Top Historic Sights in Halden, Norway

Explore the historic highlights of Halden

Fredriksten Fortress

Fredriksten Fortress was constructed by Denmark-Norway in the 17th century as a replacement for the border fortress at Bohus, which had been lost when the province of Bohuslän was ceded to Sweden by the terms of the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The fortress was named after King Fredrik III of Denmark and Norway. Fredriksten took part to the battle first time two years later, in January of 1660, when the Swedish forces att ...
Founded: 1659 | Location: Halden, Norway

Idd Church

Idd church was built around the year 1100. It was badly damaged in an earthquake on Sunday, 23 October 1904. The earthquake occurred in the middle of church time, and the church was full of people, but no one was injured. In 1922 it was fully restored.
Founded: c. 1100 | Location: Halden, Norway

Jellhaugen Mound

Jellhaugen is the second largest burial mound in Norway and among the largest in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. It has a diameter of 85 metres and a height of around 9 metres. It"s difficult to know exactly how old it is, but another nearby burial site known as the Jellhaugen Mound has been dated to around 1,500 years ago. A saga tells that the mound is buildt for a king called Jell, however these tales are from ...
Founded: c. 500 AD | Location: Halden, Norway

Berg Church

Berg Church was built in the 12th century. The pulpit from 1592 is today in the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo. The church has a baptismal font made of Gotland soapstone aound 1150.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Halden, Norway

Rokke Church

Rokke church is a Romanesque stone church built in the 12th century. It was restored and rebuilt in 1886. Several remains of burials under the church floor were found then. Lars Ovesen made the church pulpit and altarpiece in 1685. Rokke church has one Olav Statue from the 1300s and three figures of saints.
Founded: 12th century | Location: Halden, Norway

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Monte d'Accoddi

Monte d"Accoddi is a Neolithic archaeological site in northern Sardinia, located in the territory of Sassari. The site consists of a massive raised stone platform thought to have been an altar. It was constructed by the Ozieri culture or earlier, with the oldest parts dated to around 4,000–3,650 BC.

The site was discovered in 1954 in a field owned by the Segni family. No chambers or entrances to the mound have been found, leading to the presumption it was an altar, a temple or a step pyramid. It may have also served an observational function, as its square plan is coordinated with the cardinal points of the compass.

The initial Ozieri structure was abandoned or destroyed around 3000 BC, with traces of fire found in the archeological evidence. Around 2800 BC the remains of the original structure were completely covered with a layered mixture of earth and stone, and large blocks of limestone were then applied to establish a second platform, truncated by a step pyramid (36 m × 29 m, about 10 m in height), accessible by means of a second ramp, 42 m long, built over the older one. This second temple resembles contemporary Mesopotamian ziggurats, and is attributed to the Abealzu-Filigosa culture.

Archeological excavations from the chalcolithic Abealzu-Filigosa layers indicate the Monte d"Accoddi was used for animal sacrifice, with the remains of sheep, cattle, and swine recovered in near equal proportions. It is among the earliest known sacrificial sites in Western Europe.

The site appears to have been abandoned again around 1800 BC, at the onset of the Nuragic age.

The monument was partially reconstructed during the 1980s. It is open to the public and accessible by the old route of SS131 highway, near the hamlet of Ottava. It is 14,9 km from Sassari and 45 km from Alghero. There is no public transportation to the site. The opening times vary throughout the year.