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The first medieval castle in Norway, the historic Sverresborg Castle is an incredible cultural heritage site to visit during your time in Norway. Perfect for a glimpse into the past and a fun-filled day out, Sverresborg Castle and surrounding folk museum will take you back to a time of hill-top fortresses and medieval kings.
Let’s learn all about Sverresborg Castle and Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum in our complete traveler’s guide, including the history of this site, its location, how to get there and all the important information you’ll need for your visit.
History of Sverresborg Castle
A fort and residence in the medieval city of Nidaros, which later became Trondheim, Sverresborg Castle was originally built for King Sverre Sigurdsson in support of his rivalry and struggle against King Magnus Erlingsson for the Norwegian throne.
Sverre Sigurdsson was King of Norway from 1177 to 1202 during a period of civil war. Hailing from the Faroe Islands, Sverre Sigurdsson is a divisive figure in Norway, often described as one of the most powerful Norwegian kings during the medieval period.
He claimed to be a son of King Sigurd Munn and thus entitled to inherit the throne. Sverre also trained his own army of the poor to help him claim the title of King of Norway.
King Sverre’s castle was Norway’s first medieval castle, sitting high on a hill with an impressive view over the surrounding cliffs. The original Sverresborg Castle was built between 1182 and 1183, and subsequently rebuilt twice after being destroyed by his enemies.
Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum
Nowadays, the remains of Sverresborg Castle are part of Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum, with many museum buildings surrounding the castle. The third largest cultural museum in Norway, Sverresborg is an open-air collection of over 80 historical buildings, 20 of which are open to the public.
Each of these buildings shows building techniques that were particular to the Trøndelag region of Norway, with the oldest building of the museum being Haltdalen Stave Church, which dates back to 1170.
Founded by a group of local citizens passionate about preserving historic buildings in the city, Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum was opened in 1909 and today spans more than 70 acres. An impressive collection of over 300,000 artifacts is also owned by the museum, with around 5,000 of these on display to the public.
Where is Sverresborg Castle and Trøndelag Folk Museum?
Located in the Trondelag region in the heart of Norway, Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum sits in the third largest Norwegian city, Trondheim. This open-air cultural heritage museum, containing Sverresborg Castle, can be found to the southwest of the city center next to the beautiful and expansive Theisendammen badeplass park and garden.
The location of Sverresborg Castle was strategically chosen as an excellent space to fortify due to being atop a hill and, thus, easy to protect. Also, being to the south of the city, this location provided an effective lookout spot over Trondheim.
How to Get to Sverresborg
Reaching Sverresborg from the center of Trondheim only takes 10 minutes by car along Route 706. You can also take the bus number 11 to Stavset via sentrum and exit at the
Trøndelag Folkemuseum stop, which drops you off right outside the museum. If you fancy a walk, it’ll take you around 45 minutes by foot to reach the museum from the city center.
Visiting Sverresborg Castle and Museum
When planning your visit to Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk Museum, here’s the key info you’ll need to know.
Sverresborg Opening Hours
Opening hours for Sverresborg can vary, so we recommend checking the up-to-date opening hours on the official Sverresborg website to make sure there haven’t been any changes for the date of your planned visit.
June 1st to June 21st: Monday - Friday, 10am - 3pm / Saturday and Sunday, 11am - 3pm. Guided tour every day at 1pm.
June 22nd to September 8th: Monday - Sunday, 10am - 5pm. Daily guided tours at 1pm every day from August 15th to September 8th.
Summer Program with activities from June 22nd to August 14th.
Special Midsummer at Sverresborg event on June 23rd.
Mondays closed from September 9th.
Closed: May 1st and 17th / Dec 23rd to 26th / Dec 30th to January 6th.
Sverresborg Admission Prices
Ticket prices to see Sverresborg Castle and the surrounding museum vary depending on the season. Here are the prices you can expect to pay at Sverresborg:
Low season (October to May): Adults 150 NOK (around $14 USD), seniors and students 130 NOK (around $12 USD) and children aged 0-15 free.
Summer season (June to September): Adults 190 NOK (around $18 USD), seniors and students 150 NOK (around $14 USD) and children aged 0-15 free.
Special events at the museum might have other prices. You can buy your tickets for Sverresborg Museum online here.
See Sverresborg and More!
Ready to see the historic Sverresborg for yourself? Enjoy this incredible medieval site and more fascinating cultural heritage sites and natural wonders by exploring Norway! Get started with planning your own dream Norway vacation today by renting your own campervan in Norway, perfect for traveling across our beautiful country on your own schedule and bringing your home with you as you go. Got any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team – we look forward to seeing you in Norway soon!
