Oslo Tourism - Travel to Oslo
Oslo is the capital of Norway, with 800,000 inhabitants (metropolitan area). In 2004 it was ranked the 15th most expensive city to live in in the world.
Chances are, if you are going to Norway, Oslo will maybe not be your primary target, as Norway's nature is more exciting in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, while you are there, Oslo has some interesting sights to see.
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See Oslo
The Frogner park with the Vigeland sculpture park is a large green area about 10 minutes by subway from the city center. In addition to being a nice green recreational area, it is also decorated with hundreds of sculptures by the norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. There is a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere here, and if your children wants to climb the statues, nobody will even bother to look twice at you. There is also a cafeteria, and two museums, the City Museum of Oslo and the Vigeland Museum.
Speaking of art, the Munch Museum is definitely worth a visit if you want to enjoy paintings of the famous norwegian painter Edward Munch. There is of course also the National Gallery, featuring norwegian art from the national-romantic period, as well as some art by international artists.
Akershus festning is a medieval castle built in 1299, located close the the city center. There are several excellent viewpoints to the Oslofjord and surrounding areas. The stone walls create an exciting atmosphere, and you are free to roam around in tight passages and staircases. There are two museums here, both related to norwegian military history.
Somewhat outside the city center is a peninsula called Bygdø. You can get there by bus, or (perhaps a bit more exciting) by ferry, which departures from pier 3 outside the city hall. At Bygdø, you will find the folk museum, a large open air museum featuring typical buildings from various periods in norwegian history. Close by, you will find the Viking ship museum, which in addition to two viking-ships also contains various other viking artifacts, and a viking burial chamber, complete with ancient skeletons. You will also find the norwegian maritime museum, and the Kon-Tiki museum (displaying Tor Heyerdahls balsa raft Kon-Tiki, and Ra II, as well as some other artifacts from the Easter Island). Another museum, the Fram-museum is also located here. It features the vessel Fram, used to enter both the North and South Pole.
Do Oslo
It might come as a surprise to you that Oslo, with it's approximately 800,000 inhabitants is also one of the largest capitals in the world. Granted, most of this is forest, but it is a highly appreciated recreational area by most of Oslos inhabitants.
Some tourist-guide books will tell you to visit Holmenkollen, but this is really a non-attraction, and should be really low among your priorities.
If you absolutely must, the area around Holmenkollen is well suited for cross-country skiing, but also a nice area for hiking during summertime. While you are there, you can also visit the ski-museum which is located close to the ski-jump. For additional fun, buy a cheap sledge or "akebrett", and sleigh down from Frognerseteren station. If you buy a day-card for the subway, you can race all day long, but make sure you are well dressed, as you are going to get wet!
In summertime, you can also take one of the ferrys out to various islands in the Oslo-fjord.
Eat/Drink
If you want to experience nightlife, be assured that Oslo has a surprisingly large selection of restaurants, nightclubs and bars considering the population size. Aker Brygge is a coastal area located south of the city hall, which during summer time is seeding with life. There are outdoor restaurants and bars almost anywhere. Be sure to get some tasty sea-food (or whatever else you like to eat) while you are there, or just enjoy your cold beer in the summer sea-breeze. Be advised that this is also the most expensive area in Oslo to dine or drink, so unless the weather is good, you can just as well stay indoors somewhere else.
And somewhere else would mean any of the the restaurants, bars, or nightclubs located within the city center. A key reference point will be Stortingsgaten, running paralell to Karl Johans gate, both running eastwards from the royal castle (this is also the main shopping area). While both of these streets have a few restaurants and nightclubs, most will be found in one of the side-streets running out from them, or paralell to them. It doesn't matter much where you start, you will find restaurants, bars, and nightclubs almost anywhere from the subway station Nationaltheatret at the west, to far beyond Oslo central railroad station on the east. There are several other areas, such as Grünerløkka, Majorstuen, and Grønland that might also be worth checking out. Be adviced that nearly all bars and nightclubs close at the same time, so if you want to get a taxi back to your hotel, try to leave a few minutes before the rush starts.
Sleep - Oslo Tourism
Getting a hotel in Oslo can potentially be difficult. It would be smart to reserve a room in advance. There are also relatively few youth hostels, etc., for backpackers and people travelling on a budget. Contacting a travelling agent, and getting a reservation beforehand is essential during peak periods.
Hostel
External Links for Oslo Tourism
- http://thefeed.no/oslo/ Oslo OpenGuide
- http://www.my-guide-oslo.com/profile.asp Tourist Guide to Oslo
