When people talk about Norway, they’re usually talking about the fjords, the mountains and natural beauty the country has to offer. Hardly anyone mentions Oslo, the Norwegian capital, although the city really is worth visiting. The mixture between the modern architecture and historic buildings make it a great city for a city break. We were there for 3 days and had plenty of time to discover the Oslo highlights.
Karl Johans Gate
The Karl Johans Gate is Oslo’s main street, it reaches from the Central Station to the Royal Palace. A few of Oslo’s important landmarks are located here, like the university, the Stortinget, the cathedral and Royal Palace. I found this street very charming, with a lots of nice terraces and trendy coffee bars.
The Oslo Cathedral was first consecrated in 1697, and in 1950 it was restored back to its original baroque interior.
Stortinget is the Norwegian Parliament. It’s the supreme arena for political debate and decision-making in the Kingdom of Norway.
Slottet or Royal Palace was built by King Carl Johan in 1824. In front of the palace is his statue. This palace is the current residence of the Norwegian monarchs. You can visit the palace on the inside with a guide, unfortunately this tours fill up very fast, so its difficult to get in.
City Hall
Oslo’s City Hall was inaugurated in 1950, since then it’s the city’s administrative body and seat of the City Council. Daily guided tours are being organized in summer by the City Hall General Services free of charge.
Nobel Peace Center
The Nobel Peace Center tells the story of Alfred Nobel and the Peace Prize. All Peace Prize winners are presented on digital screens in the Nobel Field, a garden of 1000 fiber-optic lights. This museum is unique in its kind, and was very informative. For me this has definitely been one of the highlights during our trip.
Aker Brygge & Tjuvholmen
Aker Brygge is one of the trendiest areas in the city. This old shipyard was turned into a buzzing neighborhood, where you’ll find plenty of restaurants, bars, theaters and even a few spas.
The buildings that make up the Tjuvholmen area are drawn by 20 different architects, creating a concentrated display of current trends in architecture.
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a 107 km long bay, that leads out to the Skagerrak and both the Baltic and North Seas. Thanks to its charming isles, isolated bays and little beaches it’s a true summer paradise for the inhabitants of Oslo. The Oslo Fjord is best discovered by boat. In the harbor there are plenty of choices for boat trips. From the boat you also have a lovely view upon the Akershus Castle and Fortress, which was built in 1299, under king Håkon V, in order to protect Oslo against its enemies.
Oslo Opera House
The Oslo Opera House is the home of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera theatre in Norway. The building is situated at the head of the Oslofjord. The angled exterior surfaces of the building are covered with Carrara marble and white granite and make it appear to rise from the water. From the roof you have one of the most wonderful views upon the city.
Munch Museum
The Munch Museum’s collection consists of paintings, graphical prints and drawings made by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. ‘The Scream’ is the most famous painting in the museum.
Dinner at Engebret Café
Oslo is a city that is filled with wonderful and trendy restaurants, and although I really like these trendy foodie places, we decided to go with something else for once. We had dinner at Engebret Café, situated in the historic and charming Kvadraturen district. Engebret Café is Oslo’s oldest restaurant and has a rich history. When it opened in 1857, the restaurant was located opposite to the old Christina Theatre, and because of that the restaurant was often visited by actors and audience. The Norwegian masters Henrik Ibsen, Edvard Grieg and Edward Munch, had regular tables at this restaurant. Located in a building from the 1700’s and interior from that period, the restaurant really shows that history really is important for this place.
Engebret Café does an amazing job of introducing traditional Norwegian dishes to its guests. They offer seasonal menus, with a large selection of seafood and game. Reindeer is served all year around. Lucky us! We had a taste of that and it was absolutely yummy! We also tried the famous Scandinavian dish ‘Gravlaks’, which is salmon marinated in salt, sugar and dill. It was the first time I ate it, and it was absolutely delicious.
My visit to Oslo, was my first introduction to Norway and Scandinavia and it’s been a good one! All the main landmarks are close together, so it’s really easy to explore the city on foot. I really liked the modern parts of town because of the architecture and design. But there is a downside to Oslo as well. Being a true foodie, I always like to eat in one of the trendy and good restaurants in the city and that can be pretty expensive in Oslo. Same goes for wine and cocktails. It was a good thing that there was a special event going on in the city, so we didn’t have to pay the entrance in a lot of the landmarks. So we were able to save a bit on that. Otherwise I would really recommend to buy an Oslo Pass, which includes the entrance into more of 30 attractions and free travel upon all public transport.
Practical information Oslo
- The Airport Express train takes you from Oslo Airport to the city centre in 20 minutes.
- Currency: Norwegian Krone (NOK)
