Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Exploring Oslo
S
ome would be happy to come to
Oslo just for the views of the harbor-
front city and the Oslofjord. Panora-
mas are a major attraction, especially
the one from Tryvannstårnet, a 117m
(390-ft.) observation tower atop
570m (1,900-ft.) Tryvann Hill in the
outlying area. Many other attractions
are worthy of your time and explo-
ration, too. The beautiful surround-
ings make these sights even more
appealing.
If at all possible, try to allocate 2 or
3 days—a lot more if you can afford
it—to exploring Norway's capital.
After a stay here, most visitors head
west to Bergen and the fjord district or
continue east by train or plane to
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.
If you arrive in summer, expect the
midnight sun to light your late-night
revelry. Since they are starved for sun-
light, many Oslovians virtually stay up
around the clock this time of year. If
you come in winter, expect short days,
with darkness descending around
3pm. The blue light of winter may
make you feel like you've wandered
into an Edvard Munch painting.
SUGGESTED ITINERARIES
If You Have 1 Day
Arm yourself with a bag of freshly
cooked shrimp (see the sidebar
“Dining Secrets of Oslo,” p. 98)
and take a ferry to the
Bygdøy
peninsula.
Explore the
Viking
ships,
the polar ship
Fram,
the
Kon-Tiki Museum,
the
Norwe-
gian Maritime Museum,
and the
Norwegian Folk Museum.
In the
late afternoon go to Frogner Park to
admire the
Vigeland sculptures.
If You Have 2 Days
On your first day, follow the itiner-
ary above. On your second day take
a
walking tour
(you'll find two
options later in this chapter), have
lunch in a Norwegian restaurant,
and explore the
Edvard Munch
Museum
in the afternoon. In the
summer visit the
Students' Grove,
near the National Theater, for some
beer and fresh air.
If You Have 3 Days
For your first 2 days, follow the sug-
gestions above. On day 3 take
another walking tour, eating lunch
along the way. Explore
Akershus
Castle
and the adjoining
Norwe-
gian Resistance Museum
in the
afternoon. By late afternoon, visit
the lofty lookout tower at
Tr y -
vannstårnet
and see the
Skimuseet
at Holmenkollen, taking in a
panoramic view of the area. Have
dinner at
Holmenkollen.
If You Have 4 or 5 Days
For the first 3 days, follow the itin-
erary above. On day 4 head south
on an excursion to the
Oslofjord
country,
with stopovers at the Old
Town at
Fredrikstad; Tønsberg,
Norway's oldest town; and
Sande-
fjord,
an old whaling town. Head
back to Oslo for the night. On day
5 see the rest of Oslo's major sights,
