While Oslo is the smallest of the Scandinavian capitals, this brisk little city offers more sightseeing thrills than you might expect. As an added bonus, you’ll be inspired by a city that simply has its act together.
Sights of the Viking spirit—past and present—tell an exciting story. Prowl through the remains of ancient Viking ships, and marvel at more peaceful but equally gutsy modern boats (the Kon-Tiki, Ra, and Fram). Dive into the traditional folk culture at the Norwegian open-air folk museum, and get stirred up by the country’s heroic spirit at the Norwegian Resistance Museum.
For a look at modern Oslo, tour the striking City Hall, take a peek at sculptor Gustav Vigeland’s people-pillars, climb the newly rebuilt Holmenkollen Ski Jump, walk all over the Opera House, and then celebrate the world’s greatest peacemakers at the Nobel Peace Center.
Situated at the head of a 60-mile-long fjord, surrounded by forests, and populated by more than a half-million people, Oslo is Norway’s cultural hub. For 300 years (1624-1924), the city was called Christiania, after Danish King Christian IV. With independence, it reverted to the Old Norse name of Oslo. As an important port facing the Continent, Oslo has been one of Norway’s main cities for a thousand years and the de facto capital since around 1300. Still, Oslo has always been small by European standards; in 1800, Oslo had 10,000 people, while cities such as Paris and London had 50 times as many.
Today the city sprawls out from its historic core to encompass over a million people in its metropolitan area, about one in five Norwegians. Oslo’s port hums with international shipping and a sizeable cruise industry. Its waterfront, once traffic-congested and slummy, has undergone a huge change: Cars and trucks now travel in underground tunnels, upscale condos and restaurants are taking over, and the neighborhood has a splashy Opera House. Though it’s always been a great city, Oslo seems to be constantly improving its infrastructure and redeveloping slummy old quarters along the waterfront into cutting-edge residential zones. Oslo feels as if it’s rushing to prepare for an Olympics-like deadline. But it isn’t—it just wants to be the best city it can be.
Oslo is full of rich Norwegians and is, understandably, expensive. Its streets are a mix of grand Neoclassical facades and boxy 60s-style modernism. But overall, the feel of this major capital is green and pastoral—spread out, dotted with parks and lakes, and surrounded by hills and forests. For the visitor, Oslo is an all-you-can-see smörgåsbord of historic sights, trees, art, and Nordic fun.
Oslo offers an exciting two-day slate of sightseeing thrills. Ideally, spend two days, and leave on the night boat to Copenhagen or on the scenic “Norway in a Nutshell” train to Bergen the third morning. Spend the two days like this:
Day 1: Take my self-guided introductory walk. Tour the Akershus Fortress and the Norwegian Resistance Museum. Catch the City Hall tour. Spend the afternoon at the National Gallery and at the Holmenkollen Ski Jump and museum.
Day 2: Ferry across the harbor to Bygdøy and tour the Fram, Kon-Tiki, and Viking Ship museums. Spend the afternoon at the Norwegian Folk Museum. Finish the day at Frogner Park, enjoying the Vigeland statues (two recommended restaurants are nearby).
Keep in mind that the National Gallery and the Vigeland Museum (at Frogner Park) are always closed on Monday. The Nobel Peace Center and the Edvard Munch Museum are closed on Mondays in the off-season.
Oslo is easy to manage. Its sights cluster around the main boulevard, Karl Johans Gate (with the Royal Palace at one end and the train station at the other), and in the Bygdøy (big-doy) district, a 10-minute ferry ride across the harbor. The city’s other main sight, Frogner Park (with Gustav Vigeland’s statues), is about a mile behind the palace.
The monumental, homogenous city center contains most of the sights, but head out of the core to see the more colorful neighborhoods. Choose from Majorstuen and Frogner (chic boutiques, trendy restaurants), Grünerløkka (bohemian cafés, hipsters), and Grønland (multiethnic immigrants’ zone).
Oslo has two centrally located TIs: The Oslo Tourist Information Center faces City Hall (June-Aug Mon-Fri 9:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 9:00-18:00, shorter hours and closed Sat-Sun off-season, Fridtjof Nansens Plass 5, enter from Roald Amundsens Gate, www.visitoslo.com). Another TI is in front of the train station (Mon-Fri 7:00-20:00; Sat-Sun 8:00-18:00). Go early or late to avoid lines; otherwise, grab a number as you enter and wait. They answer the phone only on weekdays from 9:00 to 16:00 (tel. 81 53 05 55). Also, a TI kiosk at the port opens when cruise ships arrive (Akerhusstranda 15, tel. 81 53 05 55).
At any TI, pick up these freebies: an Oslo map, the helpful public-transit map, the annual Oslo Guide (with plenty of details on sightseeing, shopping, and eating), the What’s On in Oslo monthly (for the most accurate listing of museum hours and special events), and Streetwise magazine (an insightful, worthwhile student guide that’s fun to read and full of offbeat ideas). If you’re traveling on, pick up the Bergen Guide and information for the rest of Norway, including the useful, annual Fjord Norway Travel Guide. Consider buying the Oslo Pass (described below), unless you get the Oslo Package, which includes your hotel accommodation and an Oslo Pass.
Use It, a hardworking information center, is officially geared for those under age 26 but is generally happy to offer anyone its solid, money-saving, experience-enhancing advice (Mon-Fri 11:00-17:00, Sat 12:00-17:00, longer hours in Aug, closed Sun; Møllergata 3, look for Ungdomsinformasjonen sign, tel. 24 14 98 20, www.use-it.no). They can find you the cheapest beds in town (no booking fee), and offer free Internet access (30-minute limit, may have to wait for a computer). Their free Streetwise magazine—packed with articles on Norwegian culture, ideas on eating and sleeping cheap, good nightspots, the best beaches, and so on—is a must for young travelers and worthwhile for anyone curious about probing the Oslo scene.
Oslo Pass: This pass covers the city’s public transit, ferry boats, and entry to nearly every major sight—all described in a useful handbook (270 kr/24 hours, 395 kr/48 hours, 495 kr/72 hours; big discounts for kids ages 4-15 and seniors age 67 and over, www.visitoslo.com/en/activities-and-attractions/oslo-pass/). Do the math before buying; add up the individual costs of the sights you want to see to determine whether an Oslo Pass will save you money. (Here are some sample charges: 8-ride transit pass-216 kr, Nobel Peace Center-80 kr, three boat museums at Bygdøy-210 kr, National Gallery-50 kr. These costs alone, which total 556 kr, more than justify buying a 48-hour pass.) Students with an ISIC card may be better off without the Oslo Pass. The TI’s Oslo Package (see “Sleeping in Oslo,” later) includes an Oslo Pass with your discounted hotel room.
Entertainment Listings: The periodical What’s On in Oslo has an extensive listing of happenings every day. Pick it up free at the TI, and review the busy lineup of special events, tours, and concerts. Streetwise magazine is also good.
The central train station (Oslo Sentralstasjon, or “Oslo S” for short) is slick and helpful. You’ll find Internet cafés, ATMs, and two Forex exchange desks. The station is plugged into a lively modern shopping mall called Byporten (Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat 10:00-20:00, closed Sun). You’ll also find a Bit sandwich shop with seating for a cheap meal, an ICA supermarket (near west exit—follow West Exit signs; Mon-Fri 6:00-21:00, Sat 8:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-18:00), and a Vinmonopolet liquor store (Oslo’s most central place to buy wine or liquor, sold only at Vinmonopolet stores). The TI is across the square in front of the station.
For tickets and train info, you can go to the station’s ticket office located between tracks 8 and 9 (Mon-Fri 6:30-23:00, Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-23:00) or to the helpful train office at the National Theater railway and T-bane station, which can have shorter lines (Mon-Fri 7:00-20:00, Sat 11:00-18:00, closed Sun; Ruseløkkveien, southwest of National Theater). At either ticket office, you can buy domestic and Norway in a Nutshell tickets, and pick up leaflets on the Flåm and Bergen Railway, but only the station office sells international tickets. The TIs also sell domestic train tickets (same price, likely friendlier and faster).
Oslo Lufthavn, also called Gardermoen, is about 30 miles north of the city center and has a helpful 24-hour information center (airport code: OSL, tel. 91 50 64 00, www.osl.no).
The speedy Flytoget train zips travelers between the airport and the central train station in 20-25 minutes (170 kr, less for students and seniors, 4/hour, runs roughly 5:00-24:00, not covered by railpasses; buy and validate ticket before boarding, keep it to exit; tel. 81 50 07 77, www.flytoget.no). Note that Flytoget trains alternate between those that go only to the central train station, and others that also continue on through Oslo, stopping at the National Theater station (which is closer to some recommended hotels and uses the same ticket).
Local trains cost less than Flytoget trains and take only a little longer (90 kr, hourly, 25 minutes, covered by railpasses, some also serve National Theater station). You’ll save about 30 kr on this trip with an Oslo Pass because the pass covers transportation within Oslo; you only need to pay the fare for the stretch between the airport and the edge of town.
To reach the Flytoget and local train counters at the airport: After you leave customs, exit right and walk all the way to the far corner; you’ll see two separate ticket counters (one for Flytoget, NSB for the cheaper local trains) and separate TV screens showing the timetables for Flytoget and the “lokal-InterCity-fjerntog” trains.
Flybus airport buses stop directly outside the arrival hall and make several downtown stops, including the central train station (150 kr one-way, 3/hour, 40 minutes).
Taxis run to and from the airport (895-kr fixed rate until 17:00, 1,095-kr rate after 17:00, confirm price before you commit). Oslo Taxi is the most reliable (tel. 02323). I prefer the slick and faster Flytoget train, but the taxi can be a good value for families and those with lots of luggage.
If you arrive at the Rygge or Sandefjord airports, catch a Flybus airport bus to downtown Oslo. If you’re going from Oslo to either airport, note that buses depart Oslo’s central bus terminal (next to the train station) about three hours before all flight departures.
Rygge Airport: Ryanair and Norwegian use this airport near the city of Moss, 40 miles south of Oslo—140 kr, buy Flybus ticket from bus driver, tel. 67 98 04 80, www.rygge-ekspressen.no (airport code: RYG, tel. 69 23 00 00, www.en.ryg.no).
Sandefjord Airport Torp: Ryanair, WizzAir, and other discount airlines use this airport, 70 miles south of Oslo—200 kr, buy Flybus ticket from driver, tel. 67 98 04 80, www.torpekspressen.no (airport code: TRF, tel. 33 42 70 00, www.torp.no).
For details on arriving in Oslo by cruise ship, see the end of this chapter.
Pickpocket Alert: They’re a problem in Oslo, particularly in crowds on the street and in subways and buses. Always wear your money belt. To call the police, dial 112.
Street People and Drug Addicts: Oslo’s street population loiters around the train station. While a bit unnerving to some travelers, locals consider this rough-looking bunch harmless. The police have pretty much corralled them to the square called Christian Frederiks Plass, south of the station.
Currency Exchange: Banks in Norway don’t change money. Use ATMs or Forex exchange offices (outlets near City Hall at Fridtjof Nansens Plass 6, at train station, and at Egertorget at the crest of Karl Johans Gate; hours vary by location but generally Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-16:00, closed Sun).
Internet Access: You have two options at the train station. Sidewalk Express, the budget choice, is near the Forex exchange office by the south exit—look for South Exit signs (29 kr/1.5 hours, open 24/7, coin-op). @rctic Internet Café, in the station’s main hall and above track 13, is quieter but pricey (60 kr/hour, daily 8:00-23:00, sells international phone cards).
Post Office: It’s in the train station.
Pharmacy: Jernbanetorgets Vitus Apotek is open 24 hours daily (across from train station on Jernbanetorget, tel. 23 35 81 00).
Laundry: Selva Laundromat is on the corner of Wessels Gate and Ullevålsveien at Ullevålsveien 15, a half-mile north of the train station (daily self-serve 8:00-21:00, full-serve 10:00-19:00, walk or catch bus #37 from station, tel. 41 64 08 33).
Bike Rental: Bikes are tough to rent in Oslo. A public system lets you grab simple, one-speed city bikes out of locked racks at various points around town (80 kr/24 hours; rent a card from TI that allows you to release bike from rack, leave credit-card number as deposit, and return the card to TI). A more expensive, conventional bike-rental company delivers bikes to your hotel (details at TI).
Updates to This Book: For news about changes to this book’s coverage since it was published, see www.ricksteves.com/update.
By Public Transit: Commit yourself to taking advantage of Oslo’s excellent transit system, made up of buses, trams, ferries, and a subway (Tunnelbane, or T-bane for short). Use the TI’s free public transit map to navigate. The system runs like clockwork, with schedules clearly posted and followed. Many stops have handy electronic reader boards showing the time remaining before the next tram arrives (usually less than 10 minutes). Ruter, the public-transit information center, faces the train station under the glass tower (same building as TI; Mon-Fri 7:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 8:00-22:00, tel. 177 or 81 50 01 76, www.ruter.no).
Individual tickets work on buses, trams, ferries, and the T-bane for one hour (30 kr if bought at a Narvesen kiosk/convenience store, or 50 kr if bought on board). Other options include the Reisekort smartcard (216 kr for 8 rides within zone 1; buy at Narvesen, 7-Eleven stores, or transit offices; the cost of a ride is automatically deducted from the smartcard balance, reload at machines, not shareable with others on same ride), the 24-hour Dagskort Tourist Ticket (75 kr, pays for itself in 3 rides), and the Oslo Pass (gives free run of entire system; described earlier). Validate your ticket or smartcard by holding it next to the card reader when you board.
By Taxi: Taxis come with a 150-kr drop charge that covers you for three or four kilometers—about two miles (more on evenings and weekends). To get a taxi, wave one down, find a taxi stand, or call 02323.
Oslo Fjord Tours—A fascinating world of idyllic islands sprinkled with charming vacation cabins is minutes away from the Oslo harborfront. For locals, the fjord is a handy vacation getaway. Tourists can get a glimpse of this island world by public ferry or tour boat. Cheap ferries regularly connect the nearby islands with downtown (covered by Oslo Pass, transit tickets, and Reisekort smartcard).
Several tour boats leave regularly from pier 3 in front of City Hall. Båtservice has a relaxing and scenic 1.5-hour hop-on, hop-off service, with a live-but-boring multi-language commentary, which departs from the City Hall dock (175 kr, daily at 9:45, 11:15, 12:45, and 14:15; departs 30 minutes later from Opera House and one hour later from Bygdøy; tel. 23 35 68 90, www.boatsightseeing.com). They won’t scream if you bring something to munch. They also offer two-hour fjord tours (250 kr, 3-4/day late March-Sept) and a “Summer Evening on the Fjord” dinner cruise (395 kr; joyride without narration that includes a “shrimp buffet”—just shrimp, bread, and butter; daily mid-June-Sept 19:00-22:00).
Bus Tours—Båtservice, which runs the harbor cruises (above), also offers four-hour bus tours of Oslo, with stops at the ski jump, Bygdøy museums, and Frogner Park (340 kr, 2/day late May-Aug, departs from ticket office on pier 3, longer tours also available, tel. 23 35 68 90, www.boatsightseeing.com). HMK also does daily city bus tours (200 kr/2 hours, 340 kr/4 hours, departs from TI across from City Hall, tel. 22 78 94 00, www.hmk.no).
Two different companies run hop-on, hop-off bus tours: CitySightseeing Oslo (150 kr/all day, 16 stops, www.citysightseeing.no) and Open Top/Oslo Sightseeing (220 kr/all day, 20 stops, www.opentopsightseeing.no; both run every 30 minutes, English headphone commentary, buy ticket from driver). While these tours help you get your bearings, most of Oslo’s sightseeing is concentrated in a few discrete zones that are well-connected by the excellent public-transportation network—making pricey bus tours a lesser value.
Guided Walking Tour—The local guides’ union offers 1.5-hour historic “Oslo Promenade” walks (150 kr, free with Oslo Pass; Mon, Wed, Fri at 17:30 in summer; leaves from sea side of City Hall, confirm departures at TI, tel. 22 42 70 20, www.guideservice.no).
Local Guide—To hire a private guide, call the guides’ association at tel. 22 42 70 20 (1,550 kr/2 hours, www.guideservice.no). Another local guide bureau is at tel. 22 42 28 18.
Tram #12, which becomes tram #11 halfway through its loop (at Majorstuen), circles the city from the train station, lacing together many of Oslo’s main sights. Apart from the practical value of being able to hop on and off as you sightsee your way around town (trams come by at least every 10 minutes), this 40-minute trip gives you a fine look at parts of the city you wouldn’t otherwise see.
The route starts at the main train station, at the traffic-island tram stop located immediately in front of the transit office tower. The route makes almost a complete circle and finishes at Stortorvet (the cathedral square), dropping you off a three-minute walk from where you began the tour. You want tram #12 leaving from the second set of tracks, going toward Majorstuen. (Confirm with your driver that the particular tram #12 you’re boarding becomes tram #11 and finishes at Stortorvet; some of these may turn into tram #19 instead, which takes a different route. If yours becomes #19, simply hop out at Majorstuen and wait for the next #11.) Here’s what you’ll see and ideas on where you might want to hop out:
From the station, you’ll go through the old grid streets of 16th-century Christiania, King Christian IV’s planned Renaissance town. After the city’s 17th fire, in 1624, the king finally got fed up. He decreed that only brick and stone buildings would be permitted in the city center, with wide streets to serve as fire breaks.
You’ll turn a corner at the fortress (Christiana Torv stop; get off here for the fortress and Norwegian Resistance Museum), then head for City Hall (Rådhus stop). Next comes the harbor and upscale Aker Brygge waterfront neighborhood (jump off at the Aker Brygge stop for the harbor and restaurant row). Passing the harbor, you’ll see on the left a few old shipyard buildings that still survive. Then the tram goes uphill, past the House of Oslo (a mall of 20 shops highlighting Scandinavian interior design; Vikatorvet stop) and into a district of ugly 1960s buildings (when elegance was replaced by “functionality”). The tram then heads onto the street Norwegians renamed Henrik Ibsens Gate in 2006 to commemorate the centenary of Ibsen’s death, honoring the man they claim is the greatest playwright since Shakespeare.
After Henrik Ibsens Gate, the tram follows Frognerveien through the chic Frogner neighborhood. Behind the fine old facades are fancy shops and spendy condos. Here and there you’ll see 19th-century mansions built by aristocratic families who wanted to live near the Royal Palace; today, many of these house foreign embassies. Turning the corner, you roll along the edge of Frogner Park, stopping at its grand gate (hop out at the Vigelandsparken stop for Frogner Park and Vigeland statues).
Ahead on the left, a statue of 1930s ice queen Sonja Henie marks the arena where she learned to skate. Turning onto Bogstadveien, the tram usually becomes #11 at the Majorstuen stop. Bogstadveien is lined with trendy shops, restaurants, and cafés—it’s a fun place to stroll and window-shop. (You could get out here and walk along this street all the way to the Royal Palace park and the top of Karl Johans Gate.) The tram veers left before the palace, passing the National Historical Museum and stopping at the National Gallery (Tullinløkka stop). As you trundle along, you may notice that lots of roads are ripped up for construction. It’s too cold to fix the streets in winter, so, when possible, the work is done in summer. Jump out at Stortorvet (a big square filled with flower stalls and fronted by the cathedral and the big GlasMagasinet department store). From here, you’re a three-minute walk from the station, where this tour began.
This stroll covers the heart of Oslo—the zone where most tourists find themselves walking—from the train station, up the main drag, and past City Hall to the harborfront. It takes a brisk 30 minutes if done nonstop.
Train Station: Start at the plaza just outside the main entrance of Oslo’s central train station (Oslo Sentralstasjon). The statue of the tiger prowling around out front commemorates the 1,000th birthday of Oslo’s founding, celebrated in the year 2000. The statue alludes to the town’s nickname of Tigerstaden (“Tiger Town”). In the 1800s, Oslo was considered an urban tiger, leaving its mark on the soul of simple country folk who ventured into the wild and crazy New York City of Norway. (These days, the presence of so many beggars, or tigger, has prompted the nickname “Tiggerstaden.”)
With your back to the train station, look for the glass Ruter tower that marks the public transit office (and TI); from here, trams zip to City Hall (harbor, boat to Bygdøy), and the underground subway (T-bane, or Tunnelbane—look for the T sign to your right) goes to Frogner Park (Vigeland statues) and Holmenkollen. Tram #12—featured in the self-guided tram tour described earlier—leaves from directly across the street.
The green building behind the Ruter tower is a shopping mall called Byporten (literally, “City Gate,” see big sign on rooftop), built to greet those arriving from the airport on the shuttle train. Oslo’s 37-floor pointed-glass skyscraper, the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, looms behind that. Its 34th-floor pub welcomes the public with air-conditioned views and pricey drinks (daily 16:00-24:00). The tower was built with reflective glass so that, from a distance, it almost disappears. The area behind the Radisson—the lively and colorful “Little Karachi,” centered along a street called Grønland—is where most of Oslo’s immigrant population settled. It’s become a vibrant nightspot, offering a fun contrast to the predictable homogeneity of Norwegian cuisine and culture.
Oslo allows hard-drug addicts and prostitutes to mix and mingle in the station area. (While it’s illegal to buy sex in Norway, those who sell it are not breaking the law.) Troubled young people come here from small towns in the countryside for anonymity and community. The two cameras near the top of the Ruter tower monitor drug deals. Signs warn that this is a “monitored area,” but victimless crimes proceed while violence is minimized.
• Turn your attention to Norway’s main drag, called...
Karl Johans Gate: This grand boulevard leads directly from the train station to the Royal Palace. The street is named for the French general Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, who was given a Swedish name, established the current Swedish dynasty, and ruled as a popular king (1818-1844) during the period after Sweden took Norway from Denmark.
Walk three blocks up Karl Johans Gate. This stretch is referred to as “Desolation Row” by locals because it has no soul, just shops greedily looking to devour tourist dollars and euros.
• Hook right around the curved old brick structure of an old market and walk to the...
Oslo Cathedral (Domkirke): This Lutheran church, from 1697, is where Norway commemorates its royal marriages and deaths. Seventy-seven deaths were mourned here following the tragic shootings and bombing of July 2011. In the grass in front of the cathedral, you may see a semi-permanent memorial to the victims, consisting of a row of stones shaped like a heart.
Before going inside, stroll around to the right, behind the church. The courtyard is lined by a circa-1850 circular row of stalls from an old market. Rusty meat hooks now decorate the lamps of a peaceful café, which has quaint tables around a fountain. The atmospheric Café Bacchus, at the far left end of the arcade, serves food outside and in a classy café downstairs (light 150-kr meals, Mon-Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat 12:00-21:00, closed Sun, salads, good cakes, coffee, tel. 22 33 34 30).
Now go around the other side to face the cathedral’s main door (under the tall tower). Look for the cathedral’s cornerstone (right of entrance), a thousand-year-old carving from Oslo’s first and long-gone cathedral showing how the forces of good and evil tug at each of us. Step inside beneath the red, blue, and gold seal of Oslo and under an equally colorful ceiling. The box above on the right is for the royal family. Back outside, notice the tiny square windows midway up the copper cupola—once the lookout quarters of the fire watchman.
• The big square that faces the cathedral is called...
Stortorvet: In the 17th century, when Oslo’s wall was located about here, this was the point where farmers were allowed to enter and sell their goods. Today it’s still lively as a flower and produce market (Mon-Fri). The statue shows Christian IV, the Danish king who ruled Norway around 1600, dramatically gesturing that-a-way. He named the city, rather immodestly, Christiania. (Oslo took back its old Norse name only in 1924.) Christian was serious about Norway. During his 60-year reign, he visited it 30 times (more than all other royal visits combined during 300 years of Danish rule). The big GlasMagasinet department store is a landmark on this square.
• Return to Karl Johans Gate, and continue up the boulevard past street musicians, cafés, shops, and hordes of people. If you’re here early in the morning (Mon-Fri) you may see a commotion at #14 (in the first block, on the left, look for the big 2 sign). This is the studio of a TV station (channel 2) where the Norwegian version of the Today show is taped, and as on Rockefeller Plaza, locals gather here, clamoring to get their mugs on TV.
At the next corner, Kongens Gate leads left, past the 17th-century grid-plan town to the fortress. But we’ll continue hiking straight up to the crest of the hill, enjoying some of the street musicians along the way. Pause at the wide spot in the street just before Akersgata to appreciate the...
Crest of Karl Johans Gate: Look back at the train station. A thousand years ago, the original (pre-1624) Oslo was located at the foot of the wooded hill behind the station. Now look ahead to the Royal Palace in the distance, which was built in the 1830s “with nature and God behind it and the people at its feet.” If the flag flies atop the palace, the king is in the country. Karl Johans Gate is a parade ground from here to the palace—the axis of modern Oslo. Each May 17th, Norway’s Independence Day, an annual children’s parade turns this street into a sea of marching student bands and costumed young flag-wavers, while the royal family watches from the palace balcony. Since 1814, Norway has preferred peace. Rather than celebrating its military on the national holiday, it celebrates its children.
King Harald V and Queen Sonja moved back into the palace in 2001, after extensive (and costly) renovations. To quell the controversy caused by this expense, the public is now allowed inside to visit each summer with a pricey one-hour guided tour (95 kr, daily English tours late June-mid-Aug at 14:00 and 14:20, Mon-Thu and Sat also at 12:00, buy tickets in advance at any post office or convenience store, or by calling 81 53 31 33, www.kongehuset.no).
In the middle of the small square, the T sign marks a stop of the T-bane (Oslo’s subway). Let W. B. Samson’s bakery tempt you with its pastries (and short cafeteria line; WC in back). Next to that, David Andersen’s jewelry store displays traditional silver art and fine enamel work. Inside, halfway down the wall on the right (next to the free water dispenser), is a display of Norwegian folk costumes (bunader) with traditional jewelry—worn on big family occasions and church holidays. From here, the street called Akersgata kicks off a worthwhile stroll past the site of the July 2011 bombing, the national cemetery, and through a park-like river gorge to the trendy Grünerløkka quarter (an hour-long walk).
People-watching is great along Karl Johans Gate, but remember that if it’s summer, half of the city’s regular population is gone—vacationing in their cabins or farther away—and the city center is filled mostly with visitors.
Hike two blocks down Karl Johans Gate, past the big brick Parliament building (on the left). This section of sidewalk is heated during the frigid winter so it won’t be icy. On the right, seated in the square, is a statue of the painter Christian Krohg. Farther down Karl Johans Gate, just past the Freia shop (Norway’s oldest and best chocolate), the venerable Grand Hotel (Oslo’s celebrity hotel—Nobel Peace Prize winners sleep here) overlooks the boulevard.
• Ask the waiter at the Grand Café if you can pop inside for a little sightseeing (he’ll generally let you).
Grand Café: This historic café was for many years the meeting place of Oslo’s intellectual and creative elite (the playwright Henrik Ibsen was a regular here). Notice the photos and knickknacks on the wall. At the back of the café, a mural shows Norway’s literary and artistic clientele—from a century ago—enjoying this fine hangout. On the far left, find Ibsen, coming in as he did every day at 13:00. Edvard Munch is on the right, leaning against the window, looking pretty drugged. Names are on the sill beneath the mural.
• For a cheap bite with prime boulevard seating, continue past the corner to Deli de Luca, a convenience store with a super selection of take-away food and a great people-watching perch. Across the street, a little park faces Norway’s...
Parliament Building (Stortinget): Norway’s Parliament meets here (along with anyone participating in a peaceful protest outside). Built in 1866, the building seems to counter the Royal Palace at the other end of Karl Johans Gate. If the flag’s flying, Parliament’s in session. Today the king is a figurehead, and Norway is run by a unicameral Parliament and a prime minister. Guided tours of the Stortinget are offered for those interested in Norwegian government (free; mid-June-Aug Mon-Fri at 10:00, 11:30, and 13:00; enter on Karl Johans Gate side, tel. 23 31 35 96, www.stortinget.no).
• Cross over into the park and stroll toward the palace, past the fountain. Pause at the...
Statue of Wergeland: The poet Henrik Wergeland helped inspire the movement for Norwegian autonomy. In the winter, the pool here is frozen and covered with children happily ice-skating. Across the street behind Wergeland stands the National Theater and statues of Norway’s favorite playwrights: Ibsen and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. Across Karl Johans Gate, the pale yellow building is the first university building in Norway, dating from 1854. A block behind that is the National Gallery, with Norway’s best collection of paintings.
• Facing the theater, follow Roald Amundsens Gate left, to the towering brick...
City Hall (Rådhuset): Built mostly in the 1930s with contributions from Norway’s leading artists, City Hall is full of great art and is worth touring. The mayor has his office here (at the base of one of the two 200-foot towers), and every December 10, this building is where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented. For the best exterior art, circle the courtyard clockwise, studying the colorful woodcuts in the arcade. Each shows a scene from Norwegian mythology, well-explained in English: Thor with his billy-goat chariot, Ask and Embla (a kind of Norse Adam and Eve), Odin on his eight-legged horse guided by ravens, the swan maidens shedding their swan disguises, and so on. Circle to the right around City Hall, until you reach the front. The statues (especially the six laborers on the other side of the building, facing the harbor, who seem to guard the facade) celebrate the nobility of the working class.
• Walk to the...
Harbor: A decade ago, you would have dodged several lanes of busy traffic to get to Oslo’s harborfront. But today, most cars cross underneath the city in tunnels. In addition, the city has made its town center relatively quiet and pedestrian-friendly by levying a traffic-discouraging 27-kr toll for every car entering town. (This system, like a similar one in London, subsidizes public transit and the city’s infrastructure.)
At the water’s edge, find the shiny metal plaque (just left of center) listing the contents of a sealed time capsule planted in 2000 out in the harbor in the little Kavringen lighthouse straight ahead (to be opened in 1,000 years). Go to the end of the stubby pier (on the right). This is the ceremonial “enter the city” point for momentous occasions. One such instance was in 1905, when Norway gained its independence from Sweden and a Danish prince sailed in from Copenhagen to become the first modern king of Norway. Another milestone event occurred at the end of World War II, when the king returned to Norway after the country was liberated from the Nazis.
• Stand at the harbor and give it a sweeping counterclockwise look.
Harborfront Spin-Tour: Oslofjord is a huge playground, with 40 city-owned, park-like islands. Big white cruise ships—a large part of the local tourist economy—dock just under the Akershus Fortress on the left. Just past the fort’s impressive 13th-century ramparts, a statue of FDR grabs the shade. He’s here in gratitude for the safe refuge the US gave to members of the royal family (including the young prince who is now Norway’s king) during World War II—while the king and his government-in-exile waged Norway’s fight against the Nazis from London.
Enjoy the grand view of City Hall. The yellow building farther to the left was the old West Train Station; today it houses the Nobel Peace Center, which celebrates the work of Nobel Peace Prize winners. The next pier is the launchpad for harbor boat tours and the shuttle boat to the Bygdøy museums. A fisherman often moors his boat here, selling shrimp from the back.
At the other end of the harbor, shipyard buildings (this was the former heart of Norway’s once-important shipbuilding industry) have been transformed into Aker Brygge—Oslo’s thriving restaurant/shopping/nightclub zone (see “Eating in Oslo”).
Just past the end of Aker Brygge is a brand-new housing development, which you may see still under construction, called Tjuvholmen. It’s anchored by the Astrup Fearnley Museum—an international modern art museum complex designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano (most famous for Paris’ Pompidou Center; www.afmuseet.no). This zone is just one more reminder of Oslo’s bold march toward becoming a city that is at once futuristic and people-friendly. An ambitious urban renewal project called Fjord City (Fjordbyen)—which kicked off years ago with Aker Brygge, and led to the construction of Oslo’s dramatic new Opera House—is making remarkable progress in turning the formerly industrial waterfront into a thriving people zone.
• From here, you can tour City Hall (cheap lunches Mon-Fri 12:30-13:30 only), visit the Nobel Peace Center, hike up to Akershus Fortress, take a harbor cruise (see “Tours in Oslo,” earlier), or catch a boat across the harbor to the museums at Bygdøy (from pier 3). The sights just mentioned are described in detail in the following section.
▲▲▲City Hall (Rådhuset)—In 1931, Oslo tore down a slum and began constructing its richly decorated City Hall. It was finally finished—after a WWII delay—in 1950 to celebrate the city’s 900th birthday. Norway’s leading artists all contributed to the building, an avant-garde thrill in its day. City halls, rather than churches, are the dominant buildings in Scandinavian capitals. The prominence of this building on the harborfront makes sense in this most humanistic, yet least churchgoing, northern end of the Continent. Up here, people pay high taxes, have high expectations, and are generally satisfied with what their governments do with their money.
Cost and Hours: Free, daily 9:00-18:00, free 50-minute guided tours daily at 10:00, 12:00, and 14:00 in summer, tours run Wed only in winter, free WC, enter on Karl Johans Gate side, tel. 23 46 12 00.
Visiting City Hall: At Oslo’s City Hall, the six statues facing the waterfront—dating from a period of Labor Party rule in Norway—celebrate the nobility of the working class. The art implies a classless society, showing everyone working together. The theme continues inside, with 20,000 square feet of bold and colorful Socialist Realist murals showing town folk, country folk, and people from all walks of life working harmoniously for a better society. The huge murals take you on a voyage through the collective psyche of Norway, from its simple rural beginnings through the scar tissue of the Nazi occupation and beyond. Filled with significance and symbolism—and well-described in English—the murals become even more meaningful with the excellent guided tours.
The main hall feels like a temple to good government, with its altar-like mural celebrating “work, play, and civic administration.” The mural emphasizes Oslo’s youth participating in community life—and rebuilding the country after Nazi occupation. Across the bottom, the slum that once cluttered up Oslo’s harborfront is being cleared out to make way for this building. Above that, scenes show Norway’s pride in its innovative health care and education systems. Left of center, near the top, Mother Norway rests on a church—reminding viewers that the Lutheran Church of Norway (the official state religion) provides a foundation for this society. On the right, four forms represent the arts; they illustrate how creativity springs from children. And in the center, the figure of Charity is surrounded by Culture, Philosophy, and Family.
The “Mural of the Occupation” lines the left side of the hall. It tells the story of Norway’s WWII experience. Looking left to right, you’ll see the following: The German blitzkrieg overwhelms the country. Men head for the mountains to organize a resistance movement. Women huddle around the water well, traditionally where news is passed, while Quislings (traitors named after the Norwegian fascist who ruled the country as a Nazi puppet) listen in. While Germans bomb and occupy Norway, a family gathers in their living room. As a boy clenches his fist (showing determination) and a child holds the beloved Norwegian flag, the Gestapo steps in. Columns lie on the ground, symbolizing how Germans shut down the culture by closing newspapers and the university. Two resistance soldiers are executed. A cell of resistance fighters (wearing masks and using nicknames so if tortured they can’t reveal their compatriots’ identities) plan a sabotage mission. Finally, prisoners are freed, the war is over, and Norway celebrates its happiest day: May 17, 1945—the first Independence Day after five years under Nazi control.
While gazing at these murals, keep in mind that the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in this central hall each December (though the general Nobel Prize ceremony occurs in Stockholm’s City Hall). You can see videos of the ceremony and acceptance speeches in the adjacent Nobel Peace Center (see next).
Eating: A wonderful budget-lunch cafeteria is downstairs, offering a simple hot meal and salad bar at a nonprofit price; it’s primarily for the building’s workers, but the public is welcome (Mon-Fri 12:30-13:30 only). Fans of the explorer Fridtjof Nansen might enjoy a coffee or beer across the street at Fridtjof, an atmospheric bar filled with memorabilia from Nansen’s Arctic explorations (Mon-Sat 12:00 until late, Sun 14:00-22:00, Nansens Plass 7, near Forex, tel. 93 25 22 30).
▲Nobel Peace Center (Nobels Fredssenter)—This thoughtful and thought-provoking museum, housed in the former West Train Station (Vestbanen), poses the question, “What is the opposite of conflict?” It celebrates the 800-some past and present Nobel Peace Prize winners with engaging audio and video exhibits and high-tech gadgetry (all with good English explanations). Allow time for reading about past prizewinners and listening to acceptance speeches by recipients from President Carter to Mother Theresa. Check out the astonishing interactive book detailing the life and work of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, who initiated the prizes—perhaps to assuage his conscience.
Cost and Hours: 80 kr; mid-May-Aug daily 10:00-18:00; Sept-mid-May Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon; included guided tours at 12:00, 14:00, and 15:00, fewer in winter; Brynjulfs Bulls Plass 1, tel. 48 30 10 00, www.nobelpeacecenter.org.
▲Opera House—Opened in 2008, Oslo’s striking Opera House is the talk of the town and a huge hit. The Opera House rises from the water on the city’s eastern harbor, across the highway from the train station (use the sky-bridge). Its boxy, low-slung, glass center holds a state-of-the-art, 1,400-seat main theater. The jutting white marble planes of its roof double as a public plaza. When visiting, you feel a need to walk all over it. The Opera House is part of a larger harbor-redevelopment plan that includes rerouting traffic into tunnels and turning a once-derelict industrial zone into an urban park.
Cost and Hours: Foyer and café/restaurant open Mon-Fri 10:00-23:00, Sat 11:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00.
Tours: In summer, the Opera House offers guided tours of the auditorium and backstage area (100 kr, daily usually at 14:00, time can vary) and sporadic foyer concerts (50 kr, generally at 13:00). For tours, reserve by email at omvisninger@operaen.no or online at www.operaen.no (tel. 21 42 21 00).
Getting There: The easiest way to get to the Opera House is from the train station. Just follow signs for Exit South/Utgang Syd (standing in the main hall with the tracks to your back, it’s to the left). Exiting the station, proceed straight ahead onto the pedestrian bridge (marked Velkommen til Operaen), which takes you effortlessly above traffic congestion to your goal.
This park-like complex of sights scattered over Oslo’s fortified old center is still a military base. But as you dodge patrol guards and vans filled with soldiers, you’ll see the castle, a prison, war memorials, the Norwegian Resistance Museum, the Armed Forces Museum, and cannon-strewn ramparts affording fine harbor views and picnic perches. There’s an unimpressive changing of the guard daily at 13:30 (at the parade ground, deep in the castle complex). The park is generally open daily 6:00-21:00, but because the military is in charge here, times can change without warning. Expect bumpy cobblestone lanes and steep hills. To get here from the harbor, follow the stairs (which lead past the FDR statue) to the park.
Fortress Visitors Center: Located immediately inside the gate, the information center has an interesting exhibit tracing the story of Oslo’s fortifications from medieval times through the environmental struggles of today. Stop here to pick up a castle overview booklet, quickly browse through the museum, watch the quick video, and consider catching a tour (see next; museum entry free, mid-June-mid-Aug Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season, tel. 23 09 39 17, www.mil.no/felles/ak).
▲Fortress Tours—The free 45-minute English walking tours of the grounds help you make sense of the most historic piece of real estate in Oslo (offered May-mid-June Sat-Sun at 13:00; late June daily at 13:00 and 16:00; July-mid-Aug daily at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00, and 16:00; late Aug Sat-Sun at 15:00; no tours off-season; depart from Fortress Visitors Center, call center at tel. 23 09 39 17 in advance to confirm times).
Akershus Castle—Although it’s one of Oslo’s oldest buildings (c. 1300), the castle overlooking the harbor is mediocre by European standards; the big, empty rooms recall Norway’s medieval poverty. From the old kitchen, where the ticket desk and gift shop are located, you’ll follow a one-way circuit of rooms open to the public. Descend through a secret passage to the dungeon, crypt, and royal tomb. Emerge behind the altar in the chapel, then walk through echoing rooms including the Daredevil’s Tower, Hall of Christian IV, and Hall of Olav I. There are terrific harbor views from the rampart just outside.
Cost and Hours: 70 kr, sparse English descriptions throughout; May-Aug Mon-Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 12:30-16:00; Sept-April Sat-Sun 12:00-17:00 only, closed Mon-Fri; tel. 22 41 25 21.
▲▲Norwegian Resistance Museum (Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum)—This fascinating museum tells the story of Norway’s WWII experience: appeasement, Nazi invasion (they made Akershus their headquarters), resistance, liberation, and, finally, the return of the king.
Cost and Hours: 50 kr, 100-kr family ticket covers 2 adults plus up to 2 kids; June-Aug Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-17:00; Sept-May Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00; next to castle, overlooking harbor, tel. 23 09 31 38, www.mil.no/felles/nhm.
Visiting the Museum: It’s a one-way, chronological, can’t-get-lost route—enter through the 1940 door.
You’ll see propaganda posters attempting to get Norwegians to join the Nazi party, and the German ultimatum to which the king gave an emphatic “No.” Various displays show secret radios, transmitters, underground newspapers, crude but effective homemade weapons, and the German machine that located clandestine radio stations. Exhibits explain how the country coped with 350,000 occupying troops; how airdrops equipped a home force of 40,000 ready to coordinate with the Allies when liberation was imminent; and the happy day when peace and freedom returned to Norway.
The museum is particularly poignant because many of the patriots featured inside were executed by the Germans right outside the museum’s front door; a stone memorial marks the spot. (At war’s end, the traitor Vidkun Quisling was also executed here.) With good English descriptions, this is an inspirational look at how the national spirit can endure total occupation by a malevolent force.
Armed Forces Museum (Forsvarsmuseet)—Across the fortress parade ground, a too-spacious museum traces Norwegian military history from Viking days to post-World War II. The early stuff is sketchy, but the WWII story is compelling.
Cost and Hours: Free, May-Aug Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season, tel. 23 09 35 82.
While there are many schools of painting and sculpture displayed in Norway’s National Gallery, focus on what’s uniquely Norwegian. Paintings come and go in this museum (pesky curators may have even removed some of the ones listed in the self-guided tour on the next page), but you’re sure to see plenty that showcase the harsh beauty of Norway’s landscape and people. A thoughtful visit here gives those heading into the mountains and fjord country a chance to pack along a little of Norway’s cultural soul. Tuck these images carefully away with your goat cheese—they’ll sweeten your explorations.
The gallery also has several Picassos, a noteworthy Impressionist collection, a Van Gogh self-portrait, and some Vigeland statues. Its many raving examples of Edvard Munch’s work, including one of his famous Scream paintings, make a trip to the Munch Museum unnecessary for most. It has about 50 Munch paintings in its collection, but only about a third are on display. Be prepared for changes, but don’t worry—no matter what the curators decide to show, you won’t have to scream for Munch’s masterpieces.
Cost and Hours: 50 kr, free on Sun, Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Thu until 19:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon, chewing gum prohibited, Universitets Gata 13, tel. 22 20 04 04, www.nationalmuseum.no.
The museum’s 20-kr audioguide covers 15 paintings, has a poetic narrative with quotes from artists, and forces you to linger at each work of art—but doesn’t have much more information than my self-guided tour below.
This easy-to-handle museum gives an effortless tour back in time and through Norway’s most beautiful valleys, mountains, and fjords, with the help of its Romantic painters (especially Johan Christian Dahl). The paintings are organized roughly chronologically, from 1814 through 1950.
• Go up the stairs but before entering the first room, look to the right at the large canvas in the stairwell.
Christian Krohg—Albertine to See the Police Surgeon (c. 1885-1887): Christian Krohg (1852-1925) is known as Edvard Munch’s inspiration, but to Norwegians, he’s famous in his own right for his artistry and giant personality. Krohg had a sharp interest in social justice. In this painting, Albertine, a sweet girl from the countryside, has fallen into the world of prostitution in the big city. She’s the new kid on the red-light block in the 1880s, as Oslo’s prostitutes are pulled into the police clinic for their regular checkup. Note her traditional dress and the disdain she gets from the more experienced girls. Krohg has buried his subject in this scene. His technique requires the viewer to find her, and that search helps humanize the prostitute.
• We’ll look at more stark Norwegian realism later. But for now, let’s head somewhere more idyllic. Walk into Room Z, turn left, and enter Room L.
Landscape painting has always played an important role in Norwegian art, perhaps because Norway provides such an awesome and varied landscape to inspire artists. The style reached its peak during the Romantic period in the mid-1800s, which stressed the beauty of unspoiled nature. (This passion for landscapes sets Norway apart from Denmark and Sweden.) After 400 years of Danish rule, the soul of the country was almost snuffed out. But with semi-independence and a constitution in the early 1800s, there was a national resurgence. Romantic paintings featuring the power of Norway’s natural wonders and the toughness of its salt-of-the-earth folk came into vogue.
Johan Christian Dahl—View of Fortundalen (1836): This painting epitomizes the Norwegian closeness to nature. It shows a view similar to the one that 21st-century travelers enjoy on their Norway in a Nutshell excursion: mountains, rivers, and a waterfall. Painted in 1836, it’s textbook Romantic style. Nature rules—the background is as detailed as the foreground, and you are sucked in.
Johan Christian Dahl (1788-1857) is considered the father of Norwegian Romanticism. Romantics such as Dahl (and Turner, Beethoven, and Lord Byron) put emotion over rationality. They reveled in the power of nature—death and pessimism ripple through their work. The birch tree—standing boldly front and center—is a standard symbol for the politically downtrodden Norwegian people: hardy, cut down, but defiantly sprouting new branches. In the mid-19th century, Norwegians were awakening to their national identity. Throughout Europe, nationalism and Romanticism went hand in hand.
Find the typical Norse farm with its haystacks looking like rune stones. It reminds us that these farmers are hardworking, independent, small landowners. There was no feudalism in medieval Norway. People were poor...but they owned their own land. You can almost taste the geitost.
• Look at the other works in Rooms L and M. Dahl’s paintings and those by his Norwegian contemporaries, showing heavy clouds and glaciers, repeat these same themes—drama over rationalism, nature pounding humanity. Human figures are melancholy. Norwegians, so close to nature, are fascinated by those plush, magic hours of dawn and twilight. The dusk makes us wonder: What will the future bring?
In particular, focus on the painting to the left of the door in Room L.
Dahl—Hellefossen near Hokksund (1838): Another typical Dahl setting: romantic nature and an idealized scene. A fisherman checks on wooden baskets designed to catch salmon migrating up the river. In the background, a water-powered sawmill slices trees into lumber. Note another Dahl birch tree at the left, a subtle celebration of the Norwegian people and their labor.
• Now continue into Room M. At the far end is...
Thomas Fearnley—Labro Falls at Kongsberg (1837): Man cannot control nature or his destiny. The landscape in this painting is devoid of people—the only sign of humanity is the jumble of sawn logs in the foreground. A wary eagle perched on one log seems to be saying, “While you can cut these trees, they’ll always be mine.”
• Facing this painting, turn left into Room N.
Adolph Tidemand and Hans Gude—The Bridal Voyage (1848): This famous painting shows the ultimate Norwegian scene: a wedding party with everyone decked out in traditional garb, heading for the stave church on the quintessential fjord (Hardanger). It’s a studio work (not real) and a collaboration: Hans Gude painted the landscape, and Adolph Tidemand painted the people. Study their wedding finery. This work trumpets the greatness of both the landscape and Norwegian culture.
• Also in Room N are examples of...
At the end of the 19th century, Norwegian painters traded the emotions of Romanticism for more slice-of-life detail. This was the end of the Romantic period and the beginning of Realism. With the advent of photography, painters went beyond simple realism and into extreme realism.
Tidemand—Low Church Devotion (1848): This scene shows a dissenting Lutheran church group (of which there were many in the 19th century) worshipping in a smokehouse. The light of God powers through the chimney, illuminating salt-of-the-earth people with strong faiths. Rather than accept the Norwegian king’s “High Church,” they worshipped in their homes in a more ascetic style. Later, many of these people emigrated to America for greater religious freedom.
• On the facing wall is...
Eilif Peterssen—Christian II (1875): The Danish king signs the execution order for the man who’d killed the king’s beloved mistress. With camera-like precision, the painter captures the whole story of murder, anguish, anger, and bitter revenge in the king’s set jaw and steely eyes.
• Go through Rooms O and P and into Room Q. Take time to browse the paintings.
Death, disease, and suffering were themes seen again and again in art from the late 1800s. The most serious disease during this period was tuberculosis (which killed Munch’s mother and sister).
Krohg—A Sick Girl (1880): This extremely realistic painting shows a child dying of tuberculosis, as so many did in Norway in the 19th century. The girl looks directly at you. You can almost feel the cloth, with its many shades of white.
Carl Sundt-Hansen—Burial at Sea (1890): While Monet and the Impressionists were busy abandoning the realistic style, Norwegian artists continued to embrace it. In this painting, you’re invited to participate. A dead man’s funeral is attended by an ethnically diverse group of sailors and passengers, but only one is a woman—the widow. Your presence completes the half-circle at the on-deck ceremony. Notice how each person in the painting has his or her own way of confronting death. Their faces speak volumes about the life of toil here. A common thread in Norwegian art is the cycle—the tough cycle—of life. There’s also an interest in everyday experiences. Burial at Sea may not always be on display. If it’s not here, you may instead see a similar canvas, Erik Werenskiold’s A Peasant Burial (1885).
Also in this room may be another Krohg painting, I Leden (1892), which is notable for non-artistic reasons: It was on loan to one of the Oslo buildings that was damaged in the July 2011 car bombing. The painting was badly damaged, but has since been repaired. You may see the painting, along with a small exhibit about how the canvas, shredded by a madman, has been lovingly repaired.
• Continue through Room R and into Room S.
Landscape painters were often fascinated by the phenomena of nature, and the artwork in this room takes us back to this ideal from the Romantic Age. Painters were challenged by capturing atmospheric conditions at a specific moment, since it meant making quick sketches outdoors, before the weather changed yet again.
Harald Sohlberg—Winter Night in the Mountains (1914): Harald Sohlberg was inspired by this image while skiing in the mountains in the winter of 1899. Over the years, he attempted to re-create the scene that inspired this remark: “The mountains in winter reduce one to silence. One is overwhelmed, as in a mighty, vaulted church, only a thousand times more so.”
• Follow the crowds into Room T, the Munch room.
Room T is filled with works by Norway’s single most famous painter, Edvard Munch (see sidebar). Norway’s long, dark winters and social isolation have produced many gloomy artists, but none gloomier than Munch. He infused his work with emotion and expression at the expense of realism. After viewing the paintings in general, take a look at these in particular (listed in clockwise order).
Edvard Munch—Self Portrait with a Cigarette (1895): In this self-portrait, Munch is spooked, haunted—an artist working, immersed in an oppressive world. Indefinable shadows inhabit the background. His hand shakes as he considers his uncertain future. (Ironic, considering he created his masterpieces during this depressed period.) After eight months in a Danish clinic, he found peace—and lost his painting power. Afterward, Munch never again painted another strong example of what we love most about his art.
Edvard Munch (pronounced “moonk”) is Norway’s most famous and influential painter. His life was rich, complex, and sad. His father was a doctor who had a nervous breakdown. His mother and sister both died of tuberculosis. He knew suffering. And he gave us the enduring symbol of 20th-century pain, The Scream.
He was also Norway’s most forward-thinking painter, a man who traveled extensively through Europe, soaking up the colors of the Post-Impressionists and the curves of Art Nouveau. He helped pioneer a new style—Expressionism—using lurid colors and wavy lines to “express” inner turmoil and the angst of the modern world.
After a nervous breakdown in late 1908, followed by eight months of rehab in a clinic, Munch emerged less troubled—but a less powerful painter. His late works were as a colorist: big, bright, less tormented...and less noticed.
Munch—Puberty (1894-1895): One of the artist’s most important non-Scream canvases reveals his ambivalence about women (see also his Madonna, below). This adolescent girl, grappling with her emerging sexuality, covers her nudity self-consciously. The looming shadow behind her—frighteningly too big and amorphous—threatens to take over the scene. The shadow’s significance is open to interpretation—is it phallic, female genitalia, death, an embodiment of sexual anxiety...or Munch himself?
Munch—The Sick Child (1896): The death of Munch’s sister in 1877 due to tuberculosis likely inspired this painting. The girl’s face melts into the pillow. She’s becoming two-dimensional, halfway between life and death. Everything else is peripheral, even her despairing mother saying good-bye. You can see how Munch scraped and repainted the face until he got it right.
Munch—Madonna (1894-1895): Munch had a tortured relationship with women. He never married. He dreaded and struggled with love, writing that he feared if he loved too much, he’d lose his painting talent. This painting is a mystery: Is she standing or lying? Is that a red halo or some devilish accessory? Munch wrote that he would strive to capture his subjects at their holiest moment. His alternative name for this work: Woman Making Love. What’s more holy than a woman at the moment of conception?
Munch—The Scream (1893): Munch’s most famous work shows a man screaming, capturing the fright many feel as the human “race” does just that. The figure seems isolated from the people on the bridge—locked up in himself, unable to stifle his scream. Munch made four versions of this scene, which has become the textbook example of Expressionism. On one, he graffitied: “This painting is the work of a madman.” He explained that the painting “shows today’s society, reverberating within me...making me want to scream.” He’s sharing his internal angst. In fact, this Expressionist masterpiece is a breakthrough painting; it’s angst personified.
Munch—Dance of Life (1899-1900): In this scene of five dancing couples, we glimpse Munch’s notion of femininity. To him, women were a complex mix of Madonna and whore. We see Munch’s take on the cycle of women’s lives: She’s a virgin (discarding the sweet flower of youth), a whore (a jaded temptress in red), and a widow (having destroyed the man, she is finally alone, aging, in black). With the phallic moon rising on the lake, Munch demonizes women as they turn men into green-faced, lusty monsters.
• Our tour is over, but there’s more to see in this fine collection. Take a break from Nordic gloom and doom by visiting Rooms O and Y, with works by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists...even Munch got into the spirit with his Parisian painting, titled Rue Lafayette. You’ll see lesser known, but still beautiful, paintings by non-Norwegian big names such as Picasso, Modigliani, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Cézanne.
National Historical Museum (Historisk Museum)—Directly behind the National Gallery and just below the palace is a fine Art Nouveau building offering an easy (if underwhelming) peek at Norway’s history.
Cost and Hours: 50 kr, included 45-minute Viking tours daily at noon in the summer; mid-May-mid-Sept Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, mid-Sept-mid-May Tue-Sun 11:00-16:00, closed Mon year-round; Frederiks Gate 2, tel. 22 85 99 12, www.khm.uio.no.
Visiting the Museum: The ground floor offers a walk through the local history from prehistoric times. It includes the country’s top collection of Viking artifacts, displayed in low-tech, old-school exhibits with barely a word of English to give it meaning. There’s also some medieval church art. The museum’s highlight is upstairs: an exhibit (well-described in English) about life in the Arctic for the Sami people (previously known to outsiders as Laplanders). In this overview of the past, a few Egyptian mummies and Norwegian coins through the ages are tossed in for good measure.
This 75-acre park contains a lifetime of work by Norway’s greatest sculptor, Gustav Vigeland (see sidebar). In 1921, he made a deal with the city. In return for a great studio and state support, he’d spend his creative life beautifying Oslo with this sculpture garden. From 1924 to 1943 he worked on-site, designing 192 bronze and granite statue groupings—600 figures in all, each nude and unique. Vigeland even planned the landscaping. Today the park is loved and respected by the people of Oslo (no police, no fences—and no graffiti). The Frognerbadet swimming pool is also at Frogner Park.
Cost and Hours: The garden is always open and free. The park is safe (cameras monitor for safety) and lit in the evening.
Getting There: Tram #12—which leaves from the central train station, Rådhusplassen in front of City Hall, Aker Brygge, and other points in town—drops you off right at the park gate (Vigelandsparken stop). Tram #19 (with stops along Karl Johans Gate) takes you to Majorstuen, a 10-minute walk to the gate (or you can change at Majorstuen to tram #12 and ride it one stop to Vigelandsparken).
Visiting the Park: Vigeland’s park is more than great art: It’s a city at play. Appreciate its urban Norwegian ambience. The park is huge, but this visit is a snap. Here’s a quick, four-stop, straight-line, gate-to-monolith tour:
1. Enter the Park from Kirkeveien: For an illustrated guide and fine souvenir, pick up the 75-kr book in the Visitors Center (Besøkssenter) on your right as you enter. The modern cafeteria has sandwiches (indoor/outdoor seating, daily 9:00-20:30, shorter hours Sun and off-season), plus books, gifts, and WCs. Look at the statue of Gustav Vigeland (hammer and chisel in hand, drenched in pigeon poop) and consider his messed-up life. He lived with his many models. His marriages failed. His children entangled his artistic agenda. He didn’t age gracefully. He didn’t name his statues, and refused to explain their meanings. While those who know his life story can read it clearly in the granite and bronze, I’d forget Gustav’s troubles and see his art as observations on the bittersweet cycle of life in general—from a man who must have had a passion for living.
2. Bridge: The 300-foot-long bridge is bounded by four granite columns: Three show a man fighting a lizard, the fourth shows a woman submitting to the lizard’s embrace. Hmmm. (Vigeland was familiar with medieval mythology, where dragons represent man’s primal—and sinful—nature.) But enough lizard love; the 58 bronze statues along the bridge are a general study of the human body. Many deal with relationships between people. In the middle, on the right, find the circular statue of a man and woman going round and round—perhaps the eternal attraction and love between the sexes. But directly opposite, another circle feels like a prison—man against the world, with no refuge. From the man escaping, look down at the children’s playground: eight bronze infants circling a head-down fetus.
On your left, see the famous Sinnataggen, the hot-headed little boy. It’s said Vigeland gave him chocolate and then took it away to get this reaction. The statues capture the joys of life (and, on a sunny day, so do the Norwegians filling the park around you).
3. Fountain: Continue through a rose garden to the earliest sculpture unit in the park. Six giants hold a fountain, symbolically toiling with the burden of life, as water—the source of life—cascades steadily around them. Twenty tree-of-life groups surround the fountain. Four clumps of trees (on each corner) show humanity’s relationship to nature and the seasons of life: childhood, young love, adulthood, and winter.
Take a quick swing through life, starting on the right with youth. In the branches you’ll see a swarm of children (Vigeland called them “geniuses”): A boy sits in a tree, boys actively climb while most girls stand by quietly, and a girl glides through the branches wide-eyed and ready for life...and love. Circle clockwise to the next stage: love scenes. In the third corner, life becomes more complicated: a sad woman in an animal-like tree, a lonely child, a couple plummeting downward (perhaps falling out of love), and finally an angry man driving away babies. The fourth corner completes the cycle, as death melts into the branches of the tree of life and you realize new geniuses will bloom.
The 60 bronze reliefs circling the basin develop the theme further, showing man mixing with nature and geniuses giving the carousel of life yet another spin. Speaking of another spin, circle again and follow these reliefs.
The sidewalk surrounding the basin is a maze—life’s long and winding road with twists, dead ends, frustrations, and, ultimately, a way out. If you have about an hour to spare, enter the labyrinth (on the side nearest the park’s entrance gate, there’s a single break in the black border) and follow the white granite path until (on the monolith side) you finally get out. (Tracing this path occupies older kids, affording parents a peaceful break in the park.) Or you can go straight up the steps to the monolith.
4. Monolith: The centerpiece of the park—a teeming monolith of life surrounded by 36 granite groups—continues Vigeland’s cycle-of-life motif. The figures are hunched and clearly earthbound, while Vigeland explores a lifetime of human relationships. At the center, 121 figures carved out of a single block of stone rocket skyward. Three stone carvers worked daily for 14 years, cutting Vigeland’s full-size plaster model into the final 180-ton, 50-foot-tall erection.
Circle the plaza, once to trace the stages of life in the 36 statue groups, and a second time to enjoy how Norwegian kids relate to the art. The statues—both young and old—seem to speak to children.
Vigeland lived barely long enough to see his monolith raised. Covered with bodies, it seems to pick up speed as it spirals skyward. Some people seem to naturally rise. Others struggle not to fall. Some help others. Although the granite groups around the monolith are easy to understand, Vigeland left the meaning of the monolith itself open. Like life, it can be interpreted many different ways.
From this summit of the park, look a hundred yards farther, where four children and three adults are intertwined and spinning in the Wheel of Life. Now, look back at the entrance. If the main gate is at 12 o’clock, the studio where Vigeland lived and worked—now the Vigeland Museum—is at 2 o’clock (see the green copper tower poking above the trees). His ashes sit in the top of the tower in clear view of the monolith. If you liked the park, visit the Vigeland Museum (described next), a delightful five-minute walk away, for an intimate look at the art and how it was made.
▲▲Vigeland Museum—Filled with original plaster casts and well-described exhibits on his work, this palatial city-provided studio was Vigeland’s home and workplace. The high south-facing windows provided just the right light.
Vigeland, who had a deeply religious upbringing, saw his art as an expression of his soul. He once said, “The road between feeling and execution should be as short as possible.” Here, immersed in his work, Vigeland supervised his craftsmen like a father, from 1924 until his death in 1943.
Cost and Hours: 50 kr; June-Aug Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Sept-May Tue-Sun 12:00-16:00, closed Mon year-round; bus #20 or tram #12 to Frogner Plass, Nobels Gate 32, tel. 23 49 37 00, www.vigeland.museum.no.
Oslo City Museum (Oslo Bymuseum)—This hard-to-be-thrilled-about little museum tells the story of Oslo. For a quick overview of the city, watch the 15-minute English video.
Cost and Hours: Free, Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon, borrow English description sheet, located in Frogner Park at Frogner Manor Farm across street from Vigeland Museum, tel. 23 28 41 70, www.oslomuseum.no.
This thought-provoking and exciting cluster of sights is on a park-like peninsula just across the harbor from downtown. It provides a busy and rewarding half-day (at a minimum) of sightseeing. Here, within a short walk, are six important sights (listed in order of importance):
• Norwegian Folk Museum, an open-air park with traditional log buildings from all corners of the country.
• Viking Ship Museum, showing off the best-preserved Viking longboats in existence.
• Fram Museum, showcasing the modern Viking spirit with the ship of arctic-exploration fame.
• Kon-Tiki Museum, starring the Kon-Tiki and the Ra II, in which Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl proved that early civilizations—with their existing technologies—could have crossed the oceans.
• Norwegian Maritime Museum, interesting mostly to old salts, has a wonderfully scenic movie of Norway.
• Norwegian Holocaust Center, a high-tech look at the Holocaust in Norway and contemporary racism.
Getting There: Sailing from downtown to Bygdøy is fun, and it gets you in a seafaring mood. Ride the Bygdøy ferry—marked Public Ferry Bygdøy Museums—from pier 3 in front of City Hall (50 kr one-way; covered by Oslo Pass, transit tickets, and Reisekort smartcard; May-Sept daily 8:45-20:45, usually 3/hour; doesn’t run Oct-April). Boats generally leave from downtown and from the museum dock at :05, :25, and :45 past each hour. In summer, avoid the nearby (much more expensive) tour boats. For a less memorable approach, you can take bus #30 (from train station or National Theater, direction: Bygdøy).
Getting Around Bygdøy: The Norwegian Folk and Viking Ship museums are a 10-minute walk from the ferry’s first stop (Dronningen). The other boating museums (Fram, Kon-Tiki, and Maritime) are at the second ferry stop (Bygdøynes). The Holocaust Center is off Fredriksborgveien, about halfway between these two museum clusters. All Bygdøy sights are within a pleasant (when sunny) 15-minute walk of each other. The walk gives you a picturesque taste of small-town Norway.
City bus #30 connects the sights four times hourly in this order: Norwegian Folk Museum, Viking Ship Museum, Kon-Tiki Museum, Norwegian Holocaust Center. (For the Holocaust Center, you’ll use the Bygdøyhus stop a long block away; tell the bus driver you want the stop for the “HL-Senteret”). The bus turns around at its final stop (Huk), then passes the sights in reverse order on its way back to the city center. If you take the bus within an hour of having taken the public ferry, your ticket is still good on the bus. Note that after 17:00, bus and boat departures are sparse. If returning to Oslo by ferry, get to the dock a little early—otherwise the boat is likely to be full, and you’ll have to wait for the next sailing.
Eating at Bygdøy: Lunch options near the Kon-Tiki are a sandwich bar (relaxing picnic spots along the grassy shoreline) and a cafeteria (with tables overlooking the harbor). The Norwegian Folk Museum has a decent cafeteria inside and a fun little farmers’ market stall across the street from the entrance. The Holocaust Center has a small café on its second floor.
▲▲▲Norwegian Folk Museum (Norsk Folkemuseum)—Brought from all corners of Norway, 150 buildings have been reassembled here on 35 acres. While Stockholm’s Skansen was the first museum of this kind to open to the public, this museum is a bit older, started in 1882 as the king’s private collection (and the inspiration for Skansen).
Cost and Hours: 100 kr, daily mid-May-mid-Sept 10:00-18:00, off-season park open Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00 but most historical buildings closed, free lockers, Museumsveien 10, bus #30 stops immediately in front, tel. 22 12 37 00, www.norskfolkemuseum.no.
Visiting the Museum: Think of the visit in three parts: the park sprinkled with old buildings, the re-created old town, and the folk-art museum. In peak season, the park is lively, with craftspeople doing their traditional things and costumed guides all around. (They’re paid to happily answer your questions—so ask many.) The evocative Gol stave church, at the top of a hill at the park’s edge, is a must-see (built in 1212 in Hallingdal and painstakingly reconstructed here). Across the park, the old town comes complete with apartments from various generations (including some reconstructions of actual people’s homes) and offers an intimate look at lifestyles here in 1905, 1930, 1950, 1979, and even a modern-day Norwegian-Pakistani apartment.
The museum beautifully presents woody, colorfully painted folk art (ground floor), exquisite-in-a-peasant-kind-of-way folk costumes (upstairs), and temporary exhibits. Everything is thoughtfully explained in English. Don’t miss the best Sami culture exhibit I’ve seen in Scandinavia (across the courtyard in the green building, behind the toy exhibit).
Upon arrival, pick up the site map and review the list of activities, concerts, and guided tours on that day. In summer, guided tours go daily at 12:00 and 14:00; the Telemark Farm hosts a small daily fiddle-and-dance show on the hour; and a folk music-and-dance show is held each Sunday at 14:00. The folk museum is lively only June through mid-August, when buildings are open and staffed. Otherwise, the indoor museum is fine, but the park is just a walk past lots of locked-up log cabins. If you don’t take a tour, glean information from the 10-kr guidebook and the informative attendants stationed in buildings throughout the park.
▲▲Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskiphuset)—In this impressive museum, you’ll gaze with admiration at two finely crafted, majestic oak Viking ships dating from the 9th and 10th centuries. Along with the well-preserved ships, you’ll see remarkable artifacts that may cause you to consider these notorious raiders in a different light. Over a thousand years ago, three things drove Vikings on their far-flung raids: hard economic times in their bleak homeland, the lure of prosperous and vulnerable communities to the south, and a mastery of the sea. There was a time when most frightened Europeans closed every prayer with, “And deliver us from the Vikings, Amen.” Gazing up at the prow of one of these sleek, time-stained vessels, you can almost hear the screams and smell the armpits of those redheads on the rampage.
Cost and Hours: 60 kr, daily May-Sept 9:00-18:00, Oct-April 10:00-16:00, Huk Aveny 35, tel. 22 13 52 80, www.khm.uio.no.
Visiting the Museum: You’ll see two ships, starting with the Oseberg, from A.D. 834. With its ornate carving and impressive rudder, it was likely a royal pleasure craft. It seems designed for sailing on calm inland waters during festivals, but not in the open ocean.
The Gokstad, from A.D. 950, is a practical working boat, capable of sailing the high seas. A ship like this brought settlers to the west of France (Normandy was named for the Norsemen). And in such a vessel, explorers such as Eric the Red hopscotched from Norway to Iceland to Greenland and on to what they called Vinland—today’s Newfoundland in Canada. Imagine 30 men hauling on long oars out at sea for weeks and months at a time. In 1892, a replica of this ship sailed from Norway to America in 44 days to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus not discovering America.
The ships tend to steal the show, but don’t miss the hall displaying jewelry and personal items excavated along with the ships. The ships and related artifacts survived so well because they were buried in clay as part of a gravesite. Many of the finest items were not actually Viking art, but goodies they brought home after raiding more advanced (but less tough) people. Still, there are lots of actual Viking items, such as metal and leather goods, that give insight into their culture. Highlights are the cart and sleighs, ornately carved with scenes from Viking sagas.
The museum doesn’t offer tours, but it’s easy to eavesdrop on the many guides leading big groups through the museum. Everything is well-described in English. You probably don’t need the little museum guidebook—it repeats exactly what’s already posted on the exhibits.
▲Norwegian Holocaust Center (HL-Senteret)—Located in the stately former home of Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling, this museum and study center offers a high-tech look at the racist ideologies that fueled the Holocaust. To show the Holocaust in a Norwegian context, the first floor displays historical documents about the rise of anti-Semitism and personal effects from Holocaust victims. Downstairs, the names of 760 Norwegian Jews killed by the Nazis are listed in a bright, white room. The Innocent Questions glass-and-neon sculpture outside shows an old-fashioned punch card, reminding viewers of how the Norwegian puppet government collected seemingly innocuous information before deporting its Jews. The Contemporary Reflections video is a reminder that racism and genocide continue today.
Cost and Hours: 50 kr, ask for free English audioguide or catalog with translation of exhibit text, daily mid-June-mid-Aug 10:00-18:00, mid-Aug-mid-June 11:00-16:00, Huk Aveny 56—follow signs to HL-Senteret, tel. 22 84 21 00, www.hlsenteret.no.
▲▲Fram Museum (Frammuseet)—This museum holds the 125-foot, steam- and sail-powered ship that took modern-day Vikings Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen deep into the Arctic and Antarctic, farther north and south than any vessel had gone before. For three years, the Fram—specially designed to survive the crushing pressures of a frozen-over sea—drifted, trapped in the Arctic ice. The exhibit is engrossing and newly improved.
Cost and Hours: 80 kr; June-Aug daily 9:00-18:00; May and Sept daily 10:00-17:00; Oct and March-April daily 10:00-16:00; Nov-Feb Mon-Fri 10:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00; Bygdøynesveien 36, tel. 23 28 29 50, www.frammuseum.no.
Visiting the Museum: Read the ground-floor displays, check out the videos below the bow of the ship, then climb the steps to the third-floor gangway to explore the Fram’s claustrophobic but fascinating interior. Also featured are a tent like the one Amundsen used, reconstructed shelves from his Artic kitchen, models of the Fram and the motorized sled they used to traverse the ice and snow, and a “polar simulator” plunging visitors to a 15° Fahrenheit environment.
The museum also tells the chilling tales of other Arctic and Antarctic adventures undertaken beneath the Norwegian flag. The polar sloop Gjøa, dry-docked outside next to the ferry dock, is the ship that Amundsen and a crew of six used from 1903 to 1906 to “discover” the Northwest Passage.
▲▲Kon-Tiki Museum (Kon-Tiki Museet)—Next to the Fram is a museum housing the Kon-Tiki and the Ra II, the ships built by Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002). In 1947, Heyerdahl and five crewmates constructed the Kon-Tiki raft out of balsa wood, using only pre-modern tools and techniques. They set sail from Peru on the tiny craft, surviving for 101 days on fish, coconuts, and sweet potatoes (which were native to Peru). About 4,300 miles later, they arrived in Polynesia. The point was to show that early South Americans could have settled Polynesia. (While Heyerdahl proved they could have, anthropologists doubt they did.) The Kon-Tiki story became a best-selling book and award-winning documentary (and helped spawn the “Tiki” culture craze in the US). In 1970, Heyerdahl’s Ra II made a similar 3,000-mile journey from Morocco to Barbados to prove that Africans could have populated America. Both ships are well-displayed and described in English. Short clips from Kon-Tiki, the Oscar-winning 1950 documentary film, play in a small theater at the end of the exhibit.
Cost and Hours: 70 kr, daily June-Aug 9:00-18:00, March-May and Sept-Oct 10:00-17:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-16:00, Bygdøynesveien 36, tel. 23 08 67 67, www.kon-tiki.no.
▲Norwegian Maritime Museum (Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum)—If you like the sea, this museum is a salt lick, providing a wide-ranging look at Norway’s maritime heritage. Its dusty collection includes the charred remains of Norway’s oldest boat (2,200 years old), artifacts from the immigration days, and a case devoted to World War II. Don’t miss the movie The Ocean: A Way of Life, included with your admission. It’s a breathtaking widescreen film swooping you scenically over Norway’s dramatic sea and fishing townscapes from here all the way to North Cape in a comfy theater (20 minutes, shown at the top and bottom of the hour, follow Supervideografen signs).
Cost and Hours: 60 kr, kids under 6 free; mid-May-Aug daily 10:00-18:00; Sept-mid-May Tue-Fri 10:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00, closed Mon; Bygdøynesveien 37, tel. 24 11 41 50, www.marmuseum.no.
▲▲Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Ski Museum—The site of one of the world’s oldest ski jumps (from 1892), Holmenkollen has hosted many championships, including the 1952 Winter Olympics. To win the privilege of hosting the 2011 World Ski Jump Championship, Oslo built a bigger jump to match modern ones built elsewhere. This futuristic, cantilevered, Olympic-standard ski jump has a tilted elevator that you can ride to the top (on a sunny day, you may have to wait your turn for the elevator). Stand right at the starting gate, just like an athlete, and get a feel for this daredevil sport. The jump empties into a 50,000-seat amphitheater, and if you go when it’s clear, you’ll see one of the best possible views of Oslo.
The ski museum, a must for skiers, traces the evolution of the sport, from 4,000-year-old rock paintings to crude 1,500-year-old wooden sticks to the slick and quickly evolving skis of modern times, including a fun exhibit showing the royal family on skis. You’ll see gear from Roald Amundsen’s famous trek to the South Pole, including the stuffed remains of Obersten (the Colonel), one of his sled dogs.
Cost and Hours: 110-kr ticket includes museum and viewing platform at top of jump; daily June-Aug 9:00-20:00, May and Sept 10:00-17:00, Oct-April 10:00-16:00; tel. 22 92 32 64, www.holmenkollen.com or www.skiforeningen.no.
Simulator: To cap your Holmenkollen experience, step into the simulator and fly down the ski jump and ski in a virtual downhill race. My legs were exhausted after the five-minute terror. This simulator (or should I say stimulator?), at the lower level of the complex, costs 60 kr (if you pay for four tickets, try getting a fifth one free).
Getting There: T-bane line #1 gets you out of the city, through the hills, forests, and mansions that surround Oslo, and to the jump (direction: Frognerseteren; alternatively, you can take any westbound train—that’s tog mot vest—to Majorstuen, then transfer to line #1). From the Holmenkollen station, you’ll hike up the road 10 minutes to the ski jump.
For an easy downhill jaunt through the Norwegian forest, with a woodsy coffee or meal break in the middle, stay on the T-bane past Holmenkollen to the end of the line (Frognerseteren) and walk 10 minutes downhill to the recommended Frognerseteren Hovedrestaurant, a fine traditional eatery with a sod roof, reindeer meat on the griddle, and a city view. Continue on the same road another 20 minutes downhill to the ski jump, and then to the Holmenkollen T-bane stop.
▲Edvard Munch Museum (Munch Museet)—The only Norwegian painter to have had a serious impact on European art, Munch (pronounced “moonk”) is a surprise to many who visit this fine museum, located one mile east of Oslo’s center. The emotional, disturbing, and powerfully Expressionistic work of this strange and perplexing man is arranged chronologically. You’ll see an extensive collection of paintings, drawings, lithographs, and photographs. Note that Oslo’s centrally located National Gallery, which also displays many Munch works, can be a good alternative if you find the Munch Museum too time-consuming to reach.
The Munch Museum was in the news in August of 2004, when two Munch paintings, Madonna and a version of his famous Scream, were brazenly stolen right off the walls in broad daylight. Two men in black hoods simply entered through the museum café, waved guns at the stunned guards and tourists, ripped the paintings off the wall, and sped off in a black Audi station wagon. Happily, in 2006, the thieves were caught and the stolen paintings recovered. Today they are on display again, behind glass and with heightened security.
Cost and Hours: 95 kr; June-Aug daily 10:00-17:00; Sept-May Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon; 25-kr audioguide, guided tours daily July-Aug at 13:00, T-bane or bus #20 to Tøyen, Tøyengata 53, tel. 23 49 35 00, www.munch.museum.no.
Forests, Lakes, and Beaches—Oslo is surrounded by a vast forest dotted with idyllic little lakes, huts, joggers, bikers, and sun-worshippers. Mountain-biking possibilities are endless (as you’ll discover if you go exploring without a good map). Consider taking your bike on the T-bane (for the added cost of a child’s ticket) to the end of line #1 (Frognerseteren, 30 minutes from National Theater) to gain the most altitude possible. Then follow the gravelly roads (mostly downhill but with some climbing) past several dreamy lakes to Sognsvann at the end of T-bane line #3. Farther east, from Maridalsvannet, a bike path follows the Akers River all the way back into town. (The TI has details.) While Oslo isn’t much on bike rentals, you can rent them in summer at Skiservice, located at the Voksenkollen stop on T-bane line #1, at the high end of the woods (about 350 kr/day, tel. 22 13 95 00, www.skiservice.no). However, keep in mind that you’ll need to bring your bike back here—via T-bane if you like.
For plenty of trees and none of the exercise, ride T-bane line #3 to its last stop, Sognsvann (with a beach towel rather than a bike), and join the lakeside scene. A pleasant trail leads around the lake.
Other popular beaches are located on islands in the harbor (such as Bygdøy Huk—direct boat from pier 3 in front of City Hall). The various island getaways are described in Use It’s Streetwise magazine.
Tusenfryd—This giant amusement complex just out of town offers a world of family fun. It’s sort of a combination Norwegian Disneyland/Viking Knott’s Berry Farm, with more than 50 rides, plenty of entertainment, and restaurants.
Cost and Hours: Admission is based on your height: under 95 centimeters (3 feet)—free, under 1.2 meters (4 feet)—270 kr, over 1.2 meters (4 feet)—345 kr. Daily June-late Aug 10:30-19:00, closed in winter, tel. 64 97 66 99, www.tusenfryd.no.
Getting There: Bus #541 takes fun-seekers to the park from behind Oslo’s train station (48 kr, 2/hour, 20-minute ride, departs Oslo 10:00-16:00, departs Tusenfryd 14:30-17:30).
Wet Fun—Oslo offers a variety of water play. In Frogner Park, the Frognerbadet has three outdoor pools, a waterslide, high dives, a cafeteria, and lots of young families (80 kr, students-59 kr, mid-May-late Aug Mon-Fri 7:00-19:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00, last entry one hour before closing, closed late Aug-mid-May, Middelthunsgate 28, tel. 23 27 54 50).
Tøyenbadet, a modern indoor/outdoor pool complex with a 330-foot-long waterslide, also has a gym and sauna (80 kr, children-38 kr, Mon-Fri 7:00-19:30, Sat-Sun 9:00-15:00, sometimes closed mornings for school events, 10-minute walk from Edvard Munch Museum, Helgengate 90, tel. 23 30 44 70). Oslo’s free botanical gardens are nearby.
Connect the dots by following the self-guided “Walk up the Akers River to Grünerløkka.”
Akers River—This river, though only about five miles long, powered Oslo’s early industry: flour mills in the 1300s, sawmills in the 1500s, and Norway’s Industrial Revolution in the 1800s. A walk along the river not only spans Oslo’s history, but also shows the contrast the city offers. The bottom of the river (where this walk doesn’t go)—bordered by the high-rise Oslo Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel and the “Little Pakistan” neighborhood of Grønland—has its share of drunks and drugs, reflecting a new urban reality in Oslo. Farther up, the river valley becomes a park as it winds past decent-size waterfalls and red-brick factories. The source of the river (and Oslo’s drinking water) is the pristine Lake Maridal, situated at the edge of the Nordmarka wilderness. The idyllic recreation scenes along Lake Maridal are a world apart from the rougher reality downstream.
▲Grünerløkka—The Grünerløkka district is the largest planned urban area in Oslo. It was built in the latter half of the 1800s to house the legions of workers employed at the factories powered by the Akers River. The first buildings were modeled on similar places built in Berlin. (German visitors observe that there’s now more turn-of-the-20th-century Berlin here than in present-day Berlin.) While slummy in the 1980s, today it’s trendy. Locals sometimes refer to it as “Oslo’s Greenwich Village.” Although that’s way over the mark, it is a bustling area with lots of cafés, good spots for a fun meal, and few tourists.
Getting There: Grünerløkka can be reached from the center of town by a short ride on tram #11, #12, or #13, or by taking the short but interesting walk described next.
▲Walk up the Akers River to Grünerløkka—While every tourist explores the harborfront and main drag of Oslo, few venture into this neighborhood that evokes the Industrial Revolution. Once housing poor workers, it now attracts hip professionals. A hike up the Akers River, finishing in the stylish Grünerløkka district, shines a truly different light on Oslo. Allow about an hour at a brisk pace, including a fair bit of up and down. Navigate with the TI’s free city map and the map in this chapter. This walk is best during daylight hours.
Begin the walk by leaving Karl Johans Gate at the top of the hill, and head up Akersgata—Oslo’s “Fleet Street” (lined with major newspaper companies). After two blocks, at Apotekergata, you may see the side street blocked off and construction work to the right. They’re cleaning up from the horrific bombing of July 2011 (see sidebar); the car bomb went off just a block to the right of here, on Grubbegata. Posters around this area identify four buildings that suffered structural damage in the bombing. Continuing up Akersgata, the street name becomes Ullevålsveien as it passes those buildings. Norwegians are planning to build a memorial here in the near future.
Continuing past this somber site, you’ll approach the massive brick Trefoldighets Church and St. Olav’s Church before reaching the Vår Frelsers (Our Savior’s) Cemetery. Enter the cemetery across from the Baby Shop store (where Ullevålsveien meets Wessels Gate).
Stop at the big metal map just inside the gate to chart your course through the cemetery: Go through the light-green Æreslunden section—with the biggest plots and highest elevation—and out the opposite end (#13 on the metal map) onto Akersveien. En route, check out some of the tombstones of the illuminati and literati buried in the honorary Æreslunden section. They include Munch, Ibsen, Bjørnson, and many of the painters whose works you can see in the National Gallery (all marked on a map posted at the entrance). Exiting on the far side of the cemetery, walk left 100 yards up Akersveien to the church.
The Romanesque Gamle Aker Church (from the 1100s), the oldest building in Oslo, is worth a look inside (free, Mon-Thu 14:00-16:00, Fri 12:00-14:00). The church, which fell into ruins and has been impressively rebuilt, is pretty bare except for a pulpit and baptismal font from the 1700s.
Norway likes to think of itself as a quiet, peaceful nation on the edge of Europe—after all, its legislators award the Nobel Peace Prize. So the events of July 22, 2011—when an anti-immigration fanatic named Anders Behring Breivik set off a car bomb in Oslo, killing eight, and then traveled to a Labor Party summer camp where he shot and killed 69 young people and counselors—have had a profound effect on the country’s psyche.
Unlike the US, Britain, or Spain, Norway had escaped 21st-century terrorism until Breivik’s attack. When the public found out that the man behind the bombing and gunfire was a native Norwegian—dressed in a policeman’s uniform—who hunted down his victims in cold blood, it became a national nightmare.
Though Norwegians are often characterized as stoic, there was a huge outpouring of grief. Bouquets flooded the square in front of Oslo Cathedral. Permanent memorials will eventually be built at the sites of the tragedies.
Breivik, who was arrested after the shootings, was described by police as a gun-loving fundamentalist obsessed with what he saw as the “threat” of multiculturalism and immigration to Norwegian values. His targets were the Norwegian government and politically active youths—some only 14 years old—and their counselors at an island summer camp sponsored by Norway’s center-left party.
It’s true that Norway has a big and growing immigrant community. More than 11 percent of today’s Norwegians are not ethnic Norwegians, and a quarter of Oslo’s residents are immigrants. These “new Norwegians” have provided a much-needed and generally appreciated labor force, filling jobs that wealthy Norwegians would rather not do.
But there is some resentment in a country that is disinclined to be a melting pot. There have been scuffles between Norwegian gangs and immigrant groups. Another source of friction is the tough love Norwegians feel they get from their government compared to the easy ride offered to needy immigrants: “They even get pocket money in jail!”
Horrified by Breivik’s actions, many Norwegians are now going out of their way to make immigrants feel welcome. And the anti-immigrant Progress Party (which condemned the attacks) lost support in a round of local elections held shortly after the attack.
Norway seems determined not to let the July 22 massacre poison its peaceful soul. Calls for police to start carrying weapons or to reinstate the death penalty were quickly rejected. “Breivik wanted to change Norway,” an Oslo resident told me. “We’re determined to keep Norway the way it was.”
From the church, backtrack 20 yards, head left at the playground, and go downhill on the steep Telthusbakken Road toward the huge, gray former grain silos (now student housing). The cute lane is lined with colorful old wooden houses: The people who constructed these homes were too poor to meet the no-wood fire-safety building codes within the city limits, so they built in what used to be suburbs. At the bottom of Telthusbakken, cross the busy Maridalsveien and walk directly through the park to the Akers River. The lively Grünerløkka district is straight across the river from here, but if you have 20 minutes and a little energy, detour upstream first and hook back down. Don’t cross the river yet.
Walk along the riverside bike lane upstream through the river gorge park. Just above the first waterfall, cross Åmotbrua, the big white springy suspension footbridge from 1852 (moved here in 1958). Keep hiking uphill along the river. At the base of the next big waterfall, cross over again to the large brick buildings, hiking up the stairs to the Beyer bridge (above the falls) with Fabrikkjentene, a statue of four women laborers. They’re pondering the textile factory where they and 700 like them toiled long and hard. This gorge was once lined with the water mills that powered Oslo through its 19th-century Industrial Age boom. The tiny red house next to the bridge—the Honse-Lovisas Hus cultural center—makes a good rest-stop (Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00, closed Mon, coffee and cake). Cross over to the red-brick Ringnes Brewery and follow Thorvald Meyers Gate downhill directly into the heart of Grünerløkka. The main square, called Olaf Ryes Plass, is a happening place to grab a meal or drink. Trams take you from here back to the center.
• To continue exploring, you could keep going straight and continue walking until you reach a T-intersection with a busy road (Trondheimsveien). From there (passing the recommended Südøst Asian Crossover Restaurant), you can catch a tram back to the center, or drop down to the riverside path and follow it downstream to Vaterlands bridge in the Grønland district. From here the train station is a five-minute walk down Stenersgata. (The last section, around Grønland, is a bit seedy and best done in daylight.)
▲Eidsvoll Manor—During the Napoleonic period, control of Norway changed from Denmark to Sweden. This ruffled the patriotic feathers of Norway’s Thomas Jeffersons and Ben Franklins, and on May 17, 1814, Norway’s constitution was written and signed in this stately mansion (in the town of Eidsvoll Verk, north of Oslo). While Sweden still ruled, Norway had more autonomy than ever.
To get ready for the bicentennial of Norway’s constitution, the manor itself is undergoing restoration and will be closed until February of 2014. However, a brand-new visitors center in the nearby Wergeland House tells the history of Norway’s march to independence with 21st-century high-tech touches.
Cost and Hours: Wergeland House—75 kr, includes guided tour; May-Aug daily 10:00-17:00; April and Sept Tue-Fri 10:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon; Oct-March Wed-Fri 10:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon-Tue; tel. 63 92 22 10, www.eidsvoll1814.no.
Getting There: Eidsvoll is 45 minutes from Oslo by car (take road E-6 toward Trondheim, turn right at Eidsvolls Bygningen sign, free parking) or bus (direct bus #854 runs hourly from Oslo Airport). You can also take the train to Eidsvoll (hourly, 45 minutes plus 15-minute walk). If you’re driving from Oslo to Lillehammer and the Gudbrandsdal Valley, it’s right on the way and worth a stop.
Drøbak—This delightful fjord town is just an hour from Oslo by bus (95 kr one-way, 2/hour, bus #541 or #542 from behind the train station) or ferry (70 kr one-way, sporadic departures usually Wed and Fri-Sun, check at pier 1 or ask at Oslo TI). Consider taking the 1.25-hour boat trip down, exploring the town, having dinner, and taking the bus back.
For holiday cheer year-round, stop into Tregaarden’s Julehuset Christmas shop, right off Drøbak’s main square (generally Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, variable hours on Sun, longer hours in Dec, closed Jan-Feb, tel. 64 93 41 78, www.julehus.no). Then wander out past the church and cemetery on the north side of town to a pleasant park. Looking out into the fjord, you can see the old Oscarsborg Fortress, where Norwegian troops fired their cannons to sink Hitler’s battleship, Blücher. The attack bought enough time for Norway’s king and Parliament to escape capture and eventually set up a government-in-exile in London during the Nazi occupation of Norway (1940-1945). Nearby, a monument is dedicated to the commander of the fortress, and the Blücher’s anchor rests aground. (A 70-kr round-trip summer ferry shuttles visitors from the town harbor.)
If you want to spend the night, the TI can recommend accommodations (June-Aug Mon-Fri 8:30-17:00, Sat-Sun 9:30-16:00; Sept-May Mon-Fri 8:30-16:00, closed Sat-Sun; tel. 64 93 50 87, www.visitdrobak.no). Restaurant Skipperstuen is a good option for dinner, with outdoor seating that overlooks the fjord and all the Oslo-bound boat traffic (entrées from 300 kr, Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00, closed Sun, tel. 64 93 07 03).
Shops in Oslo are generally open 10:00-18:00. Many close early on Saturday and all day Sunday. Shopping centers are open Monday through Friday 10:00-21:00, Saturday 9:00-18:00, and are closed Sunday. Remember, when you make a purchase of 315 kr or more, you can get the 25 percent tax refunded when you leave the country if you hang on to the paperwork.
Oslo’s fanciest department store is GlasMagasinet (top end, near the cathedral on Stortorvet, good souvenir shop). The big, splashy Byporten mall, adjoining the central train station, is more youthful and hip (Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat 10:00-20:00, closed Sun). The trendiest boutiques and chic, high-quality shops lie along the street named Bogstadveien (running from behind the Royal Palace to Frogner Park). And on Saturday mornings, you can browse the flea market at Vestkanttorvet (March-Nov only, two blocks east of Frogner Park at the corner of Professor Dahl’s Gate and Neubergsgate).
Sweaters and colorful Norwegian folk crafts are on many visitors’ shopping lists. The Husfliden shop, in the basement of the GlasMagasinet department store, is much appreciated for its traditional yarn and Norsk folk items (Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Thu until 19:00, Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Sun, tel. 22 42 10 75). For a superb selection of sweaters and other Norwegian crafts (top quality at high prices), visit Heimen Husfliden (Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun, Rosenkrantz Gate 8, tel. 22 41 40 50). The Oslo Sweater Shop has good prices for sweaters (Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun, in Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel at Tullinsgate 5, tel. 22 11 29 22). For flags (a long, skinny vimple dresses up a boat or cabin wonderfully), pop into Oslo Flaggfabrikk (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-15:00, closed Sun, near City Hall at Hieronymus Heyerdahlsgate 1, tel. 22 40 50 60).
Vinmonopolet stores are the only place where you can buy wine and spirits in Norway. The most convenient location is at the central train station (Mon-Thu 10:00-18:00, Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-15:00, closed Sun). The bottles used to be kept behind the counter, but now you can actually touch the merchandise. Locals say it went from being a “jewelry store” to a “grocery store.”
In Oslo, the season and type of hotel dictate the best deals. The basic formula: In midsummer and on weekends, discounted business-class hotels offer the best value; otherwise, consider a cheap hotel or a hostel.
Like those in its sister Scandinavian capitals, Oslo’s hotels are mostly designed for business travelers; they’re expensive during the tourists’ off-season (autumn through spring), full in May and June for conventions, and wide open otherwise. From July through mid-August—and weekends (Fri-Sat but not Sun) year-round—fancy business-class hotels deeply discount their rooms. At half-price (about 1,000 kr for a double), you get a huge breakfast and a lot of extra comfort for little more than the cost of a cheap hotel or hostel.
During business days (Sun-Thu) outside of summer, business hotels hold out for their inflated “rack rates,” and budget travelers opt for Oslo’s dumpy-for-Scandinavia (but still nice by European standards) cheapie options: doubles for about 800 kr in central “cheap” hotels, or 800 kr in private homes on the outskirts of the city. For a meet-the-Norwegians experience—but not convenience—go for a private home. For convenience and modern comfort, I like the Thon Budget Hotels.
If you arrive without a reservation, the TI can try to sort through all of the confusing hotel specials and get you the best deal going on fancy hotel rooms on the push list. With the uncertain economy and “dynamic pricing,” it’s tough to get a hotel to give a firm rate. If booking on your own and on a budget, check hotel websites far in advance to see who’s willing to offer the most aggressive discount.
The most predictable special is the TI’s Oslo Package, which offers business-class rooms plus an Oslo Pass for 500-800 kr per person (based on double occupancy); prices vary depending on the hotel you choose. The Oslo Package is offered daily year-round. It’s a good deal for couples and ideal for families with young children. Two kids under 16 sleep free, breakfast is included, and up to four family members get free Oslo Passes, covering admission to sights and all public transportation. These passes are valid for four days, even if you only stay one night at the hotel (allowing you to squeeze two days of sightseeing out of a one-night stay—for example, if you take an overnight train or boat out of town on your second evening). Buy the Oslo Package through your travel agent at home, ScanAm World Tours in the US (US tel. 800-545-2204), or upon arrival in Oslo at the TI. Even if you show up late in the day when prices may be deeply discounted, you still get the Oslo Pass along with your room. For details on the Oslo Package, see www.visitoslo.com.
These accommodations are within a 15-minute walk of the station. While evidence of an earlier, shadier time survives nearest the station, the hotels feel secure and comfortable. Parking in a central garage will run you about 250-300 kr per day.
This chain of business-class hotels (found in big cities throughout Norway) knows which comforts are worth paying for and which are not. They offer little character, but provide maximum comfort per krone in big, modern, conveniently located buildings. Each hotel has a cheery staff and lobby, tight but well-designed rooms, non-smoking floors, free Wi-Fi, and a big buffet breakfast.
Thon Hotels come in categories: Their “City Hotels” are a cut above their “Budget Hotels.” While City Hotels are much more expensive during business times (weekdays outside of summer), Budget Hotels have lower rates all year. That means City Hotels can be a better value in low season when they often are discounted. City Hotels generally offer free juice and coffee all day. In Budget Hotels (which have no phones or mini-fridges in the rooms), rooms with double beds are a bit bigger than twin-bedded rooms for the same price.
Thon Hotels base their prices on demand. Rates vary wildly, so the following prices are roughly the midpoint of a huge range: Thon City Hotels—Sb-1,525, Db-1,825 kr; Thon Budget Hotels—Sb-750 kr, Db-1,075 kr, higher in winter. Extra beds are 300 kr for an adult and 150 kr for a child under 17 (kids under 6 stow away for free). Book by phone or online (central booking tel. 23 08 02 00, www.thonhotels.no).
Thon Hotels generally offer a 10 percent discount for those who prepay via their website with no option to change or cancel their booking. The free Thon Membership Card offers a 10 percent discount if you stay five nights in one year (doesn’t apply to summer/weekend rates). My price ratings for Thon Hotels are based on their average summer/weekend rates. Of the 14 Thon Hotels in Oslo, I find the following most convenient:
$$$ Thon City Hotel Stefan, in a classy and central location two blocks off Karl Johans Gate, is a cut above its sisters in comfort and charm. If you want to splurge, this is the place to do it (Rosenkrantz Gate 1, entrance on Kristian Augusts Gate side, tel. 23 31 55 00, fax 23 31 55 55, www.thonhotels.no/stefan, stefan@thonhotels.no).
$$$ Thon City Hotel Terminus is similar but closer to the station (Steners Gate 10, tel. 22 05 60 00, fax 22 17 08 98, www.thonhotels.no/terminus, terminus@thonhotels.no).
$$$ Thon City Hotel Cecil is near the Parliament building a block below Karl Johans Gate (Stortingsgata 8, tel. 23 31 48 00, fax 23 31 48 50, www.thonhotels.no/cecil, cecil@thonhotels.no).
$$ Thon Budget Hotel Spectrum is four blocks from the station near the Grønland Torg shopping street. A quarter of its rooms are plagued by disco noise on weekends (leave station out north entrance toward bus terminal, go across footbridge toward tall glass Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, and pass through Grønland Torg, Brugata 7; tel. 23 36 27 00, fax 23 36 27 50, www.thonhotels.no/spectrum, spectrum@thonhotels.no).
$$ Thon Budget Hotel Astoria has the least charm of my recommended Thon Hotels, but it’s well-located and perfectly serviceable (3 blocks in front of station, 50 yards off Karl Johans Gate, Dronningens Gate 21, tel. 24 14 55 50, fax 22 42 57 65, www.thonhotels.no/astoria, astoria@thonhotels.no).
$$ Thon Budget Hotel Munch, a few blocks from the National Gallery, is like its sisters. Of all the Thon Budget hotels listed, this one has the most upscale location (Munchs Gate 5, tel. 23 21 96 00, fax 23 21 96 01, www.thonhotels.no/munch, munch@thonhotels.no).
$$ Thon Budget Hotel Oslo Panorama is a 15-story attempt at a downtown condominium building (the condos didn’t work so now it’s a budget hotel). While higher rooms are more expensive, even those reserving a cheap room often get bumped up. If you request anything higher than the fourth floor, you’ll likely enjoy a bigger room, perhaps with a balcony (just off Dronningens Gate at Rådhusgata 7, about 6 blocks from station, tel. 23 31 08 00, fax 23 31 08 10, www.thonhotels.no/oslopanorama, oslopanorama@thonhotels.no).
$$$ Hotell Bondeheimen (“Farmer’s Home”) is a historic hotel run by the farmers’ youth league, Bondeungdomslaget. It once housed the children of rural farmers attending school in Oslo. Now a Best Western, its 127 rooms have all the comforts of a modern hotel (July Db-850 kr, Aug Db-1,990 kr; higher off-season, you generally save money by booking on their website; non-smoking rooms, elevator, Rosenkrantz Gate 8, tel. 23 21 41 00, www.bondeheimen.com, bookingoffice@bondeheimen.com). This almost-100-year-old building is also home to the Kaffistova cafeteria (see “Eating in Oslo”) and the Heimen Husflid shop (see “Shopping in Oslo”).
$$$ P-Hotel rents 92 comfortable rooms—some with hardwood-slick floors—for the same price every day of the year. You get a boxed breakfast delivered each morning, as well as free Internet access and Wi-Fi. Avoid late-night street noise by requesting a room high up or in the back (Sb-895 kr, Db-1,250 kr, bigger rooms add 200 kr per person up to five, some sixth-floor rooms have balconies, pay by credit card—no cash accepted, Grensen 19, T-bane: Storting, tel. 23 31 80 00, www.p-hotels.com, oslo@p-hotels.no).
$$ Perminalen Hotel, a place for military personnel on leave, is perfectly central, spartan, inexpensive, and welcoming to civvies. They have the same fair prices all year. Spliced invisibly into a giant office block on a quiet street, it has sleek woody furniture and a no-nonsense reception desk (Sb-620 kr, twin Db-860 kr, some seventh-floor rooms have balconies, entirely non-smoking, elevator, pay Internet access, free Wi-Fi in lobby, tram #12 from station to Øvre Slotts Gate 2, tel. 23 09 30 81, fax 23 41 18 58, www.perminalen.com, post.perminalen@iss.no). Single beds in shared quads segregated by sexes (with lockers and breakfast) rent for 380 kr each. Its cheap mess hall is open all day.
$$ Cochs Pensjonat has 88 characteristic rooms (20 remodeled doubles), many with kitchenettes. It’s on the far side of the Royal Palace (S-500 kr, Sb-600-650 kr, D-720 kr, Db-820-880 kr, Q-1,140 kr, Qb-1,300 kr, breakfast-69 kr at nearby café, non-smoking rooms, elevator; T-bane to National Theater, exit to Parkveien, and 10-minute walk through park; or more-convenient trams #11, #17, or #18 to Welhavens Gate; Parkveien 25; tel. 23 33 24 00, fax 23 33 24 10, www.cochspensjonat.no, booking@cochs.no, three generations of the Skram family).
$$ Ellingsen’s Pensjonat rents 18 clean, bright rooms with fluffy down comforters. It’s in a residential neighborhood four blocks behind the Royal Palace (S-400 kr, Sb-480 kr, D-610 kr, Db-670 kr, extra bed-150 kr, breakfast-69 kr at nearby café, cash only, non-smoking, back rooms have less street noise, tram #19 from central station to Uranienborgveien, near Uranienborg church at Holtegata 25, tel. 22 60 03 59, fax 22 60 99 21, www.ellingsenspensjonat.no, post@ellingsenspensjonat.no).
The central station TI can find you an 800-kr double for a 55-kr fee (minimum two-night stay, breakfast not included, likely a tram ride out of the center).
$ Anker Hostel, a huge student dorm open to travelers of any age, offers 250 of Oslo’s best cheap doubles. Though it comes with the ambience of a bomb shelter, each of its rooms is spacious, simple, and clean. There are kitchens and elevators (bed in 6-bed room-230-250 kr, bed in quad-260-280 kr, Db-600-620 kr, Tb-800-820 kr, higher prices are weekend rates, sheets-50 kr, towel-20 kr, breakfast-55 kr, self-serve laundry, parking-175 kr/day; tram #12 or #13, or bus #30 or #31 from central station, bus and tram stop: Hausmannsgate; or 10-minute walk from station; Storgata 55, tel. 22 99 72 00, fax 22 99 72 20, www.ankerhostel.no, hostel@anker.oslo.no).
$ Haraldsheim Youth Hostel (IYHF), a huge, modern hostel open all year, comes with a grand view, laundry, self-service kitchen, 270 beds...and a long commute (2.5 miles out of town). Beds in the fancy quads with private showers and toilets are 270 kr per person (bed in simple quad with bathroom down the hall-245 kr). They also offer private rooms (S-415 kr, Sb-470 kr, bunk-bed D-540 kr, Db-625 kr; all include breakfast, members get 10 percent off, sheets-50 kr, catch bus #31 or tram #17 or T-bane lines #4 or #6 from Oslo’s central train station to Sinsenkrysset, then 5-minute uphill hike to Haraldsheimveien 4, tel. 22 22 29 65, fax 22 22 10 25, www.haraldsheim.no, oslo.haraldsheim@hihostels.no). Eurailers can train to the hostel with their railpass (2/hour, to Grefsen and walk 10 minutes).
Norway’s trains and ferries offer ways to travel while sleeping. The eight-hour night train between Bergen and Oslo leaves at about 23:00 in each direction (nightly except Sat). Eurail hobos sleep cheap, if not well, for the cost of a 50-kr train reservation (sleep on a train ride out, cross platform, and sleep back). Overnight trains connect Oslo with Copenhagen June-August only (leaves nightly at 20:30, arrives at Malmö Central Station at 6:42 the next morning, easy transfers to Copenhagen). The overnight cruise between these Nordic capitals is a clever way to avoid a night in a hotel and to travel while you sleep, saving a day in your itinerary (see “Oslo Connections,” later).
How do the Norwegians afford their high-priced restaurants? They don’t eat out much. This is one city in which you might just settle for simple or ethnic meals—you’ll save a lot and miss little. Many menus list small and large plates. Because portions tend to be large, choosing a small plate or splitting a large one makes some otherwise pricey options reasonable. You’ll notice many locals just drink free tap water, even in fine restaurants. For a description of Oslo’s classic (and expensive) restaurants, see the TI’s Oslo Guide booklet.
Splurge for a hotel that includes breakfast, or pay for it if it’s optional. At 75 kr, a Norwegian breakfast fit for a Viking is a good deal. Picnic for lunch or dinner. Basements of big department stores have huge, first-class supermarkets with lots of alternatives to sandwiches for picnic dinners. The little yogurt tubs with cereal come with collapsible spoons. Wasa crackers and meat, shrimp, or cheese spread in a tube are cheap and pack well. The central station has an ICA supermarket with long hours (Mon-Fri 6:00-21:00, Sat 8:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-18:00). Many supermarkets have take-out food that is discounted just before closing—showing up just before 20:00 to buy some roast chicken could be your cheapest meal in Oslo.
Norwegians are experts at completely avoiding costly restaurants. “One-time grills,” or engangsgrill, are the rage for locals on a budget. For about 20 kr, you get a disposable outdoor cooker consisting of an aluminum tray, easy-to-light charcoal, and a flimsy metal grill. All that’s required is a sunny evening, a grassy park, and a group of friends. During balmy summer evenings, the air in Oslo’s city parks is thick with the smell of disposable (and not terribly eco-friendly) grills. It’s fun to see how prices for this kind of “dining” aren’t that bad in the supermarket: Norwegian beer-12 kr/bottle, potato salad-20 kr/tub, cooked shrimp-75 kr/half kilo, “ready for grill” steak-two for 110 kr, grill polse hot dogs-60 kr per dozen, lomper (Norwegian tortillas for wrapping hot dogs)-15 kr per stack, and the actual grill itself.
Bars are also too expensive for the average Norwegian. Young night owls drink at home before (forspiel) and after (nachspiel) an evening on the town, with a couple of hours, generally around midnight, when they go out for a single drink in a public setting. A beer in a bar costs about $8-10 (compared to $6 in Ireland and $2 in the Czech Republic), while they can get an entire six-pack for that price in a grocery store.
You’ll save 12 percent by getting take-away food from a restaurant rather than eating inside. (The VAT on take-away food is 12 percent; restaurant food is 24 percent.) Fast-food restaurants ask if you want to take away or not before they ring up your order on the cash register. Even McDonald’s has a two-tiered price list.
Oslo is awash with little budget eateries (modern, ethnic, fast food, pizza, department-store cafeterias, and so on). Deli de Luca, a cheery convenience store chain, notorious for having a store on every key corner in Oslo, is a step up from the similarly ubiquitous 7-Elevens. Most are open 24/7, selling sandwiches, pastries, sushi, and to-go boxes of warm pasta or Asian noodle dishes. You can fill your belly here for about 75 kr. Some outlets (such as the one at the corner of Karl Johans Gate and Rosenkrantz Gate) have seating on the street or upstairs. Beware: Because this is still a convenience store, not everything is well-priced. Convenience stores—while convenient—charge double what supermarkets do.
Consider the restaurants and eateries listed below. They’re grouped by those that are from Karl Johans Gate and slightly to the north (between this main boulevard and the National Gallery) and to the south (between Karl Johans Gate and City Hall).
Strangely, Karl Johans Gate itself—the most Norwegian of boulevards—is lined with a strip of good-time American chain eateries where you can get ribs, burgers, and pizza, including T.G.I. Fridays and the Hard Rock Cafe. Egon Pizza offers a daily 100-kr all-you-can-eat pizza deal (available Tue-Sat 11:00-18:00, Sun-Mon all day). Each place comes with great sidewalk seating and essentially the same prices.
Grand Café is perhaps the most venerable place in town. At lunchtime, they set up a sandwich buffet (110-kr single-sandwich, 310-kr all-you-like). Lunch plates are 150 kr, and dinner plates run about 250-300 kr. Reserve a window, and if you hit a time when there’s no tour group, you’re suddenly a posh Norwegian (daily 11:00-23:00, Karl Johans Gate 31, tel. 23 21 20 18).
Deli de Luca, just across from the Grand Café, offers good-value food and handy seats on Karl Johans Gate. For a fast meal with the best people-watching view in town, you may find yourself dropping by here repeatedly (daily 11:00-23:00, slightly shorter hours Sat-Sun, Karl Johans Gate 33, tel. 22 33 35 22).
Kaffistova is where my thrifty Norwegian grandparents always took me. After remaining unchanged for 30 years, it got a facelift in 2007. This alcohol-free cafeteria still serves simple, hearty, and typically Norwegian (read: bland) meals for a good price (Mon-Fri 10:00-21:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-19:00; Rosenkrantz Gate 8, tel. 23 21 42 10).
Brasserie 45, overlooking Stortingsgata and the National Theater from its second-floor perch, is a modern eatery offering decent Continental cuisine with energetic service. While larger entrées go for about 200 kr, their “wok chicken” goes for 140 kr. It’s worth calling ahead to reserve a window seat with a view of Karl Johans Gate (Mon-Thu 15:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 14:00-24:00, Sun 14:00-22:00, always a veggie option, Stortingsgata 20, tel. 22 41 34 00).
YaYa’s Thai Beach Bungalow is a welcome change from Norwegian bland. The tiki-bar decor is infectious, and the food is surprisingly authentic—I slurped up every morsel of my green curry pork. Don’t be surprised if your dinner is accompanied by the sounds and lights of an hourly tropical thunderstorm (starters-80 kr, main dishes-150 kr, vegetarian options, daily 16:00-22:00, Fri-Sat until 23:00, between the Parliament building and City Hall at Øvre Vollgate 13, tel. 22 83 71 10).
City Hall workers’ cafeteria, just steps off the harborfront, welcomes the public with the cheapest lunch I’ve found in Oslo. It has soup, an inexpensive salad bar measured by weight (35 kr for a meal-sized bowl), and a daily hot dish for around 50 kr (Mon-Fri 12:30-13:30 only). While City Hall workers get access to the place before 12:30 and the food can be pretty picked over, it’s still a fine, handy value. From the grand harbor entrance, it’s up one flight of stairs above the city info desk and WC. From the tour entrance on its inland courtyard, it’s just downstairs.
The Aker Brygge harborfront mall is popular with businesspeople and tourists. While it isn’t cheap, its inviting cafés and restaurants with outdoor, harborview tables make for a memorable waterfront meal. Before deciding where to eat, you might want to walk the entire lane (including the back side), considering both the regular places (some with second-floor view seating) and the various floating options. Nearly all are open for lunch and dinner.
Druen, the first restaurant on the strip—while not a particularly good food value—is best for people-watching. I like the balcony seats upstairs, under outside heaters and with a harbor view. They serve international dishes—spicy Asian, French, and seafood—in small plates for 175 kr, hearty salads for 155 kr, and big meals for 220-260 kr (daily from 11:00, Stranden 1, Aker Brygge, tel. 23 11 54 60).
Lekter’n, right on the water, offers the best harbor view (rather than views of strolling people). This trendy bar has a floating dining area open only when the weather is warm. It serves hamburgers, pizza, and shrimp buckets. Budget eaters can split a 160-kr pizza (all outdoors, Stranden 3, tel. 22 83 76 46).
Rorbua, the “Fisherman’s Cabin,” is a lively yet cozy eatery tucked into this mostly modern stretch of restaurants. Inside, it’s extremely woody with a rustic charm and candlelit picnic tables surrounded by harpoons and old B&W photos. Grab a stool at one of the wooden tables, and choose from a menu of meat-and-potato dishes (150-200 kr) and seafood offerings (200-250 kr). A hearty daily special with coffee for 145 kr is one of the best restaurant deals in the city (daily 12:30-23:00, Stranden 71, tel. 22 83 53 86).
Lofoten Fiskerestaurant serves fish amid a dressy yacht-club atmosphere at the end of the strip. While it’s beyond the people-watching action, it’s comfortable even in cold and blustery weather because of its heated atrium, which makes a meal here practically outdoor dining. Reservations are a must, especially if you want a harborside window table (lunch-150-225 kr, dinner from 275 kr, open daily, Stranden 75, tel. 22 83 08 08).
Budget Tips: If you’re on a budget, get a take-out meal from the fast-food stands and grab a bench along the boardwalk. The ICA “Gourmet” grocery store—in the middle of the mall a few steps behind all the fancy restaurants—has salads, warm take-away dishes, and more (turn in about midway down the boardwalk, Mon-Fri 9:00-22:00, Sat 9:00-20:00, closed Sun).
Lofotstua Restaurant feels transplanted from the far northern islands it’s named for. Kjell Jenssen and his son, Jan Hugo, proudly serve up fish Lofoten-style. Evangelical about fish, they will patiently explain to you the fine differences between all the local varieties, with the help of a photo-filled chart. They serve only the freshest catch, perfectly—if simply—prepared. If you want meat, they’ve got it—whale or seal (170-290-kr plates, Mon-Fri 15:00-22:00, generally closed in July, 5-minute walk from gate of Vigeland statue garden, tram #12, in Majorstuen at Kirkeveien 40, tel. 22 46 93 96). This place is packed daily in winter for their famous lutefisk.
Curry and Ketchup Indian Restaurant is filled with in-the-know locals enjoying tasty and hearty meals for about 100 kr. This happening place requires no reservations and feels like an Indian market. If you want a reasonable Indian meal in Oslo, this is hard to beat (daily 14:00-23:00, cash only, a 5-minute walk from gate of Vigeland statue garden, tram #12, in Majorstuen at Kirkeveien 51, tel. 22 69 05 22).
Südøst Asian Crossover Restaurant, once a big bank, now fills its vault with wine (which makes sense, given Norwegian alcohol prices). Today it’s popular with young Norwegian professionals as a place to see and be seen. It’s a fine mix of Norwegian-chic woody ambience inside with a trendy menu, and a big riverside terrace outdoors with a more casual menu. Diners enjoy its chic setting, smart service, and Asian fusion cuisine (Mon-Fri 16:00-1:00 in the morning, Sat 13:00-3:00 in the morning, Sun 13:00-22:00, also serves lunch in summer, at bottom of Grünerløkka, tram #17 to Trondheimsveien 5, tel. 23 35 30 70).
The street called Grønland leads through this colorful immigrant neighborhood (a short walk behind the train station or T-bane: Grønland). After the cleanliness and orderliness of the rest of the city, the rough edges and diversity of people here can feel like a breath of fresh air. Whether you eat here or not, the street is fun to explore. In Grønland, backpackers and immigrants munch street food for dinner. Cheap and tasty börek (feta, spinach, mushroom) is sold hot and greasy to go for 25 kr.
Punjab Tandoori is friendly and serves hearty meals (lamb and chicken curry, tandoori specials) for 70 kr. They’re open late when other places aren’t. I like eating outside here with a view of the street scene (daily 11:00-23:00, Grønland 24).
Alibaba Restaurant is clean, simple, and cheap for Turkish food. They have good indoor or outdoor seating (99-kr fixed-price meal Mon-Thu only, open daily 12:30-22:30, corner of Grønlandsleiret and Tøyengata at Tøyengata 2, tel. 22 17 22 22). The 99-kr special is much cheaper than the menu items, but isn’t advertised very clearly; you may need to request it.
Asylet is more expensive and feels like it was here long before Norway ever saw a Pakistani. This big, traditional eatery—like a Norwegian beer garden—has a rustic, cozy interior and a gravelly backyard filled with picnic tables (150-200-kr plates and hearty dinner salads, daily 11:00-24:00, Grønland 28, tel. 22 17 09 39).
Dattera Til Hagen feels like a college party. It’s a lively scene filling a courtyard with picnic tables and benches under strings of colored lights. If it’s too cold, hang out inside. Locals like it for the tapas, burgers, and salads (150-kr plates, pricey beers, Grønland 10, tel. 22 17 18 61). On weekends after 22:00, it becomes a disco.
Olympen Brown Pub is a dressy dining hall that’s a blast from the past. You’ll eat in a spacious, woody saloon with big dark furniture, faded paintings of circa-1920 Oslo lining the walls, and huge chandeliers. It’s good for solo travelers, because sharing the long dinner tables is standard practice. They serve hearty 200-kr plates and offer a huge selection of beers. The grill restaurant upstairs, called Pigalle, comes with music and can be more fun (daily 11:00-2:00 in the morning, Grønlandsleiret 15, tel. 22 17 28 08).
Café Con Bar is a trendy yuppie eatery on the downtown edge of Grønland. Locals consider it to have the best burgers in town (150 kr). While the tight interior seating is very noisy, the sidewalk tables are great for people-watching (open daily, kitchen closes at 23:00, bar closes late; where Grønland hits Brugata).
Frognerseteren Hovedrestaurant, nestled high above Oslo (and 1,400 feet above sea level), is a classy, sod-roofed old restaurant. Its terrace, offering a commanding view of the city, is a popular stop for famous apple cake and coffee. The café is casual and less expensive, with indoor and outdoor seating (90-kr sandwiches and cold dishes, 125-kr entrées, Mon-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-21:00, reservations unnecessary). The elegant view restaurant is pricier (275-365-kr plates, Mon-Fri 12:00-22:00, Sat 13:00-22:00, Sun 13:00-21:00, reindeer specials, reserve for evening dining, tel. 22 92 40 40).
You can combine a trip into the forested hills surrounding the city with lunch or dinner and get a chance to see the famous Holmenkollen Ski Jump up close.
For train information, call 81 50 08 88 and press 4 for English. For international trains, dial 81 56 81 00. Even if you have a railpass, reservations are required for long rides (e.g., a reservation to Stockholm in first class costs 140 kr, second class for 50 kr). First class often comes with a hot meal, fruit bowl, and unlimited juice and coffee.
Be warned that international connections from Oslo are often in flux. Schedules can vary depending on the day of the week, so carefully confirm the specific train you need and purchase any required reservations in advance. Aside from the occasional direct train to Stockholm, most trips from Oslo to Copenhagen or Stockholm require a change in Sweden. From June through August only, direct night trains run from Oslo to Stockholm and to Malmö, Sweden (which is very close to Copenhagen).
From Oslo by Train to Bergen: Oslo and Bergen are linked by a spectacularly scenic train ride (3-5/day, 7 hours, overnight possible daily except Sat). Many travelers take it as part of the Norway in a Nutshell route, which combines train, ferry, and bus travel in an unforgettably beautiful trip.
By Train to: Lillehammer (almost hourly, 2.5 hours), Kristiansand (4/day, 4.5 hours), Stavanger (4/day, 8-8.5 hours, overnight possible), Copenhagen (2/day, 8 hours, transfer at Göteborg; for night train—which runs in summer only—sleep on the direct train to Malmö, Sweden, easy transfer for 35-minute ride to Copenhagen, www.sj.se), Stockholm (2/day direct InterCity trains, 6 hours; 2/day with change in Kristinehamn, 6 hours; plus a direct 9-hour night train in summer only).
By Bus to Stockholm: Taking the bus to Stockholm is cheaper but slower than the train (3/day, 8 hours, www.swebus.se).
By Car to the Jotunheimen Mountains: See “Route Tips for Drivers” on here.
Oslo has four cruise ports, described below. For more in-depth cruising information, pick up my Rick Steves’ Northern European Cruise Ports guidebook.
Getting Downtown: To varying degrees, all of Oslo’s cruise ports are within walking distance of the city center—but from the farther-flung ports (Filipstad and Sørenge), your best option is probably to take advantage of your cruise line’s shuttle bus, even if you have to pay for it (most drop off by the Nobel Peace Center, near City Hall on the harborfront). No public transit serves the ports, but two different companies operate hop-on, hop-off bus tours from your cruise ship dock (pricey but convenient). A taxi into town from any of the ports costs a hefty 150 kr.
Once you arrive at the City Hall/harbor area, you can simply walk up the street behind City Hall to find the TI, Karl Johans Gate, and the National Gallery; hop on tram #12 (ride it toward Majorstuen to reach Frogner Park—use the Vigelandsparken stop; or ride it toward Disen to reach the train station—use the Jernbanetorget stop); or take the shuttle boat across the harbor to the museums at Bygdøy.
Port Details: Akershus, right on the harbor below Akershus Fortress, has two berths: Søndre Akershuskai, a bit closer to town, and Vippetangen, a bit farther out (at the tip of the peninsula). Both are within an easy 10-minute walk of City Hall (just stroll with the harbor on your left). Søndre Akershuskai has a terminal building with a handy TI inside.
Revierkai, around the east side of the Akershus Fortress peninsula, faces Oslo’s can’t-miss-it, cutting-edge Opera House. From the Opera House, a pedestrian overpass takes you directly to the train station and the start of my self-guided “Welcome to Oslo” walk, or you can head up the street called Rådhusgata to City Hall.
Filipstad is just west of downtown, next to the brand-new Tjuvholmen development (around the far side of Aker Brygge from City Hall). From here, it’s a dull 20-minute walk into town: Walk out of the port, turn right at the roundabout, then head to the busy highway and follow it to the right. As construction at Tjuvholmen concludes, you may be able to take a scenic shortcut through that housing development to reach Aker Brygge and the main harbor zone (visually scout your options from your ship’s top deck before disembarking). Given the long slog, I’d opt for a cruise-line shuttle bus instead.
Sørenge, farthest afield, is around the east side of the bay that Oslo’s Opera House sits on. It’s a long 20-minute walk to the Opera House (save time by cutting through the new Sørenge housing development, then taking the footbridge across the bay). From the Opera House, you’re still 10 minutes from the train station or City Hall. I’d opt for a cruise shuttle bus to save time and sweat.
Consider connecting Oslo and Copenhagen by cruise ship. The boat leaves daily from Oslo at 17:00 (arrives in Copenhagen at 9:30 the following morning; going the other way, it departs Copenhagen at 17:00 and arrives in Oslo at 9:30; about 16 hours sailing each way). The boat leaves Oslo from the far (non-City Hall) side of the Akershus Fortress peninsula (get there via bus #60 from the train station, 2-3/hour, get off at Vippetangen stop and follow signs to DFDS ticket office). Boarding is from 15:30 to 16:00. From Oslo, you’ll sail through the Oslofjord—not as dramatic as Norway’s western fjords, but impressive if you’re not going to Bergen. On board are three gourmet restaurants, dinner and breakfast buffets, cafés, nightclubs, shops, a sauna, hot tub, and swimming pool. This is fun and convenient, but more expensive and not as swanky as the Stockholm-Helsinki cruise.
You can take this cruise one-way or do a round-trip from either city. Book online or by phone (from Norway, call DFDS Seaways’ Denmark office at 00-45-33 42 30 10, Mon-Fri 8:30-17:00, closed Sat-Sun, www.dfdsseaways.us; in the US, call 800-533-3755, www.dfdsseawaysusa.com). Book in advance for the best prices.