Side Trips from Oslo - Norway - page 161

The Mysterious Death of King Karl XII Fun Fact

You can see a monument within Fredriksten Fortress, marking the spot
where Swedish King Karl XII was shot during a 1718 siege. Many Nor-
wegian guides tell you that it wasn't their countrymen who killed the
king, but one of his own men. A warmongering monarch, Karl had
exhausted his troops and tested their loyalty on the battlefield. Many
soldiers were tired of him and his endless battles. It has never been
proven where the fatal bullet was fired. Swedes maintain that a sol-
dier within the fortress killed Karl. There is strong speculation, how-
ever, that he was assassinated by a Swedish soldier eager to return to
home and hearth.

SEEING THE SIGHTS
The most idyllic place to be on a July afternoon when the sun is shining is
Busterudpark at Busterudgaten in the center of town. This century-old park
serves as a reminder of how life used to be in town, complete with a bandstand
from 1879. In summer a military band often gives concerts here. The sculptor,
Dyre Vaa, erected a monument in the park in 1939 to honor F. A. Reissiger and
Oscar Borg for their efforts to promote music in Halden. The park is hardly
memorable or filled with attractions, but we like to come here with the makings
of a picnic just like the townspeople did back in the 19th century.
Fredriksten Festning (Fredriksten Fortress) The crowning citadel of
Halden, dominating a forested hill, the fort of Fredriksten is still in use by the
Norwegian army so not all of the complex can be visited. The king, Frederick
III, ordered that the stronghold be built in 1661 to protect the Danish-Norwe-
gian kingdom against sieges from Sweden, which had already unsuccessfully
attacked Oslo and Copenhagen.
The king called in engineers from the Netherlands to build what he hoped—
successfully so—would become an impregnable fortress. It took 10 years for
these Dutchmen to create this citadel of labyrinthine passages and thick perime-
ter walls that withstand cannonballs. The gates were heavily fortified, as were the
bastions.
The Dutch designed the complex of buildings in the shape of a star at the
highest point in the sprawling town. The fortress was constructed on two ridges,
the northern walls stretching from Dronningens Bastion in the west to Prince
Christian Bastion in the east. The southern line of fortifications goes from Prins
Georgs Bastion to the main Overkongen Bastion at the highest point on the hill.
To reach the fortress, you can take a steep footpath beginning at Peder Colb-
jørnsens Gate going up to the principal gatehouse. You can easily spend 2 hours
here, although most visitors absorb it in less than an hour.
In a former prison in the eastern curtain wall, you'll find the War History
Museum. Exhibits depict the history of battle in Halden from the 1600s to the
Nazi takeover of Norway in 1940. Another museum, Byen Brenner (“the town
is on fire”), explores the history behind the town's unfortunate nickname, “The
Burning City.”