Drøbak - the proven home of Santa Claus
It’s Christmas all year round in Drøbak, a charming norwegian small town located on the sunny side of the Oslofjord, only 30 minutes south of Oslo. This is where Santa Claus has his official norwegian address and where Christmas mail from all over the world arrives. The fact that he lives in Drøbak is not a whimsy or a claim, it's actually completely true.
36 years ago, the Norwegian Santa Claus established his mailing address in Drøbak. Since then, children from all over the world have sent their wishes and dreams to the Drøbak Santa, which end up in Santa's post office in a charming yellow wooden house on Drøbak square.
And with glittering streets, Santa decorations on the house walls, traditional Christmas food, and cozy niche shops, it's easy to get into the Christmas spirit in the Christmas town of Drøbak. Here you can read more about why Drøbak became the Christmas town of Norway!
250 000 letters and his own post office
Santa Claus, 1440 Drøbak, Norway receives more than 15.000 letters per year from all corners of the world. The last 36 years letters from over 119 countries have been sent to this charming little town south of Oslo. In order to answer to this understandable attention and workload, Santa opened Nissens Postkontor, celebrating 36 years of operation.
This is how it started
In 1947, the first Norwegian Christmas tree was sent to Trafalgar Square in London as a thank-you for Britain's assistance during the Second World War. BBC enthusiastically proclaimed that this was evidence that Santa Claus came from Norway. This was where all letters to Santa had to be addressed!
This is how the first letters arrived at Father Christmas and Santa Claus, Norway in Oslo. The word spread quickly, and over the years, more and more shipments came to the Oslo Tourist Office in City Hall.
Santa Claus, 1440 Drøbak
In 1989, the council of Frogn received an unexpected Christmas gift: could Drøbak become the official hometown of the Norwegian Santa Claus?
The municipality of Oslo was unable to handle all the Christmas letters. 16,000 letters remained unanswered in Oslo City Hall. On December 18, 1989, the council passed a resolution:
"As far as the council is aware, the Norwegian Santa Claus must be born in Drøbak. Until proven otherwise, this is considered an established fact, with the consequences it may entail in practice."
It was a unanimous decision! The confirmation of Santa Claus's affiliation led to an agreement that it was only natural for Santa to receive all his mail in his own city, addressed to "Santa Claus, 1440 Drøbak." Santa Claus's post office was established in Drøbak in 1990, and since then, all letters to Santa have been delivered to the small fjord town, located 30 minutes south of Oslo.
House of Christmas – Tregaardens julehus
Although the attention for Santa Claus in person is seasonal, his famous gift outlet stays open and are popular all year round. Find your Christmas decorations and gifts all produced by Santa Claus and his helpers at Treegaardens Julehus located on the main square.
In what was once the town's old chapel, founders Eva and Willy Johansen opened Tregaarden's Christmas House in 1988. The large yellow wooden house on Drøbak square is filled with Christmas spirit all year round, with small elves, Christmas decorations, baubles, and gifts made in the "famous workshop of Santa". In fact, the Christmas House is the only year-round Christmas house in the Nordic region and is worth a visit, whether in July or at Christmas. Today, Santa Claus's post office is also located here. And for Eva Johansen, who runs the Christmas House, Christmas is about tradition, not trend.
"Many people come to visit the Christmas Town because it's so beautiful. Here, visitors get the feeling of an old-fashioned Christmas - we even still write all the receipts by hand! When I stand behind the counter of the Christmas House and hear the visitors talk about Christmas and the memories they have, I get a warm feeling inside. Christmas spirit can't be sold online; it's a feeling," says Eva Johansen.
The traffic sign
Norway being a well organized country, it is not up to everyone or every town to put up traffic signs when or wherever they wish. You have to apply, fill out forms and provide documentation in order to get permission. This sign says it all.
In Drøbak’s harbor where you can snap a picture in front of the famous Santa Sign outside the Tourist Office.
The christmas letters - a national treasure
For over 36 years, children and adults from all corners of the world have been sending Christmas letters, drawings, and wish lists to Santa Claus in Drøbak. Their wishes have ranged from gifts and changes in their own lives to world peace. The result is a collection of 70 garbage bags filled with creativity.
In 2019, the Museums in Akershus - MiA - took over more than 2.5 tons of Christmas mail. These letters, combined with the business archive of the Christmas House, are currently being reviewed. The project aims to organize, arrange, and make this unique archive accessible, showcasing the significance of Christmas and Santa Claus for children (and adults) all over the world. What did 13-year-olds wish for 30 years ago, and what do they wish for today? Does a child from Singapore want something different than a child from Germany?
The Christmas cards provide a glimpse into cultural differences, while also demonstrating a shared acceptance of the idea of Santa Claus. They also reflect the times we live in and are a cultural treasure that MIA is now researching and preserving.
This year, The Norwegian Cartoonists' House (Avistegnernes hus) welcomes you to an exciting exhibition of the Christmas mail sent from near and far, with focus on letters from South-America.
Christmas shopping and northern lights
Drøbak is a charming old wooden house town by the Oslofjord. Drøbak has many unique shops. In the city center, there is not a single chain store. Unlike most Norwegian towns, Drøbak is open on Sundays all year round and has been nicknamed ”The Sunday Town”.
It is also a magical place to visit at winter time with northern lights from time to time during the winter season.
Want to learn more about the Christmas town of Drøbak? Read our full guide here.
Traditional norwegian christmas food
Several of the restaurants in the center of Drøbak have long traditions of serving seasonal food.
One of the city's most traditional restaurants is Kumlegaarden, which is housed in two of Drøbak's oldest buildings just a toss away from Drøbak church. The restaurant is widely known for its Christmas buffet.
Another traditional institution known for both Christmas atmosphere and is Reenskaug Hotel at the very bottom of Storgata. Also referred to as the Christmas Hotel, offer a "Christmas" atmosphere and a tasty Christmas buffet on the weekends from the end of November.
Christmas dinner with sea view? Café Sjøstjernen is in the guest harbor. Or how about taking the ferry out to Oscarsborg, which tempts with atmospheric lighting on the fortress, snow-covered cannons, and a Christmas-inspired menu?
Miramar and Cafe Drøbak also have Christmas food on the menu in the run-up to Christmas.
Norwegians have their own special Christmas cake which both Håndtverksbakeriet and Pavel's bakery & patisserie, bake their own varieties of.
Tired of Christmas food? The town of Drøbak offers a variety of restaurants where you can enjoy food from all over the world.
Where to eat and drink in Drøbak and Frogn
Art and culture
Drøbak offers a rich variety during Advent in many cultural arenas, such as Follo museum, Drøbak Church, Smia Flerbrukshus and Drøbak Cinema.
Here there are both Christmas concerts, children's theater, and Christmas movies during Advent.
For an overview of events, check out the event calendar HERE.
Drøbak is also a well-known and beloved artist town, and several of the galleries have exciting exhibitions.
Hotels for you Christmas holiday
Let the run-up to Christmas get a respectable setting in a historic hotel or a fortress in Drøbak.
Reenskaug Hotel
At the heart of Drøbak you can find Reenskaug Hotel, a more than 100-year-old charming family run hotel. Every year they decorates for Christmas. Their restaurant also serves amazing traditional Christmas food.
Oscarsborg Hotel & Resort
Just out from Drøbak, on the island of Oscarsborg in the Oslofjord, you find accommodation in a Fortress, where simple military barracks have been converted into lovely hotel rooms, several with sea views. In winter, there is a very special tranquility on the historic fortress island. Read more about Oscarsborg Hotel & Resort here.
