Norske Løve Fortress

The construction of the Norske Løve Fortress took place between 1852 and 1859 under the direction of Balzar Nicolai Garben. Its primary purpose was to secure the entrance to Horten Bay, in conjunction with the Citadellet Fortress. This protected the naval shipyard and naval headquarters, which had been located in Karljohansvern since 1828. The fortress was designed as a brick structure reinforced with granite, featuring a rectangular floor plan with semicircular ends. A closed ring of casemates for 22 large-caliber guns formed the outer rampart, surrounded by a dry moat and a glacis. Inside, there was an accommodation building for the garrison of up to 500 men. Originally, the building was equipped with a roof battery of seven cannons. During World War II, an additional floor with a gabled roof was added by the German occupation forces. Despite its robust construction, the fortress was considered obsolete even before its completion due to the rapid development of explosive shells.

The Norske Løve Fortress is situated on the island of Vealøs in Horten, within the Vestfold district and the Østlandet region of Norway. It is located at an elevation of approximately 7 meters above sea level.

Today, the Norske Løve Fortress serves as an administrative building for the Norwegian Navy's Officer School. The entire island of Vealøs, connected to Karljohansvern and Horten by a bridge, is under military ownership and functions as a base for motor torpedo boats.

• Jarlsberg Castle (Castle), approx. 18.0 km away
• Tønsberg Fortress (Fortress), approx. 19.7 km away
• Oscarsborg Fortress (Fortress), approx. 26.5 km away
• Fort Huth (Fortress), approx. 35.4 km away