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Guide to Oslo, Norway
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OsloIn the south of Norway, nestled along the base of a peninsula touching the North Sea is a wonder of a city known as Oslo. The first thing that comes to mind when you look at the cityscape is how beautifully the land complements the harbor. The next thought that comes to mind has something or other to do with its size. Oslo is not very large; in fact, you can easily traverse the city on foot and visit most of its attractions in a short amount of time. But Oslos quaint size does not detract from its wow factor. Its age dates back to the time of the Vikings, and even today, remnants of its fascinating past can still be found. A city with some of the friendliest people youll get to meet, its no wonder why Oslo is such a sought-out destination.
When to go:
Oslo has a great location along the waterfront, which allows it to have warm (but not too hot) summers, and mild winters. Summer temperatures rarely reach 90F (35C), and precipitation comes mostly in autumn and winter. We dont recommend traveling to Oslo during the winter, as daylight is very short lived, and theres always a gloomy aura around the city that just brings you down. Spring is the ideal time of year to visit Oslo, with the least amount of rainfall and calm, sunny days. Summer sees the most festivals of the year, though the crowds clog the already-compact city to the point where they can be a great nuisance.
Getting there and around:
One aspect that always irritates travelers when visiting Oslo is the great distance between city and airport. At 50km (30mi), youll wonder why they didnt build one closer. Then again, Norway is not as heavily populated as some may presume, so there must be some balance in accessibility to the airport. In any case, when you arrive, the airport express train will have you in the city in a relatively short amount of time (we give Flytoget good marks for its frequent service every 10 minutes).
When you arrive in Oslo, youll find the city to be unusually closely twined. It is a very clean city, and the great number of transport options means that Oslo is very ready to serve. The citys buildings gain more and more space between them as you work your way to the outer districts, but if you stay within the city center (where many of Oslos attractions are located) all youll really need are you own two feet. If you feel like testing out the citys subway, buses, or streetcars, be our guest, but keep in mind that fares are quite pricey.
Attractions:
Oslo has great appeal, due in great part to the medieval architecture that is quite prevalent around town. One of the citys chief architectural attractions is Akershus Slott & Festning, a medieval castle originally built in 1300. The castle has received numerous renovations and reconstructions to various sections destroyed in battles throughout its history, but it is nevertheless still eye-catching. A fortress on the premises has a changing of the guards every afternoon, which is interesting to watch. Also, the grasses around the castle are host to numerous concerts and productions throughout the year.
One of the most interesting open-air museums youll find in Europe is right in Oslo. The Norsk Folkemuseum holds an extraordinary 150+ structures representing periods from the 13^th to 18^th centuries. One of the countrys oldest structures, the Gol Stave Church is located on museum grounds. There is a reconstruction of an old town, where makeshift banks, pharmacies, post offices and more, come alive with costumed actors.
Its interesting to find that Oslos main attraction is a park inside of a park. Frognerparken is home to Vigeland, a park dedicated to the late, great sculptor Gustav Vigeland. More than 1,000,000 visitors traverse the park grounds to see 192 pieces of Vigelands work standing. Add to them the beautiful grasses and shady trees, and you have yourself a place to whisk away the hours.
If youd like an interesting (if unusual) experience while in Oslo, make your way to the Bygdoy peninsula, where the Vikingeskibsmuseet (Viking Ship Museum)is situated. You may think its a place to get a chuckle out of, but youre in for a surprise if you do. The Viking Ship Museum is home to the two best-preserved Viking ships in the world, both built in the 9^th -century (they were preserved with blue clay).
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