Uranienborg

For 20 years, Roald Amundsen lived in his house Uranienborg at Svartskog. When he disappeared in 1928, Uranienborg was left full of stories from the life he had lived and the people around him, including the secrets he had tried to keep to himself.

Roald Amundsen bought the house in 1908, and lived here until he stepped outside for the last time on June 16, 1928. He disappeared a few days later while trying to search for a missing Italian airship expedition.

Amundsen’s polar expeditions were costly and he eventually ran into money problems. In 1924, he went bankrupt, but two of his financial supporters, Herman Gade and Don Pedro Christophersen, bought Uranienborg and let Amundsen stay. After Amundsen’s death, they gave the property to the Norwegian state in 1933, and since 1934 Uranienborg has been a museum.

The rooms

All the rooms at Uranienborg conceal their own tales. They stand furnished just as they were in 1928, when Amundsen closed the door to his house for the last time.

Study
In this room, Amundsen planned several expeditions, answered letters and telephone calls, and followed his strength training regime
Living room
The large living room is full of different stories from Amundsen’s life
Bathroom
The bathroom has elves on the wall, a bathtub, a bidet and its own bell-push
Blue room
Here are pictures of the Norwegian royal family and a British polar explorer, and a special lace tablecloth
Children’s room
In the years 1922–24, the two girls Camilla and Nita lived at Amundsen’s home in this room
Kitchen
The kitchen was emptied and cleaned after a water leak in 1933, but some of the original survives
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