WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Oslo is great to see on foot, and don’t be
confused by the term ‘gate’ – it just means
road. Start at the Tourist Information
Office by Central Station to get literature
and check seasonal opening times. From
there, it’s a short walk to the stunning
Norwegian Opera House which you can
walk not only around but over. Soon, it will
be joined by a new National Museum
(home to Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’)
and the Munch Museum with its
constantly changing exhibitions – check
to see what’s open and what is on display.
This point of the city also gives a great
view of the surrounding fjord and also
the houseboats where you can have
a sauna and jump into the brisk water –
very Scandinavian.
Stroll the waterfront and visit the very
moving Nobel Peace Center with a
permanent exhibition of all the winners of
this prestigious prize. You can learn the
stories behind the winners, and there are
changing exhibitions, too. It’s well worth
devoting an hour or two. The awards
ceremony is held at the spectacular City
to Bygdøy to visit the astonishing Viking
Ship Museum, where you can see and
learn about the world’s best preserved
Viking ship.DAY TRIPS
Food lovers will want to spare some time
for one of the unique experiences offered
all year by Up Norway. The Farm To Table
At Grøndalen Farm experience takes you
45 minutes out of Oslo to a small family-
run organic farm where you can participate
in milking the 13 happy cows, learn about
making fresh nyr cheese (a soft, acidic
fresh cheese made on the farm) and try
the produce before returning to Oslo for
a degustation dinner using the Grøndalen
produce and other local ingredients.
Within Oslo, the From Glass to Grass:
Urban Green Oslo explores the rapidly
changing city suburbs before heading
to urban farm Losæter bakehouse for
a picnic lunch.Hall located opposite the Center. City Hall
also has free guided tours during the
summer – a great opportunity to marvel
at the amazing friezes decorating the
walls. For contemporary art and cutting-
edge architecture visit the Astrup
Fearnley Museum, and be sure to visit the
outside sculptures, too.
Back towards the city centre, try to see
a show in the prestigious National
Theatre, dating from 1899. It is Norway’s
main arena for stage artists, theatre
productions, large celebrations and such
events as the Parabere Forum, which aims
to highlight the importance of women’s
roles in the field of gastronomy. From
there you can walk around the Royal
Palace (or tour in summer), opened in
1849 and set within the beautiful Palace
park, complete with sculptures and
picture-perfect ponds.
Popular for selfies is Oslo’s most-visited
attraction, Vigeland Park, always open
with 212 bronze and granite statues of
men, women and children, donated to the
city by the artist Gustav Vigeland
Enjoy the fjord by taking a public ferry