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Oslo (and Norway in general) is absolutely ripe with excellent things to do and see. It is a very modern city that is architecturally diverse, with a great transportation system, a plethora of green spaces, all which place Norway very high in the Human Development Index. The country operates the Government Pension Fund of Norway, otherwise known as the Oil Fund, whereby the government invests extra revenue from norway’s petroleum division into a diversified portfolio of assets worth over 1 trillion USD. Part of this fund is given back to Norwegian citizens through various subsidies and social services, health care, etc. Perhaps this is why Norwegians are also on a yearly basis, considered to be the happiest in the world. My experiences here in interacting with the locals have always been cordial and polite. You can find a map of the places I will discuss at the end of this post.

Also, if you’re in this part of the world, I highly suggest seeing other Nordic Capitals like: Helsinki (link to blog post), Copenhagen (link to blog post), Stockholm (link to blog post), and Reykjavik (link to blog post).

If you want accommodation in the city that isn’t too expensive, but of decent quality, be sure to check out Saga Hotel Oslo Central. It was about 40 euros a night (which isn’t bad at all for Oslo) and located close to everything. 

The Brydøy peninsula boasts some of the cities’ best museums and is easily reachable by the Bygdøyfergene, from City Hall Pier 3 every 20/30 minutes between March and October. Alternatively, Bus #30 takes you to the Brydøy Peninsula as well.

Once on board, you can get off at one of two stops on the peninsula. At the first stop (called Dronningen), you are dropped off near the Viking Ship Museum, which contains actual unearthed Viking ships in excellent condition.

The Bygdøynes stop (2nd stop) will drop you off near the Kon-Tiki Museum, which commemorates the expedition of Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl. This Norwegian explorer had a theory on the migration of populations from South America, settling in French Polynesia. To prove this, he constructed a boat made from balsa wood (which was what was available at the time), and sailed from Peru to Polynesia. Be sure to watch the movie on it (also named “Kon-Tiki”) or watch the actual Academy-award winning documentary about the expedition in the museum itself. Located nearby is the Fram Museum which celebrates the history of Norweigan polar expeditions.

If the weather is great, head to Frogner Park in the Northwest of the city. This is the largest park in Oslo, which boasts sculptures throughout the site, and is the perfect place for a summer picnic. The Palace park in Oslo is more centrally located and is where you can find the Royal Palace and Oscarshall (on the Bygdøy Peninsula/Take the ferry). Tours to the general public are offered during the summer and it is strongly recommended to buy tickets in advance. Nearby is the National Theater and the Storting Building, the home of the Norweigan Parliament building at Stortorvet.

The Akershus Fortress is a castle and modern-day museum that was first constructed a defense for the city against mostly Swedish forces centuries ago. Near the same area is the neighborhood of Aker brygge, which is teeming with cafes and restaurants and plenty of shopping if you want a different feel of the city than museums and palaces.

A visit to Oslo is not complete without seeing the home of the Norweigan Opera and ballet, housed in the Oslo Opera house. What is so spectacular about this building is that its exterior serves as a plaza for patrons to walk on to enjoy panoramic views of Oslo. This means you can go from ground level and go up the angled walkway of the façade, all the way to the roof.  The exterior and interior of the building also houses many commissioned art installations from notable artists. 

As you can see, Oslo provides an excellent mix of historical museums, parks and sculpture gardens, medieval and modern architecture, and cosmopolitan neighborhoods which is sure to suit everyone’s needs. If you have some more time in Norway, I recommend taking the train across the country to see Bergen, or renting a car and hiking well known fjords towards Preikestolen and Trolltunga (Check out my post on road tripping/hiking in Norway).

PROTIP: Get yourself an Oslo pass if you intend on staying for a few days, which will grab you discounts on many attractions and museums in the city. 

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