Hidden royal chamber found beneath Oslo church

Beneath Gamle Aker kirke in Oslo lies a hidden passage leading to a royal chamber, Dagbladet reports. The medieval church, built in the 12th century, conceals a network of tunnels and legends, including tales of silver mines, golden pillars, and a dragon guarding treasure.

Sylvi Baardseth Panjwani, a former parish priest and now a guide at the church, and Andrine Elnes Rabbevåg, managing director of St. Hanshaugen parish, shared the stories tied to the site. According to legend, the church stands on four golden pillars, with a pool of silver eels between them and a dragon guarding a silver hoard deep below.

Historical records confirm that silver mining once took place under the church, funding its construction. The mines later flooded, halting operations. The church itself, Oslo’s oldest standing building, survived a major fire in 1703 that destroyed much of its interior, though some original chandeliers were saved.

Beneath the churchyard, a more tangible secret exists: a 19th-century beer cellar built into the rock by Ytteborgs brewery in 1843. King Oscar I inaugurated the vaulted storage halls, which once held rows of Bavarian beer barrels. The underground chambers, with their arched brickwork and striking acoustics, remain intact.