Austrått fort

About the museum

Austrått fort is a former German fortification at the entrance to Trondheimsfjorden, and was the main installation of Artillerigruppe Ørlandet as part of the Atlantic Wall. Work on mounting the gun on land began in spring 1942, and the first test firing took place in September 1943. The fort was to protect the approach to Trondheim, which the Germans used as an important naval base.

The main weapon is a 28 cm triple-barrelled gun from the battleship Gneisenau, set into the rock. The gun tower has five storeys, and in the rock below lies a facility of three storeys with, among other things, a generator, a cooling-water room, an ammunition store, a mess and quarters for up to 200 men. The gun is preserved with all its machine parts, but it was welded fast when the facility was restored in the early 1990s. The Armed Forces operated the facility until 1968. It fell into disrepair in the 1970s, and restoration started in 1979.

Today the fort is a museum run by Ørland municipality together with Fosen krigshistoriske samlinger, while Forsvarsbygg (the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency) manages the facility as one of the national fortifications. Guided tours take visitors through the gun tower, the power station and the crew quarters, and the exhibition Fosen krigshistoriske samlinger covers the occupation years on Fosen.

Key themes

• 28 cm triple-barrelled gun from the battleship Gneisenau in a five-storey gun tower
• Guided tour underground through the gun tower, power station and crew quarters
• The exhibition Fosen krigshistoriske samlinger on the occupation years
• Kiosk with ice cream, drinks and souvenirs in summer
• The outdoor area is open all year round

Permanent exhibitions

• Fosen krigshistoriske samlinger – Exhibition on the occupation years on Fosen.
• Kanontårnet og fjellanlegget – Five-storey gun tower with the 28 cm triple-barrelled gun, and a rock facility of three storeys with a power station and crew quarters.

Operated by

Ørland kommune

Admission & discounts

Summer prices: adults NOK 155 for a standard tour (1 hour); concessions (honnør), students and soldiers NOK 100; children up to and including 14 years NOK 60. Tickets are bought online or at the kiosk. Admission to the fortress grounds themselves is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Austrått fort lies by Lundahaugen in Ørland, near Opphaug. Without a car you can take the express boat from Trondheim to Brekstad and continue by taxi.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Kiosk with ice cream, drinks and souvenirs in the summer season; the kiosk is closed outside the season.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit