Active and romantic winter Oslo
Description:
This guide is designed for people who want an active break and enjoy winter sports.
If you enjoy winter and playing in the snow, but prefer making snow angels to skiing, have a look insetad at the guide "Relaxing and romantic winter Oslo" which provides a suggested itinerary for a less strenuous break.
Of course, if you'd like sports *and* shopping, museums, leisurely walks and a bit of winter sailing on the Oslo fjord, you can combine the two itineraries – or elements of them.
In Oslo, nature is never far away – and most things in this guide are maximum 30 minutes by public transport from the city center. However, you sporting types might like to stay in a hotel in the Holmenkollen area, where you can put your skis on right outside the door and head for the trails or the slopes. If you're avid cross-country skiiers, you might also like to try a longer trek to get a few more miles under your belt - and spend the night in a cabin deep in the woods.
Holmenkollen has several hotels, including the large, chalet-style Rica Park Holmenkollen with its excellent restaurant De Fem Stuer. Lysebu Hotel, further into the woods, comprises old log buildings set around a court yard, reminiscent of a fairy tale. You'll feel like you're in the original winter wonderland. Lysebu also has a nice swimming pool for some relaxing laps after skiing, as well as an excellent kitchen.
Guide photo by lokha on flickr's Creative Commons - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenz/141508462/
If you enjoy winter and playing in the snow, but prefer making snow angels to skiing, have a look insetad at the guide "Relaxing and romantic winter Oslo" which provides a suggested itinerary for a less strenuous break.
Of course, if you'd like sports *and* shopping, museums, leisurely walks and a bit of winter sailing on the Oslo fjord, you can combine the two itineraries – or elements of them.
In Oslo, nature is never far away – and most things in this guide are maximum 30 minutes by public transport from the city center. However, you sporting types might like to stay in a hotel in the Holmenkollen area, where you can put your skis on right outside the door and head for the trails or the slopes. If you're avid cross-country skiiers, you might also like to try a longer trek to get a few more miles under your belt - and spend the night in a cabin deep in the woods.
Holmenkollen has several hotels, including the large, chalet-style Rica Park Holmenkollen with its excellent restaurant De Fem Stuer. Lysebu Hotel, further into the woods, comprises old log buildings set around a court yard, reminiscent of a fairy tale. You'll feel like you're in the original winter wonderland. Lysebu also has a nice swimming pool for some relaxing laps after skiing, as well as an excellent kitchen.
Guide photo by lokha on flickr's Creative Commons - http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenz/141508462/
Author: Anne-Sophie Redisch
Day 1 - Oslo
CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING:
If you're staying in the city center, begin the day by taking the Holmenkollen metro to the stop Voksenkollen where you can rent skis and anything else you need from Skiservice. Then either start skiing one of the many trails that starts from Voksenkollen. Or get back on the metro to the final stop and have some hot chocolate and waffles by the blazing fire at the cosy log cabin restaurant Frognerseteren. From Frognerseteren, several trails go into Nordmarka forest. Unless it's the weekend, you might have a beautiful snowy track much to yourselves. If it's the weekend – and particularly Sunday – no such luck. Oslovians put their skis on at any opportunity, most schools and companies arrange skiing days for the students/employees at least once during the winter.
If you're new at cross-country skiing and want to take it easy, take the short 4.5 kilometer trip to Ullevålseter, a nice family-run forest cafe where you can warm up and have hot drinks or a light lunch. From Ullevålseter, you can either return to Frognerseteren – or head for pretty Lake Bogstad (about 5.5 kilometers). From Bogstad, you can take the metro (line 3) back to the city center.
If you're up for a longer trip, an over-nighter even, head in the direction of Kikutstua, 14 kilometers from Frognerseteren. At Kikutstua, you can have a nice meal, then head back to Frognerseteren and take the metro back to town. Or – you could spend the night and wake up to the sound of silence. That would give you an opportunity to try some night time skiing along the lighted tracks. Beautiful!
1
Frognerseteren
Location:
view in google mapsHolmenkollveien 200
Finstua AS
0791 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 92 40 402
Oslomarka forest
Location:
view in google mapsNordmarkveien
0890 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 81 53 05 55 (Tourist Information)2
Lysebu
Location:
view in google mapsLysebuveien 12
Postboks 109 Holmenkollen
0790 Oslo, NO
Phone:
+47 21 51 10 002
Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica
Location:
view in google mapsKongeveien 26
0787 Oslo, NO
Phone:
+47 22 92 20 003
Lake Bogstad (Bogstadvannet)
Location:
view in google mapsSørkedalen
0759 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 815 30 555 (Tourist Information)4
Kikutstua
Location:
view in google mapsNordmarka
0890 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 42 01 73Day 2 - Oslo
ALPINE SKIING:
If you've spent the night at Kikutstua, put your skis back on and head back to Voksenkollen and exchange your cross country skis for alpine ones. Here's one of Norway's largest alpine centers, Tryvann Vinterpark. If you come from the city center, take the Holmenkollen line to Voksenkollen stop. At Tryvann, you can try "regular" downhill skiing, telemark skiing, snowboarding (there's a cool half-pipe) or snow-skating. For lunch or coffee breaks – or just to warm up - Tryvannstua is everyone's favorite stop up here.
1
Tryvann vinterpark
Location:
view in google mapsTryvannsveien 64
0791 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 13 64 502
Tryvannstua
Location:
view in google mapsBomveien 50, Nordmarka
0782 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 22 13 85 10Day 3 - Oslo
TOBOGGANING AND SKATING:
You probably still haven't had enough winter fun. Today, go for some real un in the snow: toboganning. Get yourself to Frognerseteren again (last stop on the Holmenkollen metro). At Akeforeningen (Oslo tobogganing association), you can rent a sled. Then take off down the 2000 meter slope Korketrekkeren (the Corkscrew). At full speed, it takes 8 – 10 minutes to reach the bottom, where you can simply walk the few meters to Midtstuen and get the metro back up (about 13 minutes). Lunch at Frognerseteren or back down in the city center. At night, rent a pair of skates (NOK 40) and dance the night away at Narvisen outdoor skating rink in the middle of Oslo's main street, Karl Johan..
1
Korketrekkeren
Location:
view in google mapsFrognerseterveien
Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 22 49 01 212
Spikersuppa Ice Skating Rink (Narvisen)
Location:
view in google mapsSpikersuppa - Karl Johan
0162 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 33 30 33