Kongsten Fort

17th-century outer bastion guarding the approach to Gamlebyen

Kongsten Fort sits on a hilltop a short walk from Gamlebyen's eastern gate, an irregular star-shaped earthwork with good views over the surrounding countryside and Glomma river valley. It is the outer defensive position of the Fredrikstad fortification system — while Gamlebyen provided the primary ring of walls and moats, Kongsten was designed to hold attackers at a distance before they could reach the town.

The fort is free to enter and open year-round. The earthworks are overgrown with grass and a scattering of old trees, giving it a pastoral character that makes it a pleasant place to walk even if military history isn't your primary interest. The combination of Gamlebyen and Kongsten together makes Fredrikstad's fortification system one of the most complete surviving examples of 17th-century defensive architecture in Scandinavia.

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A story
Kongsten Fort was built between 1682 and 1685 on Galgeberget hill — literally Gallows Hill — where Fredrikstad's executions had previously taken place. The fort was designed as an outwork to defend the approach to Gamlebyen from the east, and saw serious action during the Great Northern War. It was never taken by assault. The star-shaped earthworks were largely built by Swedish prisoners of war captured during that conflict.

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