🇳🇴 30 must-see attractions in Oslo
There are cities from which you don’t expect anything special, but when you get there, you almost immediately fall in love. This happened to me with the Norwegian capital. Our romance turned out to be so passionate that I did not go along the planned route. I devoted a full six days in Norway to Oslo and its suburbs.
Norway is an expensive country and in some ways quaint. This is the same case when you can fly from Vilnius to Oslo for 10 euros, if you try, but pay twice as much for a transfer by train from the airport to the city center.
Therefore, I recommend buying a tourist card, and then using public transport for free, going to museums (spoiler: you won’t get bored with them!) and getting various discounts.
I’ll tell you in more detail about several mandatory points of the travel program and briefly about the places you can go to if you have a lot of time to get to know the city.
Akershus Castle
The ancient medieval castle of the 13th century is a great place for walks and photo sessions, to be sure. In summer there are free tours of the castle. Concerts, various ceremonies and major state events are also often held there.
Parliament building (Storting)
This luxurious neo-Romanesque yellow brick building will immediately catch your attention. Near the entrance tower two shaggy lions. It is believed that the lions were created by a convict named Gudbrand, one of the prisoners who were involved in construction due to a shortage of labor. The parliamentarians liked the statues so much that the man was pardoned and released from the death penalty.
Royal Palace
The place where monarchs work and live; receptions, official dinners, and meetings with representatives of foreign countries are held there. Norway is a kingdom with the principles of a constitutional monarchy. Around the palace there is a picturesque spacious park with ponds and sculptures.
Town Hall
A multifunctional complex of several towers, in which employees of municipal services, galleries, and banquet halls work. Politicians meet in the central hall and the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. The ceremony takes place in Oslo, don’t get confused.
Opera theatre
Not Sydney, of course, but also very memorable. Broken futuristic lines, unusual geometry, glass, concrete – the largest building in the country. A very popular theater where world-famous stars perform. Be sure to climb up to the crooked roof of the building – at the top you will see a good panorama of the city.
Holmenkollen
Highest point in Oslo. On the hill you will see a ski jump, the world's oldest ski museum, skiing and snowboarding simulators, a cafe, and a souvenir shop. But the main thing is the stunning panorama of the city.
Nobel Peace Center
It’s also quite a multifunctional building: it’s a museum, drop by, an archive, and an educational center. You can learn a lot of interesting things about the environment, climate disasters, world conflicts and human problems.
Vigeland Sculpture Park
A park where you can walk for free all year round and admire unusual, sometimes even shocking, statues made of bronze and granite. They reflect different stages and situations of human life: birth, wars, love, death. In good weather you can spend the whole day there on a picnic.
Aker Brygge area
Previously, this area was industrial, but now it is considered one of the most luxurious and prestigious. Inside there are an abundance of restaurants, shops, and luxury real estate. A very Instagrammable area with access to the embankment.
Grünerlokka area
An ideal place for lovers of everything bright and youthful. District of street art, bars, cafes, hand-made jewelry and souvenirs. Locals like to relax here, so this is the place to meet new people in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Deichmann Bjørvika Library
It opened in 2020, but has already become a favorite among locals and guests of the capital. This is not only a library, but also a stylish public space with a cinema, shops, and improvised co-working spaces.
Ekeberg Park
More of a forest than a park, with an excellent observation deck. It offers beautiful views of the city and the Oslofjord. There are many sculptures and installations inside, there is a restaurant and a free rope course.
Oslo Museums
We smoothly approached the museums. In Oslo they are really cool and interactive in places. And I’ll immediately dispel the myth, the famous painting by Edvard Munch “The Scream” is NOT in the Munch Museum of the same name, but in the Oslo National Gallery. Don't be fooled like me.
If you like Vigeland Park, stop by the museum named after him. See even more whimsical sculptures.
The Fram Museum is dedicated to the polar ship on which great geographical discoveries were made. For example, it was there that the South Pole was discovered. Museum guests will enjoy a show with the Northern Lights.
The Norwegian Folk Museum, the oldest in the country, is located in the open air; if you want to see the national Norwegian flavor, go there.
Museum of Viking Ships – there are only three huge boats, but what a 9th century one!
The Kon-Tiki Museum energizes the spirit of travel. The film about this famous ship received an Oscar.
The National Museum of Modern Art is an attractive building both outside and inside. An exhibition of 5,000 works.
If you have a lot of free time and good weather, go to the Botanical Garden, explore the Museum of Science and Technology, run along Karl-Juchen Street and buy souvenirs, you can go to the suburbs by train to Oscarborg Fortress. Whatever you choose, Oslo will be able to surprise you, if not with its surprises, then certainly with the hospitality of the locals.