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About the City (Clicking on red colored text will link to more info or videos or official sites)
Monarchy
Scandinavia is known for its royalty and citizens appreciate the monarch leading their country and hold the royal family dear. The tradition of Norwegian kingship in various forms extends back more than a thousand years. King Harald reigns Norway. He and his wife, Queen Sonja, have two children: Princess Märtha Louise and Crown Prince Haakon. In 1397, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formed the Kalmar Union under Margaret I. The monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair. |
Løkka / Aker Brygge
Løkka: Oslo’s quirky borough along the banks of the Akerselva River, Grünerløkka used to be a gritty industrial area. Now, it’s where the cool kids go to shop and play. Løkka brims with retrofitted, century-old buildings, public squares, and parks. Aker Brygge: A popular area with a shopping mall, apartment buildings, offices, restaurants, bars and a theatre. This unique sea-front boardwalk is one of Oslo's primary attractions and number one meeting place, teeming with people. |
City Center
Most travelers are sure to stay near the city center. The historical center, Kvadraturen runs between Akershus Fortress and Karl Johans gate. Karl Johans is the main street and is lined with shopping stores, hotels, cafés, nightclubs and bars. Rosenkrantz’ gate is especially filled with bars and shops while parades and outdoor concerts are generally held along Karl Johans street. Aker Brygge is Oslo's newest neighborhood, an excellent place for dining and diversions. Best place for long walks. |
The Fjord
The Oslo fjord is Norway’s most popular recreation area. The Oslo fjord is a long gem, 100 km between Færder lighthouse to Oslo, and it is encircled by the country’s most densely populated area. In the summer the Oslo fjord comes to life. Only minutes from Oslo by ferry, you can enjoy yourself in the sun on one of the islands. The islands are popular places to go swimming in the summer, but each island has its unique character and history worth exploring. Take a ferry and go island hopping. |
Vigelandsparken Park
The 212-sculpture park within Frogner Park, is a popular art attraction. Famous Norwegian Gustav Vigeland created each of the park’s sculptures from “Angry Little Boy” to the 50-foot-tall “Monolith,” carved from a single stone, fabulous nudes amidst the scent of 14,000 roses. |
Oslo Cathedral
The Dutch baroque church that has been renovated several times in its history, Often used by the Norwegian Royal Family and Norwegian government, Emotive stained glass windows, detailed ironwork, and smooth marble floors create a lovely quiet spot for contemplation. |
Karl Johans Gate
Karl Johans Gate is Oslo’s Champs-Élysées. It is the leading venue for the city’s parades, home to the Royal Palace, and the site of a seasonal ice-skating rink. The street is bustling with restaurants and stores that make for excellent people watching and window-shopping. |
Rådhus / City Hall
It's galleries and expansive murals are free. The fountains and sculptures just outside the building are great entertainment for kids, and the eastern tower’s 49 carillon bells make for beautiful background music. The bells play on the hour year-round, with special concerts during summer. |
Opera House
Home to National Opera & Ballet with a packed schedule year-round. Main hall contains 1,364 seats with LCD screens that can translate into 8 different languages, overhead a 5,800 piece chandelier with 8,000 LEDs helps direct sound waves towards patrons below. Norwegian shipbuilders constructed the “Wave Wall,” which curves through the lobby in a liquid-like form. The rooftop known as The Carpet, is a popular outdoor meeting spot during sunny weather. |
Det Kongelige Slott
The Royal Palace is one of the country’s most important buildings, and a concrete symbol of the course of Norwegian history since 1814. The Royal Palace is where the daily work of the monarchy is conducted and where the King and Queen live. The Changing of the Guard in Oslo is a great thing for tourists to witness. The entire Changing of the Guards takes about 40 minutes. Open to the public during the summer season. The Palace park was designed as a Romantic landscape. |
Nobel Peace Center
Inaugurated in 2005 near Oslo city hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is given every December, the Nobel Peace Center features a room dedicated to all the Peace Prize winners called The Noble Field. The Digital Garden at Oslo's Nobel Peace Center displays the biographies of every Peace Prize winner since 1901 with ninety-six LCD screens, each displaying one Peace Prize laureate's portrait and biography, poke up in a garden of glowing light straws. |
DogA
The Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture houses an arena full of changing exhibitions on architecture and design from Christmas markets to Oslo Fashion Week shows. Free, guided tours are available every Sunday at 2 p.m. (except in July). Other freebies for design gurus include the National Museum of Architecture and the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design (featuring a 12th-century Norwegian sheep’s wool tapestry) and the royal costume collection. |
Munch Museum
The Munch Museum showcases the largest collection of the Norwegian artist's work, willed to Oslo when he died in 1944. Munch's most famous work, the visceral "The Scream" was recently returned to the collection after its headline-making theft. The museum has thoroughly upgraded its security, still, "The Scream" remains under restoration until next summer and is not currently on display. |
Norwegian Folk Museum
The open-air Norwegian Folk Museum has gathered 156 historic buildings—both rural (manors, farms) and urban (a grocery, a warehouse)—from all over Norway. Highlights include the 13th-century Gol stave church, bristling with dragons, and an 18th-century provincial parsonage, where unfinished wood floors contrast with rococo armoires. Special programs are held often, Greeted by a host in traditional folk dress. |
Viking Ship Museum
For Mayor Ditlev-Simonsen, the city's most important attraction is the Viking Ship Museum. "The three Viking ships on display here were dug out of ninth-century burial grounds near the Oslo Fjord, and they are good examples of the ships our forefathers used to settle Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland. The vessels' streamlined, sculptural elegance still resonates in contemporary Nordic design. |
Stenersen Museum
It displays three floors’ worth of private art collections, housing three private collections including a vast amount of artwork by Edvard Munch, who was a personal friend of Rolf E. Stenersen. The museum also has 300 paintings and 100 drawings of Amaldus Nielsen, Norway’s “Painter of the South.” Visit for free from October to April. Visit the The Museum Shop, great unique finds usually. |
Magic Museum
The Norwegian Museum of Magic, established in 1997, shows off the history of Norwegian magicians with a large collection of posters, newspaper reviews, programs, photos, props, costumes, and all sorts of wizardly equipment. What started as a simple collection of posters, photos, and newspaper clippings is now a fascinating exhibition on Norwegian magicians, complete with a gift shop Come on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy a mini-magic show. |
Akershus Slott
Time-travel to the Middle Ages when you visit Akershus Slott, a medieval castle on the coast of Oslo that was once used as a prison and is now more often a venue for picnics, military orchestra concerts, and festivals. During popular sports series, the city will sometimes install a large outdoor screen so that people can enjoy the game. On calmer days, take a walk along the stone paths that lead past castle walls and canons to a picturesque boat-filled harbor. (There is an admission charge to go inside the castle.) |
The Mini Bottle Gallery
The Mini Bottle Gallery is the only one of its kind in the entire world, and contains the world's largest collection of miniature bottles, with 53,000 exhibited in 50 different installations in a 3-story building. There are bottles filled with fruits and berries, worms and mice, just to mention a few. If you are the adventurous kind, you can take the slide down to the horror room! The museum also has a slide that leads down into the "Horror Room," where you can find even more bottles. |
Museum of Contemporary Art
It shows temporary exhibitions of both loaned works and works from its own collections. Visitors can see three permanent installations: the sculpture Shaft by Richard Serra, Per Inge Bjørlo’s Inner Room V, and Ilya Kabakov’s The Garbage Man: The Man Who Never Threw Anything Away. Contains some 5,000 works by artists from the years since 1945. The collection covers a broad spectrum of genres and media: painting, print making, drawing, photography, sculpture, objects, and video-art. |
TusenFryd Amusement Park
Attractions for all ages, as well as fun games, great shops and many places to eat. TusenFryd features dozens of spectacular rides, including SpinSpider, SpeedMonster, SuperSplash, Nightmare, and ThunderCoaster. In summer, guests can enjoy BadeFryd, a waterpark with a swimming pool, a swimming river, a triple slide and beach volleyball. The park also offers Barnas Fryd, an area for the smallest children. |
Adventure Parxs Theme Park
Adventure Parxs theme park can organise events such as kick-offs, outdoor camping, bachelor parties and teambuilding according to your requests. Activities include Paintball fields (5000 m2), wine/cognac/whisky-tasting, a climbing course 13 meters above the ground, battle of five. Adventure Parxs can also organise summer parties with barbecued pork/lamb, weddings, birthday parties, company parties, Christmas parties in a lavvo and more. |
Kampen Children’s Farm
Located in Eastern Oslo, the Kampen ecocological children's farm is an urban ecological farm, set up for children to learn about vegetables, herbs, and even animals. On weekends, homemade coffee, lemonade, and waffles are available—great for a laid back, kid friendly afternoon! Organic children's farm in the city where children can learn about farm animals, vegetables and herbs. The animals include mini-pigs, etc. also has an herb garden and a greenhouse. |
Oslo Reptile Park
Home of more than 100 animals, this park offers a spectacular range of snakes, lizards, crocodiles, fish, and even various spiders. Find boa constrictors, grass snakes, geckos, chameleons, varans and other lizards, a pois. There is a play area for kids. The museum shop sells porcelain, pewter and glass artifacts for souvenirs. A great walk through experience or afternoon plan for the family, the Oslo Reptile Park is conveniently located within the city centre. |
FreiaLand
FreiaLand is a chocolate factory and information centre. It is only open for groups, and booking a long time ahead is necessary. A visit to FreiaLand is an educational sensory experience. The sight, smell and sense of taste will be spent on the journey through the exciting history of cocoa. You will hear about Freia history and development of the plant until the modern chocolate production. The brand Freia is part of the Norwegian chocolate history. |
Cirque Du Soleil
Although Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company based in Montreal, its various shows and performances are held all over the world. Alegría (A baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth) opens on Opens on February 28, 2013. With an energetic and astonishing set of acrobatic performers, the arrival of the new, Michael Jackson inspired show by Cirque du Soleil means that fans of theatre and arts are likely to be queueing around the block. |
Colosseum Cinema
Colosseum Cinema at Majorstua has four screens. The largest one, with 978 seats, is world's largest THX auditorium. Colosseum is part of Oslo Municipal Cinemas (Oslo Kino). Tickets for the films can be bought/booked/picked up in any of Oslo Municipal Cinemas' movie theatres. Booking is possible from two days in advance. It is also possible to buy tickets online. Foreign films are normally screened in original versions with Norwegian subtitles. |
Ovrevoll Galopp
Ovrevoll is the only racetrack in Norway and is beautifully located at Jar in Baerum, only 15 minutes from the centre of Oslo. The Scandic Norwegian Derby takes place on Sunday August 26th 2012 at 1230. This is the biggest event of the year, with thousands of spectators visiting the track to watch high quality racing. On race days the restaurant in the Grand Stand offers an à la carte menu. Both restaurants have seats outside. |
Restaurant Oscarsgate
At Restaurant Oscarsgate, the "brilliant" young chef Bjorn Svensson offers innovative five- or eight-course tasting menus, as well as á la carte dishes such as turbot with caviar and cucumber chili. |
Theatercaféen
For something more traditional, serving fried Arctic char and reindeer steak in a gold-colored dining room. There may be a furious snow storm outside, but when you enter the café you know you are in heaven. |
Café Laundromat
A retro coffee shop with free wireless Internet, over 4,000 books, and a good menu. They are sponsors of Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders, so consider that cappuccino a donation? |
Mamma Rosa Restaurant
The 2nd floor dining room of the trattoria is decorated in "reproduction rococo." You can order 10 kinds of pizza, fried scampi and squid, rigatoni, grilled steaks, etc. Families frequent this restaurant in large numbers. |
Trabant Clothing Company
Trabant specialises in vintage clothing ('50s, '60s, '70s and '80s original fashion) and new, funky T-Shirts. This fashion store which has come up in Grünerlkka brings you the trendiest clothes and accessories at prices which are most affordable. |
Eger Karl Johan
Eger Karl Johan is a trendy high end fashion house where you can find the most exclusive brands. There are more than 125 different fashion and beauty brands available here. Located near the parliament in downtown Oslo and offers over 300 international fashion and beauty brands. |
Flea Market
Norway’s answer to Camden Market in London. This multi cultural market has a range of everything from washing machines to jewelry and clothing. Every Saturday, irrespective of the weather, this place is crowded with salespersons and buyers. Here you can find anything! |
Paleet Shopping Centre
Paleet lies on the main street Karl Johan and is a classy department store with more than 30 posh stores, most of them designer shops. Oslo’s largest book store Tanum is located within Paleet as well as some interesting art work collections. Calm, intimate and relaxing atmosphere |
Grand Hotel
With acres of marble, Murano chandeliers and a palm court, this is the grand dame of Oslo hotels. Its guests have included Norwegian royalty and Nobel Laureates. 290 traditionally decorated rooms and suites include a dedicated 'Ladies' Floor'. Be sure to get a roof with a view: 54 of the rooms look onto backs of other buildings. |
Gjestehuset Lovisenberg
This former 19th-century building was the home of Lutheran deaconesses and retains much of its heritage, including two chapels. Situated a short taxi ride from the city centre, the Gjestehuset Lovisenberg has a peaceful, meditative feel. The 32 rooms have crocheted bedspreads and are furnished with antiques and Protestant restraint. |
Scandic Hotels
The Scandic chain offers great value as well as a clean, friendly environment at all times. The central location of their hotels may be the biggest advantage for visitors.Their rooms offer the basics of a value price hotel: comfortable beds, desk, TV, shower, and minibar. Decorated in simple Scandinavian design, with pretty wooden flooring. |
First Hotel Grims Grenka
A designer hotel populated by a chic thirtysomething crowd. The decor has a minimalist, nightclub feel and the 42 sleek rooms and 24 suites have either a 'summer' or 'winter' accent to them. The rooftop bar with views of the harbour is a great place to lounge on summer days. All rooms have special color themes. |
The Blaa Nightclub
Blaa or The Blue Door is situated in the Grünerlokka district, is popular and is often the starting point for many smaller or bigger Norwegian bands. It is well known for having new and upcoming bands and bringing in different popular international DJs at the weekends. The music varies between techno, soul, hiphop, house, electronica, rock and pop. The club is situated in an old factory by the river. |
London Pub
London Pub is an established gay and mixed pub in Oslo and is very popular. The bar area on the ground floor has an elegant flair to it, Pool table, internet machine, jukebox. This changes on the first floor - here, guests find a modern London-style club with high-quality DJs. Lillebror, famous from Norwegian TV, is usually behind the piano at the piano bar. If you're looking for a mixed or gay bar, don't miss out on this one. |
The Underwater Pub
Try mixing aquariums with cozy atmosphere and beer. Behind an amazingly heavy door you'll find a small underwater world. The top floor is decorated like an old ship with wooden planks and ropes, while the walls downstairs are filled with aquariums which gives a cosy atmosphere. Every Tuesday and Thursday it's opera night at Underwater, on the other nights mainstream music plays here. Very popular. |
Smuget
One of the largest bar/discos in Oslo, with three stages, seven bars, a café-restaurant part and a disco. It is crowded every night, with long queues on weekends that can be avoided by becoming a member. The spectrum of artists ranges from young hopefuls to major stars like Guns 'n Roses or Stevie Wonder. Club music is played by well-known DJs. Smuget also serves food and has its own restaurant. |
Palmesus
Norway’s largest beach party is held in the town beach Bystranda in Kristiansand town centre. Experience the feel-good atmosphere in the summer sun, great artists from Norway and abroad, and some of the best DJs of the world are entertaining into the summer night. This summer beach party held betweeen 29-30 July each year. |
Norway's Træna Festival
Norway's Træna Festival might just be the world's most remote musical event. The main action of the Traena Festival takes place on Husøya, a tiny island five hours' boat ride from Bodø on the northern coast of Norway. A 3 day party rages on through sunset and sunrise. The beauty of the islands makes the journey worth it. |
Chateau Neuf's Oktoberfest
4 days of bratwürst, sauerkraut and bayer! The students' culture house Chateau Neuf's Oktoberfest celebration has become the largest in the country. A huge beer tent with room for more than 1500 thirsty guests ensures the right atmosphere: shoulder to shoulder at long tables with good friends. Also popular is the Oslo Beer Festival. |
Oslo Gay Pride
Oslo, June. Known as "Skeive Dager" in Norwegian, Oslo Gay Pride is the largest cultural event for Norway's lesbian and gay community. Events include a film festival, concerts, exhibitions, entertainment, political debates and a large festival area on Rådhusplassen, just outside City Hall. Making gay culture visible. |
Nordmarka Wilderness Area
A nice change in pace from traditional city attractions, the Nordmarka wilderness area, in the northern forest region of Oslo, offers everything from bicycle tours and lakes ideal for swimming in the summer to ski trails in the winter. Huts are also available, for overnight stays. |
Toboggan Run
Faster than the metro, the toboggan run is an exciting way to take part in a traditional Norweigan winter activity. Sleds are available for rental. Stop in at the restaurant for a bite to eat and take as many rides as you like. Korktrekkeren is 2000 metres long, and the elevation drop is 255 metres. |
Råkk & Rålls
A time capsule containing all forms of popular music made since the 50s, this three-storey shop is like a museum where you can buy all the exhibits – and every type of device to play them. When the aural feast gets overwhelming, there are numerous sofas for a lie down. |
Outdoor Swimming
Oslo has many outdoor places that are ideal for swimming, from rivers to lakes in the woods. Akerselva is along the river between Maridalsvannet and city centre, Huk is east of the Oslo city centre, in Bygdøy, and Lutvann is in the forest area of Oslo—to name a few. |
Popular side trips (Clicking on red colored text will link to more info or videos or official sites)
Håholmen Havstuer
Ragnar Thorseth's 18th century fishing village with its original wharves, traditional fishermen's shacks and bakery. The seaward side of this 10-acre island faces directly onto the ocean and the shipping channels. On the landward side there is a sheltered natural harbour with thirty or so buildings, several dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. Special summer programme with boat trips and films in the "Saga Siglar" Hall. Reached by boat from the Atlantic Road. |
Bergen
Surrounded mountains. gateway to fjords, this pretty city tempts even die-hard nature lovers. Compact, small-town charm, laid back atmosphere. Attractions include Bryggen, the UNESCO heritage site, picturesque alleyways and harbor buildings. The Edvard Grieg Museum, sniff out the Bergen Fish Market. There's also a funicular to the top of Floien Mountain to catch views of the city and a selection of hikes on well-marked trails. |
Svalbard
The Svalbard Islands are located in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between Norway and the North Pole. Here you will find untouched arctic wilderness. Silver, gold and furs are among the local products to consider. Svalbard is a duty-free area. Join a boat trip to watch the arctic landscape and wildlife. Or try dog sledding or a snowmobile safari. There is a selection of cafés, pubs and restaurants in Longyearbyen. |
Sognefjord
The Sognefjord is Norway's longest fjord and one of its arms, the Nærøyfjord, is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. See several of Norway's most popular attractions, such as the Nærøyfjord, Urnes Stave Church, Flåm Railway and Vettisfossen Waterfall. Wake up with a fjord view and go skiing in the mountains. Well-known for the high quality of its fruit, berries, lamb, game, mountain trout and goat's cheese. Good shopping abound with 70+ stores. |
Holmenkollen
20 mins from the city is he site of the FIS World Cup ski competitions. Climb to the top of the giant ski jump to see one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Oslo, the surrounding country, and the Oslofjord. While there, be sure to go for a walk around Sognsvann Lake or try out cross-country skiing. For backpackers traveling either on foot or on skis, the Oslomarka area is home to plenty of trails and 27 small hytter (cabins) often open and free of charge. |
Borgund Stave church
Built around 1180 and is dedicated to the Apostle Andrew. The church is exceptionally well preserved and is one of the most distinctive stave churches in Norway. Some of the finest features are the lavishly carved portals and the roof carvings of dragons's heads. The stavchurches are Norway's most important contribution to world architecture and Norway's oldest preserved timber buildings. Borgund Stavechurch is situated at Historic Route. |
Geirangerfjord
The beauty of the Geirangerfjord with its waterfalls and cliffs is hard to surpass. And if you haven't seen the Geirangerfjord, then you really haven't seen all of Norway. Many Scandinavian cruises include the town of Geiranger in their cruise itinerary. On a map, you'll find the Geirangerfjord about halfway between Trondheim and Bergen. Popular activities at the Geirangerfjord include guided tours, hiking, fishing, and boating. Simply unique and exceptionally beautiful. |
North Cape Road Trip
One of Norway's most popular road trips leads Norway travelers to the North Cape beyond the Arctic Circle. It's just over 1,300 miles (2,200 kilometers) from Oslo. It includes the best of Norway, can be done in all seasons, and leads drivers through 6 beautiful national parks! Thousands have done it. This North Cape driving tour is a very unique experience during the times of the Midnight Sun in summer, and during the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in winter. |
Copenhagen, Denmark
Boasting stunning modern architecture, world-class restaurants and cutting edge design, Copenhagen has much to offer visitors. Canals, lakes and the sea form a backdrop and are a reminder of the city's heritage as a major Baltic port. The city is one of Europe's oldest capitals with a royal touch, the monarchy in Denmark is the oldest in the world! Copenhagen is clean, safe and ridiculously easy to get to know, the locals all speak superb English and they have an excellent transport system. |
Stockholm, Sweden
A vibrant, modern city, famous for producing sleek designs, edgy fashion and world-class nightclubs. Sweden's capital city spreads out over 14 islands connected by 57 bridges in Lake Mälaren, looking out to the Baltic Sea. With its 750 year history and rich cultural life, Stockholm offers a wide selection of world-class museums and attractions. The green island of Djurgården is home to some of the city's most popular attractions. There are many different sightseeing tours to choose from. |
Helsinki, Finland
Modern and culturally progressive citiy, full of bustling, colourful market squares and halls, of outdoor summer concerts and sports events, of seaside parks, of excellent cafes and restaurants for every taste and budget, top-notch hotels and cutting-edge art in fine museums. It is also a pleasantly compact city, with many of the attractions in the central districts, within easy reach of one another. Founded in 1550, the "Daughter of the Baltic" has been the Finnish capital since 1812. |
Faroe Islands
An adorable Nordic nation where the Norse gods and their Eddas originated. Situated in the heart of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Faroe Islands lie northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway. The archipelago is composed of 18 islands covering 1399 km2 and is 113 km long and 75 km wide, roughly in the shape of an arrowhead. National Geographic Traveler has voted the Faroe Islands the best islands destination in the world. Don't forget Binoculars and sunglasses. |