Not far from the Swedish border, Fredrikstad was founded in 1567 by King Fredrik II by the river Glomma to serve as a fortress town against the Swedes.
Although the new town is nothing remarkable, the original town still stands intact across the river, complete with 16th-century buildings and fortified walls. Amazingly enough, this small city of about 70,000, when seen from the air, forms the shape of a star. The museum there offers guided group tours around the old town. In the spring, an antiques market is held every Saturday in the old square.
50 mi/80 km southeast of Oslo.