Karl-Johans Gate was cut in 1840 from east to west, from the central station to the new Royal Palace. Karl-Johans Gate serves all the official buildings or their immediate areas. The Cathedral of the Holy Saviour, built between 1664 and 1697 but completely restored in the 19C, has nothing original left except for its pulpit and its altarpiece carved with figures. The ceiling is decorated with a Biblically-inspired contemporary fresque (1936-1950) measuring 1 500 m². The austere Parliament, is home to a famous Wegerland painting depicting the signing at Eidsvoll, an event that gave Norway a Constitution (and autonomy from Sweden (1814)). The National Theatre (with statues of Ibsen and Bjornson on its square) is a few steps from the Ibsen Museum.
The thoroughfare then heads into the Palace gardens. The Palace park, a vast space open to the public, fits seamlessly into the city (no fence, no wall), an emblem of how close the Norwegians are to Nature, be it even in the capital's heart.