Oslo Cathedral

The interior is considerably richer. The most striking feature is the series of stained glass windows installed between 1910 and 1936 by Emanuel Vigeland — the same artist who later created the extraordinary fresco cycle in his mausoleum in Slemdal. The cathedral windows are more accessible than the mausoleum and display the same command of colour and human form. The large east window behind the altar — depicting the Ascension — is the finest of the series.

The carved wooden altar retable (the decorative screen behind the altar) dates from 1699 and was produced by a Norwegian craftsman of considerable skill. The silver items on the altar are largely original to the baroque building. The carved wooden pulpit — baroque, gilded, with allegorical figures — is one of the finest 17th-century woodwork examples in Norway.

The ceiling paintings of biblical scenes were added in the 1930s by the artist Hugo Lous Mohr in a decorative programme that updated the interior while respecting the baroque architecture. The combination of 17th-century structure, late 19th-century glass, and 1930s ceiling makes the interior a layered record of Norwegian religious art across three centuries.

The cathedral is open daily for visitors outside service times. Services are held in Norwegian but visitors are welcome to attend. The location — at the east end of Karl Johans Gate, near the main market square (Stortorvet) — makes it an easy addition to any city centre walk. The cathedral bells are among the oldest in Oslo and can be heard across the city centre on Sundays.