Your first time in Oslo
Description:
Oslo is all about nature, making it a very child-friendly destination. The city is surrounded by hills and forest on three sides, and the Oslo fjord on the fourth. Nature is never more than 20 minutes away. Norwegians are in general very outdoorsy and head out whenever possible. In fact, if the sun is shining, it’s almost considered a sin to be inside.
On a sunny summer weekend, you’ll often find half the town has gone to the woods to hike and possibly swim in a forest lake. There are 343 lakes just within the city limits. The other half is in a park, on a beach, in a boat or on one of the 40 islands scattered around the fjord.
In winter, public transport is crammed full of people headed for Nordmarka forest and carrying skis. Some might carry alpine skis or snow boards, but most Norwegian of all is cross country skiing. A saying goes Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. That’s not far from the truth. Practically everyone, from toddlers to 90-year-olds, has skis and uses them – at least a few times – each winter. Nordmarka forest even has chapels, so if you like attending church but don’t want to forfeit a Sunday outdoors, you can have both.
Although Oslo is rather large in terms of area (but not population), the city center is fairly compact, so the absolute best way to get around is on foot. Public transport is also a good option, and with the Oslo Card, you can use it all freely, as well as gain admission to many of the city’s great museums for free. A mini cruise in an old wooden sailing boat is recommended, giving you an idea of what it must have been like being a Viking returning home from exploring (and sometimes looting) foreign shores. The boat stops at City Hall, Bygdøy and the Opera House and you can hop on and off as much as you like.
On a sunny summer weekend, you’ll often find half the town has gone to the woods to hike and possibly swim in a forest lake. There are 343 lakes just within the city limits. The other half is in a park, on a beach, in a boat or on one of the 40 islands scattered around the fjord.
In winter, public transport is crammed full of people headed for Nordmarka forest and carrying skis. Some might carry alpine skis or snow boards, but most Norwegian of all is cross country skiing. A saying goes Norwegians are born with skis on their feet. That’s not far from the truth. Practically everyone, from toddlers to 90-year-olds, has skis and uses them – at least a few times – each winter. Nordmarka forest even has chapels, so if you like attending church but don’t want to forfeit a Sunday outdoors, you can have both.
Although Oslo is rather large in terms of area (but not population), the city center is fairly compact, so the absolute best way to get around is on foot. Public transport is also a good option, and with the Oslo Card, you can use it all freely, as well as gain admission to many of the city’s great museums for free. A mini cruise in an old wooden sailing boat is recommended, giving you an idea of what it must have been like being a Viking returning home from exploring (and sometimes looting) foreign shores. The boat stops at City Hall, Bygdøy and the Opera House and you can hop on and off as much as you like.
Author: Anne-Sophie Redisch
Day 1 - Oslo
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN OSLO
A harbour cruise is a good way to start your visit in Oslo. The hop-on, hop-off cruise stops at the pier in front of City Hall (venue of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony), the new Oslo Opera House and Bygdøy Museum Peninsula.
Oslo’s newest attraction – and arguably the most spectacular building in the city – is Oslo Opera House. True to Norwegian social-democratic traditions, this is an opera house for the people. And that’s not just fancy words either. The white marble roof that slopes like an ice flow into the fjord is always full of people walking around, stopping to admire the fjord views or sitting down chatting.
Norway has always had a close relationship with the sea. From Viking Ships to Polar exploring vessels to rafts used to cross the Pacific, Bygdøy’s museums show off the country’s extensive seafaring history. At the outdoor Cultural History Museum - also on Bygdøy - you can easily spend an entire day, walking among recreated ancient villages recreated with the original buildings, including a 800-year-old stave church. You’ll also find excellent nature walks and beaches on the peninsula.
In the city center, Frogner Park, Gustav Vigeland’s iconic sculpture park, is the most popular attraction. Locals enjoy this park as well; they stroll, jog or rollerblade, feed the ducks or sunbathe on the grass. On a warm summer day, you can expect to see toddlers running around without any clothes on.
Karl Johans Gate is Oslo's main street and has a number of excellent restaurants, cafes and shops. Beginning at the central railway station, Karl Johans Gate goes past Parliament and the National Theatre to the Royal Palace.
The renovated ship yard Aker Brygge is where locals congregate for after-work beers in summer. Others stroll along the waterfront and buy shrimps right off the boats.
1
Minicruise on the Oslo fjord: Hop-on hop-off
Location:
view in google mapsVika
Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 23 35 68 902
Oslo Opera House
Location:
view in google mapsKirsten Flagstads plass
Plass 1
0150 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 21 42 21 00 / +47 815 444 883
Bygdøy
Location:
view in google mapsOff Sjølystveien (E18)
0374 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 815 30 5554
The Kon-Tiki Museum
Location:
view in google mapsBygdøynesveien 36
0286 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 23 08 67 675
The Fram Museum
Location:
view in google mapsBygdøynesveien 36
Bygdøynesveien
0286 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 23 28 29 506
The Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset)
Location:
view in google mapsHuk Aveny 35
0287 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 13 52 807
Cultural History Museum (Norsk folkemuseum)
Location:
view in google mapsMuseumsveien 10
0287 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 12 37 009
Frogner Park
Location:
view in google mapsKirkeveien
0268 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 23 49 37 0010
Karl Johansgate
Location:
view in google mapsKarl Johans gate
0154 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 81 53 05 55 (Tourist information)12
Aker brygge
Location:
view in google mapsStranden 3
Aker Brygge
0350 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 83 26 80Day 2 - Oslo
OSLO RESTAURANTS
Wining and dining in Oslo is known for being rather expensive. This is only partially true. While Oslo certainly has its share of pricey restaurants, you can find loads of inexpensive options. Just turning a corner from main street, Karl Johans Gate, you'll hit several cozy cafes that won't break the bank.
On Karl Johans Gate, the iconic Grand Cafe serves up excellent sandwiches and a la carte and is a great place for peoplewatching. So is Theatercafeen. Across the street from the National Theatre, it's the place to see and be seen in Oslo.
By the harbour, is Pascal Cafe de la Paix by the Nobel Peace Center.
In nearby Grønland, just a 5-minute-walk from the city center, cheap and cheerful Asian restaurants tempt with delicious and inexpensive fare. A short trolley ride from the center is Grünerløkka, a hip neighborhood abounding in affable eateries that are easy on the wallet.
1
Grand Café
Location:
view in google mapsKarl Johansgate 31
Grand Hotel
0159 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 23 21 20 002
Theatercaféen
Location:
view in google mapsStortingsgata 22
Hotel Continental
0158 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 82 40 503
Pascal Café de la Paix
Location:
view in google mapsBrynjulf Bulls plass 2
0250 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 22 83 04 004
Engebret Café
Location:
view in google mapsBankplassen 1
0151 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 82 25 255
Mucho Mas
Location:
view in google mapsThorvald Meyers gate 36
0555 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 37 16 09Day 3 - Oslo
OSLO NIGHTLIFE
Oslo offers a variety of nightlife for opera buffs, jazz aficionados, Guinness enthusiasts, lovers of heavy metal and everyone in between.
At Blå by Akerselva River, you can enjoy a lager in peace on a mild summer night. Inside, you can catch some mellow jazz. Or black/death metal. Norway is actually the birth place of black metal and a surprising number of young people from all over the world have learned to speak Norwegian because of bands like Dimmu Borgir.
Opera enthusiasts can take in excellent performances at the new Opera House. Or head to Underwater Pub, where opera students perform among fish tanks a few nights each week.
Next to the Royal Palace is Lorry, a traditional Norwegian pub, serving up a huge variety of beers. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, in what's called Julebordsesongen (meaning Yuletide Table), a month of mad and merry eating and drinking, it's practically impossible to get a table here.
Rockefeller Music Hall is host to bands of all genres wanting an intimate atmosphere. In 2010, Mika, Jamie Cullum, 50 Cent, Chris Isaak and Crowded House are among the many musicians on the agenda.
Alcohol is never cheap in Norway, but prices do vary wildly. A pint of beer can set you back anywhere from 30 to 90 NOK (that’s 5 – 15 USD), so if you’re on a budget, it pays to investigate. Generally, the Grünerløkka and Grønland neighborhoods offer the cheapest beer, but you’ll find inexpensive options in the city center as well. Aker Brygge is the most expensive area to go drinking.
2
Dubliner Folkpub (The)
Location:
view in google mapsRådhusgata 28
0151 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 33 70 053
Blå
Location:
view in google mapsBrenneriveien 9c
0182 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 98 25 63 864
Lorry
Location:
view in google mapsParkveien 12
0350 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 69 69 045
Underwater pub
Location:
view in google mapsDalsbergstien 4
0151 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 46 05266
Rockefeller
Location:
view in google mapsTorggata 16
0181 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 20 32 32Day 4 - Oslo
THE VERY BEST OF OSLO
Oslo is all about nature, surrounded by hills, forests and the fjord. Nature is never more than 20 minutes away.
15 minutes from the city center, at the forest edge, is the neighborhood Holmenkollen, perhaps most famous for the Holmenkollen ski jump. You can visit the Ski Museum and try the ski simulator, letting you get the feel of actually setting out the ski jump yourself.
A few more stops by metro (or a brisk walk), is Frognerseteren, an historic restaurant, and starting point for hiking and skiing in Oslo's Nordmarka forest. A nice, energetic hike (or by cross country skis in winter) takes you to lake Bogstad. A number of cabins and lodges deep in the forest provides refreshing breaks along the way. Spend a night at Kikutstua and wake up to fresh air and the sounds of the forest.
1
Holmenkollen Ski Jump and the Museum of Skiing (Holmenkolltårnet og skimuseet)
Location:
view in google mapsKongeveien 5
Holmenkollen
0787 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 92 32 002
Frognerseteren
Location:
view in google mapsHolmenkollveien 200
Finstua AS
0791 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 92 40 403
Oslomarka forest
Location:
view in google mapsNordmarkveien
0890 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 81 53 05 55 (Tourist Information)4
Lake Bogstad (Bogstadvannet)
Location:
view in google mapsSørkedalen
0759 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+ 47 815 30 555 (Tourist Information)5
Kikutstua
Location:
view in google mapsNordmarka
0890 Oslo, Norway
Phone:
+47 22 42 01 73