How Cool is Oslo? It is Arctic Cool!
It is totally cool!
And it doesn’t matter what time of year you visit, it just has that flair about it that not all European capital cities do. Sure it is cooler in the winter, but the summer is grand as well! I love Oslo and here are a few reasons why:
First of all, it is easy to get to the center of town from the airport, which for me is awesome, since I travel so much. You would be shocked to see how difficult, expensive, or slow it can be to get to a city center in a major city. It’s ridiculous! I always take the fast train to the city center from the airport. I then go straight to my favorite Radisson hotel, which is attached to the main train station. This is off of Karl Johans Gate Street, which is one of the main streets of Oslo. Easy Peasy!
What to do in Oslo:
I then quickly check-in, unpack and get ready for a walk around town! Wham! Bam! Thank you, Ma’am!
#1: Parliament Building, Palace, and Munch Museum
“The Scream” painting by Edvard Munch
This city is also one of the easiest cities to get around in, as it is laid out like a grid system off of this main street. It begins at the city center train station and ends at the Royal Palace. From here you can walk to visit the Norwegian Parliament Building and the Royal Palace while passing rows of cafes, parks, and people out strolling on the street. Or, of course, you can go walk in the footsteps of Edvard Munch, by visiting the Munch Museum! If you are really adventurous, you can even visit the climbing park with zip lines for fun!
#2: City Hall, Akershus Fortress, Viking Ship Museum, & Norske Folk Museum
Oseberg Ship, Oslo, Norway
Also, be sure to visit the home to the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony headquarters (City Hall) and the nearby is the Akershus Fortress. From here, a really COOL thing to do is to catch the hop-on, hop-off sailboats (yes boats, not buses!) that take you across to the other islets, my particular favorite is where the Viking Ship Museum is, but also across the way is my other favorite the Norske Folk Museum, which is just as fascinating. These two places you could literally stay most of the day. Be sure and check out the Stave Church on the property of the Norske Folk Museum.
Next Up: #3: Vigeland Park
Vigeland Museum Park, Oslo, Norway
Don’t forget to visit one of the most famous parks in Oslo: The Gustav Vigeland Park! With wide open and natural spaces, you will witness over 200 sculptures all carved by Gustav himself! This is a do not miss for any visit to the city. Another adventure would be to visit Gustav’s brother’s Emanuel Vigeland Mausoleum, but I only recommend it if you have extra time to spend (also no photos allowed inside without special permission). It is eerie and interesting all at the same time!
Emanuel Vigeland Museum, Oslo, Norway
Photo courtesy of https://ds-lands.com/places/emanuel-vigeland-museum.html
Here are a few other noteworthy things to do:
#4: Holmenkollbakken Ski Jump and Holmenkollen Ski Museum
Visit the legendary ski jump on Holmenkollen hill with views that will scare the pants off of you! It is one of Oslo’s most visited tourist attractions. This hill has been rebuilt 19 times for various events related to ski jumping and has the capacity for 70,000 spectators!
#5: Visit the Oslo Opera House
Take a walk down to the waterfront and visit the Oslo Opera House. It is fun to take photos of every angle! It is shaped like a sheet of floating ice and made out of sloping marble! There are also great panoramic views of the city from here!
#6 Go to an IceBar
Take a walk on the wild COLD side and visit a world of Ice! A bar built entirely of ice sourced from the Arctic Circle, the IceBar is fun and an extravagant way to get into the culture of Oslo. You can even have your drinks chilled to -5 degrees celsius.
#7: Go on a Fjord Cruise
Preikestolen, Norway
Oslo is also a gateway to some fantastic fjord cruises, particularly the Hapag-Lloyd Cruise Europa 2 that comes through Oslo and takes its guests through the Norwegian Fjords! It boasts the world’s largest GIN collection for a cruise ship and was also given a 5-star rating from the bible of cruise rating: the Berlitz Cruise Guide of 2016! Nothing but luxury happens from here on out!
Oh, and sometimes you only have 48 hours in Oslo, Norway! No problem: here is what to do then. Or maybe you brought the kids? Oslo with Kids.
Recommended Reading About Norway:
16 Awesome Things To Do During a Norway Winter
Be Sure to Experience Norway’s Northern Lights
The Clarion Collection in Bergen, Norway: Elegance Refined
Learn about the Viking Ship Museum
imelda c baun
Saturday 8th of August 2020
Norway is one if not the most beautiful countries I've seen in my life.
Cacinda Maloney
Saturday 8th of August 2020
Imelda, I think I would agree, it is gorgeous!
Peter Rettig
Saturday 4th of July 2020
We very much liked our Hurtigruten trip up to the border with Russia. We met several travelers who were doing this trip for the third or fourth time, at different times of the year. And our 1 week stay in Oslo had us see most of the sights on your list above. As we always do on all of our travels to countries, whose language we don't speak, we also learned some basic Norwegian greetings and polite phrases.
Cacinda Maloney
Saturday 4th of July 2020
Peter, That is awesome, yes, I like to learn a few words in the native language myself!
Catherine Pracuch
Tuesday 7th of June 2016
I've heard that today in Oslo is 24 degrees, so it's not so bad :) How much is the train ticket to the city centre from the airport?
Cacinda Maloney
Tuesday 7th of June 2016
I have no idea, but I am sure you can google it.