Youngstorget, Heritage square in Sentrum, Oslo, Norway
Youngstorget is a public square in Sentrum, Oslo, connecting Storgata and Møllergata and lined with colonnades along its edges. A fountain stands at its center, and the surrounding buildings hold shops, restaurants, and space for a regular outdoor market.
The square was laid out in 1846 under the name Nytorvet, serving as a new market area on the edge of the growing city. It was renamed in 1951 to honor Jørgen Young, a wealthy politician and landowner whose family had owned much of the surrounding land.
Several major Norwegian trade union offices sit directly around the square, and political gatherings have long been held here on public holidays and during demonstrations. Walking through it today, visitors can still notice banners, rallies, and the general sense of a space used for public expression rather than just commerce.
The square sits in central Oslo and is easy to reach on foot from many nearby points of interest. Several bus and tram lines stop close by, so getting there from other parts of the city requires little planning.
Despite giving the square its name, Jørgen Young never actually lived in the area he helped shape through his land ownership. A painting from 1926 by Sigurd Fosnes, displayed at Restaurant Schrøder in the St. Hanshaugen neighborhood, shows the square as it looked in everyday use nearly a century ago.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
