Some of Oslo's oldest buildings are found around this square, including Christiania's first town hall from 1641 (today Gamle Raadhus Restaurant).
The square is known for its fountain, with a sculpture of a hand pointing to the ground. After the big town fire in 1624, the Danish-Norwegian king Christian IV decided to rebuild the town in this area (and name it after himself). He supposedly pointed to this spot and said: "The new town will lie here!".
