expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
; the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History
Norsk Folkemuseum
Norsk Folkemuseum, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History at Bygdøy in Oslo, is a large open air museum. Norsk Folkemuseum is one of Norway’s largest museum of cultural history....
(Norsk Folkemuseum); the Viking Ship Museum
Viking Ship Museum in Oslo
The Viking Ship Museum is located at Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. It is part of the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo, and houses archaeological finds from Tune, Gokstad , Oseberg and the Borre mound cemetery.-Attractions:The main attractions at the Viking Ship Museum are the ...
; the Norwegian Maritime Museum and the ship Fram
Fram
Fram is a ship that was used in expeditions of the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912...
, used by Roald Amundsen
Roald Amundsen
Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912 and he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage....
. Bygdøy Royal Estate
Bygdøy Royal Estate
Bygdøy Royal Estate occupies a large part of the northwestern part of the Bygdøy peninsula in Oslo, Norway. It is the official summer residence of the King of Norway.- History :The estate originally belonged to the Cistercian monastery on Hovedøya...
(Norwegian: Bygdøy Kongsgård, Bygdø Kongsgård), the official summer residence of the King of Norway and Oscarshall Castle
Oscarshall
Oscarshall castle is located in the small fjord Frognerkilen on Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway.- History :The castle was built from 1847 to 1852 by the Danish architect Johan Henrik Nebelong for King Oscar I...
are also located here.
Bygdøy is one of Norway's oldest cultural landscapes with a rich history. Bygdøy has beautiful parks and forests and some of Oslo's most popular beaches, including the Huk ordinary and nudist beach. In 1885 there were only 111 houses at Bygdøy, today most of the huge gardens have been and are being split into smaller patches of land, making Bygdøy largely a residential zone while retaining a profile of upscale demographics. However, large parts of the area such as The King's Forest and the Bygdøy Royal Estate are protected from development.
In the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, 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.
Etymology
The name is from NorseNorsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
times (Bygðey). The first element is bygð 'built district' (= area with houses and population) - in Norse times this was the only inhabitated 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
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
.)
The island belonged to the Cistercian monastery at Hovedøya
Hovedøya
Hovedøya or Hovedøen 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. It is well known for its lush and green nature, with a wide variety of trees,...
, but is was confiscated by the Crown in 1532. The name was then changed to "Ladegaardsøen". The first element in this new name was ladegård m 'farm to give a manor (here Akershus fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
) income'. The last element -øen is the Danish finite form of ø '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 AdministrationOslo Public Transport Administration
AS Oslo Sporveier or the Oslo Public Transport Administration is a municipally owned limited company that is responsible for planning, marketing and organising the public transport in Oslo, Norway...
's bus line n.30 runs every 10 minutes from Oslo Central Station. Between April and October, the neighborhood can also be reached by the local public ferry departing from Ager Brygge every 30 minutes. Cars are allowed and there is a large parking lot in front of the Kon-Tiki Museum
Kon-Tiki Museum
The Kon-Tiki Museum is a museum at the archipelago Bygdøy in Oslo, Norway. It houses vessels and maps from the Kon-Tiki expedition, as well as a library with about 8000 books. It was opened in a provisional building in 1949. In 1957, the current building—designed by architects F. S. Platou and Otto...
.