Bygdøy

Bygdøy or Bygdø is a peninsula situated on the western side of Oslo, Norway. Administratively, Bygdøy is part of the borough of Frogner. It historically was part of Aker Municipality and became part of Oslo in 1948.

Bygdøy is a popular recreation area and is among the most fashionable residential areas in Norway, where the most expensive properties in the entire country are found.^[1] Bygdøy is also the home of five national museums as well as a royal estate. Wealthy families of Christiania acquired country houses in Bygdøy during the 18th and 19th centuries; by the 19th century Bygdøy had become a favourite of the wealthy in the capital region and was exclusively settled by the wealthy and their servants.

Tourism

Bygdøy has parks and forests, and beaches including the

[3]

In the aftermath of the

Museums

Bygdøy is the site of five museums:

• Kon-Tiki Museum (Kon-Tiki Museet) – houses exhibits from the expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl^[5]
• Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Norsk Folkemuseum) – an open-air museum with buildings, relocated from towns and rural districts^[6]
• Oseberg ship, Gokstad ship and Tune ship^[7]
• Norwegian Maritime Museum (Norsk Maritimt Museum) – exhibits on coast culture and maritime history^[8]
• Fram Museum (Frammuseet) – site of the ship Fram used by Roald Amundsen^[9]

Etymology

The name is from Norse times (Bygðey). The first element is bygð 'built district' (area with houses and population) – in Norse times this was the only inhabited island in the inner part of Oslofjord. The last element is ey 'island'. (Bygdøy was originally an island, but it became a peninsula because of post-glacial rebound.)

The island belonged to the

) income". The last element "-øen" is the Danish finite form of "ø" or "island". The old name was revived in 1877. It was first spelled "Bygdø", but from 1918 officially spelled "Bygdøy". However, the name Bygdø is preferred by many of its inhabitants and other West End inhabitants.

Transportation

Bygdøy is accessible by bus, as the

.

References

External links

• Kon-Tiki Museum - Thor Heyerdahl's Research Foundation
• Bygdøy, Oslo's Museum Centre

59°54′25″N 10°40′49″E / 59.90694°N 10.68028°E / 59.90694; 10.68028