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, the Parliament, the university, the National Theatre... and the Royal Palace. The first half of its length it is a pedestrian zone lined with great hotels and fashionable cafés; it then heads into the Palace gardens, coming to an end on Karl-Johans Square.