Hovedøya

"An Island of History and Delight Hovedøya is an island located in the Oslo fjord. The name derives from Norse word hǫfuð, meaning height. It probably got this name from a large hill on the Eastern part of the island where there used to be a military watch tower in Medieval times. Hovedøya has a rich and varied history; from being a strategic military base in Viking times, to a monastery in the Middle Ages, to a quarantine station in the 1800's. Used as an internment camp for women who had consorted with Nazis after WWII, this camp was later used for temporary housing as there was a great shortage of houses after the war. Nowadays the island is used mostly for recreational activities; beaches and art galleries, and some times puppet shows. You can take a ferry from Vippetangen to get there."