Family fun in the snow

Description:

Author: Anne-Sophie Redisch

Day 1 - Oslo

BOATING ON THE FJORD, THE OPERA HOUSE AND SEAFARING EXPLORATIONS THROUGH THE AGES:

Begin your first day with a nice, easy hop-on hop-off mini cruise on the Oslo fjord. The old wooden sail boat leaves from the pier in front of City Hall and takes you past Akershus Fortress, Bygdøy Museum Peninsula and the Opera house where you get off. The white marble Opera house is shaped like an ice floe, tapering into the waters of the fjord and you'll see people walking (and kids running) on the roof. Climb to the top for some great fjord views, and then have lunch at Brasserie Sanguine in the foyer.

Afterwards, get back on the boat and sail across to Bygdøy. Kids really enjoy the little museum commemorating Thor Heyerdahl's amazing ocean-crossing journeys in primitive vessels. Here is Ra, a papyrus boat used to cross the Atlantic and Kon-Tiki, the raft used for the journey from Peru to Polynesia in 1949. Then, head next door to walk on the deck and explore Fram, used by several early 20th century Polar pioneers, most famously Roald Amundsen, for the race to the South Pole in 1911.


1

Minicruise on the Oslo fjord: Hop-on hop-off

Location:

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Vika
Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+ 47 23 35 68 90


2

Oslo Opera House

Location:

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Kirsten Flagstads plass
Plass 1
0150 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 21 42 21 00 / +47 815 444 88


3

Brasserie Sanguine

Location:

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The Opera House
Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+ 47 21 42 21 42


4

Bygdøy

Location:

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Off Sjølystveien (E18)
0374 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 815 30 555


5

The Kon-Tiki Museum

Location:

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Bygdøynesveien 36
0286 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 08 67 67


6

The Fram Museum

Location:

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Bygdøynesveien 36
Bygdøynesveien
0286 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 28 29 50

Day 2 - Oslo

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING:

Time to head for the forest. Take the metro to Frognerseteren (last stop on the Holmenkollen line) and try your hands (and legs) at cross country skiing. From here, trails head in several directions – you can take long or short trips or just play around in the area. Frognerseteren is a great log cabin restaurant at the forest's edge, so stop for hot chocolate breaks or lunch here. If the kids (and you) are in great shape and easily get the hang of cross country skis, you might consider going the 14 kilometers to Kikutstua where you can have a meal or even spend the night.


1

Frognerseteren

Location:

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Holmenkollveien 200
Finstua AS
0791 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 92 40 40


2

Oslomarka forest

Location:

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Nordmarkveien
0890 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+ 47 81 53 05 55 (Tourist Information)


3

Kikutstua

Location:

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Nordmarka
0890 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 42 01 73

Day 3 - Oslo

CULTURAL HISTORY AND VIKINGS:

Head back to Bygdøy for a day at the open-air Cultural History Museum, but first stop by the little Viking ship museum to see the amazingly well-preserved Gokstad- and Oseberg ships. Imagining our forefathers rowing across the brutal waters of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in these sturdy, but open vessels is just mind-blowing. The Cultural History Museum presents everyday life from the 1500s until today, as well as an 800-year-old stave church. Lots of activities are on for kids, but mostly they enjoy running around examining the 155 old buildings.


1

The Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset)

Location:

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Huk Aveny 35
0287 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 13 52 80


2

Cultural History Museum (Norsk folkemuseum)

Location:

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Museumsveien 10
0287 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 12 37 00


3

Gol Stave Church

Location:

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Museumsveien 10
0287 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 12 37 00

Day 4 - Oslo

ALPINE SKIING:

From the city center, take the Holmenkollen line again, this time to the Voksenkollen stop. The kids will have fun at Tryvann with its 14 slopes and 7 lifts, some of which are set aside especially for kids. Try regular downhill skiing, Telemark skiing (the original downhill) or snowboarding, perhaps in the half-pipe or in the wavy terrain park. The ever-popular Tryvannstua offers food, drink and warmth in between runs.


1

Tryvann vinterpark

Location:

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Tryvannsveien 64
0791 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 13 64 50


2

Tryvannstua

Location:

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Bomveien 50, Nordmarka
0782 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+ 47 22 13 85 10

Day 5 - Oslo

A SCULPTURE PARK AND A FAMOUS FOSSIL:

Today, stroll through Frogner Park, home of 212 bronze and granite life-size nudes by Gustav Vigeland. If it's a weekend, the park will be full of people, ambling about, walking their dogs, kids running around, imitating the statues (Angry Little Boy is especially popular for this) and climbing on them. It's an enchanting park.

Afterwards, have lunch at nearby child-friendly and colorful Clodion Art Cafe: great food, great art and a playing-cave downstairs.

Back in the center, head east to the Tøyen area for the collection of Natural history museums. Norwegian kids love Ida, an almost complete primate fossil and our oldest relative. Ida (or Darwinius massilae, as is her formal name) was found in UNESCO-listed Messel Lake in Germany, where she probably drowned 47 million years ago. She is, of course, the subject of hefty debates.


1

Frogner Park

Location:

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Kirkeveien
0268 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 49 37 00


2

Clodion

Location:

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67 Frognerveien
0263 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 2244 9726


3

Natural History Museum

Location:

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Sars Gate 1
Sarsgt. 1
0562 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 85 16 30

Day 6 - Oslo

TOBOGGANING:

Today might just be the kids' favorite outing: a day of sledding. From the city center, take the Holmenkollen line (again) to Frognerseteren and rent toboggans from Akeforeningen (Oslo tobogganing association) next to the restaurant. Then set out the 2000-meter Korketrekkeren (meaning the Corkscrew). At full speed, this run takes 8 – 10 minutes. Several other runs are possible, too – for all interests, for speed-crazed mom or more careful dad. At the bottom of the hill, just bring your sled, walk to the metro (stop Midtstuen), take it back up (about 13 minutes) and go again.


1

Korketrekkeren

Location:

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Frognerseterveien
Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+ 47 22 49 01 21

Day 7 - Oslo

TEH SCREAM, A MEDIEVAL FORTRESS AND SKATING:

For a relaxing last day in the city center, make a quick stop at the National Gallery. Kids usually love seeing (and imitating) Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream. Then walk towards the harbor and Akershus Fortress, another great area for kids to run around and parents to admire fabulous fjord views. The educational (in a fun way) Nobel Peace Center is a few meters down the hill from Akershus, next to City Hall. If your kids (or you) are interested in the Nobel Peace Prize, have a quick peek inside City Hall. The main hall is the venue for the annual awards ceremony.

Across the street is Aker brygge, a renovated ship yard with several restaurants, cafes, pubs and high-end boutiques, (just in case you wanted to do a little bit of shopping). Have lunch here – or anywhere along Oslo's main street, Karl Johan. In the middle of this street is Narvisen, an outdoor rink, where you can rent skates and dance/play on the ice.


1

The National Gallery

Location:

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Universitetsgaten 13
0162 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 21 98 20 00


2

Akershus Fortress and Castle (Akershus festning)

Location:

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Akershus festning
0150 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 09 31 50


3

Oslo City Hall (Oslo rådhus)

Location:

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Fridtjof Nansens plass
0160 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 46 16 00


4

Nobel Peace Centre

Location:

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Rådhusplassen
Radhusplassen
0250 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 48 30 10 00


5

Aker brygge

Location:

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Stranden 3
Aker Brygge
0350 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 83 26 80


6

Karl Johansgate

Location:

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Karl Johans gate
0154 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 81 53 05 55 (Tourist information)


7

Spikersuppa Ice Skating Rink (Narvisen)

Location:

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Spikersuppa - Karl Johan
0162 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 33 30 33

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