Gamlehaugen

Bergen, Norway

Photo: The Royal Court

Gamlehaugen sits beautifully on a hill above the lake Nordåsvannet in the Paradis area of Bergen, and has been His Majesty the King's official residence in Western Norway since 1925. With its fairytale tower and pointed gables, the house looks like a cross between a French château and a Scottish castle, and Scottish hunting lodges are indeed said to have been the model when it was designed.

Gamlehaugen was built by prime minister and shipowner Christian Michelsen (1857-1925). He bought the farm in May 1898, tore down the old farmhouse and built his own stately home, completed in 1900. The architect was Jens Zetlitz Monrad Kielland, who also designed parts of the interior, including the furniture in the great hall. The house has about 1,800 square metres across five floors, including basement and attic.

Gamlehaugen with its tower seen from the park — Gamlehaugen with its characteristic tower, seen from the park. Photo: The Royal Court

The entrance of Gamlehaugen — The entrance with its arched portal. Photo: Linda Nordvik

Michelsen was the man who in 1905 led Norway peacefully out of the union with Sweden, and who championed the Danish Prince Carl as Norway's new king, King Haakon VII. When Michelsen died in 1925, his circle launched a nationwide fundraising campaign, and Gamlehaugen was bought as a gift from the people. The estate has since been national property with a royal residence, museum and public park.

Michelsen was one of Norway's most influential men at the start of the 20th century. It was he who stood on the quay in Kristiania, today's Oslo, to receive King Haakon, Queen Maud and Crown Prince Olav when the new royal family arrived by ship in November 1905. And when King Haakon was crowned in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim on June 22, 1906, it was Prime Minister Michelsen who, together with Bishop Wexelsen, placed the crown on the King's head.

Christian Michelsen receiving King Haakon with Crown Prince Olav in his arms on the quay in Kristiania in 1905 — Prime Minister Christian Michelsen receives King Haakon, with Crown Prince Olav in his arms, on the quay in Kristiania in November 1905. Photo: NTB archive photo

Drawing of the 1906 coronation in Nidaros Cathedral, with Michelsen placing the crown on King Haakon's head — The coronation in Nidaros Cathedral on June 22, 1906: Prime Minister Michelsen places the crown on King Haakon's head. Drawing: Andreas Bloch

The royal family uses Gamlehaugen when in Bergen, including during the Bergen International Festival, and Crown Prince Haakon lived here while studying at the Naval Academy. In 2025 Gamlehaugen celebrated 100 years as a royal residence, following an extensive restoration in which the facade was re-rendered and the interiors returned to how they looked in Michelsen's time, with reconstructed wallpapers and East Asian porcelain bought at auctions across Europe. The King and Queen marked the anniversary with a concert in the park for 4,000 locals.

The great hall at Gamlehaugen with the carved staircase — The great hall with its richly carved staircase, where Kielland drew on Viking-era motifs. Photo: The Royal Court

The library with a billiard table at Gamlehaugen — The library with the billiard table. Michelsen had his ship captains buy art and objects from all over the world. Photo: The Royal Court

The dining room at Gamlehaugen with porcelain on the walls — The dining room, with Michelsen's porcelain collection on the walls. The large silver centrepiece on the table is used for flowers at dinner parties, and was given to Christian Michelsen as a gift from the City of Bergen. Photo: The Royal Court

The music room at Gamlehaugen with a grand piano and pianola — The music room, where guests were entertained after dinner. Christian Michelsen could not play the piano himself, so he bought a pianola, a device that played the piano automatically using perforated music rolls. The pianola still stands by the piano, and on the tour we were shown how it works: the guide set it going, and it played a piece by Edvard Grieg, who incidentally was a good friend of Christian Michelsen. Photo: Statsbygg

Portrait of Benny Wallendahl in the gentlemen's drawing room — Christian Michelsen's wife, Johanne Benedicte "Benny" Wallendahl, gazes out over the guests in the gentlemen's drawing room. In the ladies' drawing room, in turn, hangs a portrait of Michelsen himself. Photo: Statsbygg

Christian Michelsen's office with royal photographs — Michelsen's office is preserved as it was in his lifetime, with signed photographs of King Haakon, Queen Maud and Crown Prince Olav on the desk. Photo: The Royal Court

The winter garden at Gamlehaugen — The bright winter garden overlooking the park. Photo: The Royal Court

Guided tours of the museum

The ground floor is a museum, with guided tours in the summer season: in 2026 from June 9 through September 6, every day except Mondays. Tours last 45 minutes in small groups of no more than 15 people.

Tours in Norwegian:

Tuesday: 15:00, 16:15, 17:30 and 17:45
Wednesday: 15:00, 16:15, 17:30 and 17:45
Thursday: 15:00, 16:15, 17:30 and 17:45
Friday: 12:00, 13:15, 14:30 and 14:45
Saturday: 12:00, 13:15, 14:30 and 14:45
Sunday: 12:00, 13:15, 14:30 and 14:45

Tours in English:

Tuesday: 15:15 and 16:30
Wednesday: 15:15 and 16:15
Thursday: 15:15 and 16:30
Friday: 12:15 and 13:30
Saturday: 12:15 and 13:30
Sunday: 12:15 and 13:30

Tickets cost NOK 150 for adults and NOK 75 for students and seniors, while children under 16 go free (but need a ticket). Tickets are bought in advance via ebillett.no, and if there are seats left, remaining tickets are sold at the door five minutes before the tour. Note that tickets are non-refundable, and rebooking must be done at least five days in advance.

Be aware that photography is not allowed inside the house, as Gamlehaugen is also the royal family's private home when they are in Western Norway. My photos from the visit are therefore taken outdoors, while the interior photos in this report are the Royal Court's own.

The facade of Gamlehaugen with the loggia — The facade with the loggia, photographed during the tour visit. Photo: Linda Nordvik

The loggia with red benches at Gamlehaugen — Under the arches of the loggia, benches offer shelter from the Bergen rain. Photo: Linda Nordvik

Relief with Gamlehaugen 1900 and Christian Michelsen's monogram — Above the windows, the year of construction, 1900, and Christian Michelsen's monogram are carved into the facade. Photo: Linda Nordvik

Bust of Christian Michelsen by the entrance — A bust of Christian Michelsen greets visitors at the house. Photo: Linda Nordvik

The park

The park at Gamlehaugen is laid out in the English landscape style and took shape around 1900, when gardener Olav Moen helped Michelsen transform the farm into parkland. The old linden avenue leads up to the house, and the park offers open lawns, winding gravel paths, grand old trees, perennial collections and several thousand square metres of rhododendron. Michelsen's greenhouse and orangery, where his exotic plants spent the winters, were rebuilt in 2009.

Lush flower beds in the park, which is open to everyone all year round. Photo: Linda Nordvik

The park is open to the public all year and is a popular recreation area for the people of Bergen, and on warm summer days many swim from the lawns down by Nordåsvannet. Bring a picnic if you like, but note that barbecues and open flames are not allowed, and the park closes at 10 pm. If you are going by public transport, Skyss recommends bus line 67 or 600 from Bergen bus station to the Fjøsangerkrysset stop, from where it is a short walk up to Gamlehaugen. Check bus times at skyss.no.