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norway Vacations:
Oslo outdoor paradise
On the northern shore of the Oslofjord, Norway’s capital and the third largest city in Scandinavia is a trendy and sophisticated metropolis that has grown rich from shipping and oil. Key to the high quality of life, nature is everywhere in Oslo, as the fjord is right in the city’s backyard and you’re never more than a bus ride away from untamed forest and walking trails by the water and mountains. Culture in Oslo means coming face-to-face with The Scream by Edvard Munch and the visceral sculptures by Gustav Vigeland in the Frogner Park. Exciting modern projects like the Oslo Opera House, the upcoming Munch Museum and the Aker Brygge district have cropped up by the water, while long-established museums recall Viking history and the audacity of polar explorers like Roald Amundsen.
norway at a Glance
U.S. travelers: Valid passport needed for entry
Official language: Norwegian (English is widely spoken)
Official currency: Norwegian krone
Climate: From November to May, temperatures range from 33-50° F and from June to October, temperatures range from 45-65° F
Top Things to Do in
norway
Viking Ship Museum, Oslo
An arm of the University of Oslo’s Cultural History Museum, the Viking Ship Museum has jaw-dropping finds from four different Viking burial sites around the Oslo Fjord.
Frogner Park, Oslo
Free to enter at any time of year, Frogner Park is in Oslo’s namesake borough and is a joy for the installations by 20th-century sculptor Gustav Vigeland. There are 212 sculptures in total, in bronze and granite from Iddefjord.
Fram Museum
On the Bygdøy Peninsula, this museum pays tribute to the daring polar explorers of the turn of the 20th century, namely Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup and Roald Amundsen. The centre of attention here is the Fram, a wooden ship that was used by all three explorers in both Arctic and Antarctic expeditions between 1893 and 1912, going further north and south than any other vessel in history.
Norwegian National Gallery
Many people come to this museum for a single reason, to see Edvard Munch’s The Scream. A proto-Expressionist painting known to all, there’s nothing to say about The Scream that hasn’t already been said. Except when you see this icon of modern art you may be surprised to see that it is painted on cardboard.
Oslo Opera House
A spellbinding landmark right on the harbour, the home of the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet is the Oslo Opera House, completed in 2007. Resembling an iceberg, this angular building is clad with white granite and Italian Carrara marble and has a main auditorium that can seat 1,364 spectators.
Royal Palace, Oslo
Now the official seat of King Harald V and Queen Sonja this Neoclassical palace was ordered by the French-born King Charles III and would be completed in 1849, five years after he passed away. This plush stucco-clad palace is couched in the Royal Palace Park and you can book a guided tour of the richly furnished state rooms during the summer. If you’re just here to see the sights, then try to stop by at 13:30 for the changing of the guard.
