Exploring Oslo - Norway - page 134

along with ski jumps in all shapes and sizes, including the famous one at Hol-
menkollen. For information and updates on ski conditions, you can call Ski-
foreningen, Kongeveien 5 ( & 22-92-32-00 ). The tourist office can give you
details about the venues for many of these activities.
TENNIS The municipal courts at Frogner Park are usually fully booked for
the season by the locals, but ask at the kiosk about cancellations. Njårdhallen,
Sørkedalsceien 106 ( & 23-22-22-50 ), offers indoor tennis Monday to Thurs-
day from 7am to 10pm, Friday to Sunday 7am to 8pm. Book your court well in
advance. During nice weather you might prefer outdoor tennis at Njårds Ten-
nis, Jenns Messveien 1 ( & 23-22-22-50 ), a cluster of courts that are generally
open whenever weather and daylight permit.
9 Shopping
THE SHOPPING SCENE
Oslo has many traffic-free streets for strollers and shoppers. The heart of this
district is the Stortorvet, where more than two dozen shops sell everything from
handicrafts to enameled silver jewelry. At the marketplace on Strøget, you can
stop for a glass of beer at an open-air restaurant in fair weather. Many stores are
clustered along Karl Johans Gate and the streets branching off it.
BEST BUYS Look for bargains on sportswear, silver and enamelware, tradi-
tional handicrafts, pewter, glass by Hadeland Glassverk (founded in 1762), teak
furniture, and stainless steel.
SHIPPING GOODS & RECOVERING VAT Norway imposes a 19.4%
value-added tax (VAT), but there are ways to avoid paying it. See “Taxes” in
“Fast Facts: Norway,” in chapter 2. Special tax-free exports are possible; many
stores will mail goods home to you, which makes paying and recovering tax
unnecessary.
SHOPPING HOURS Most stores are open Monday to Friday from 9am to
5pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm. Department stores and shopping malls keep dif-
ferent hours—in general, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, and Saturday 9am to
6pm. Many shops stay open late on Thursday and on the first Saturday of the
month, which is called super lørdag (“super Saturday”). During the holiday sea-
son, stores are also open on Sunday.
SHOPPING MALLS
Mall shopping is a firmly entrenched tradition in Oslo thanks to the uncertain
weather. When it rains or snows, discerning shoppers have several malls from
which to choose.
Our favorite is Paléet, Karl Johans Gate 37-43, set on Oslo's most central and
most opulent shopping street. The weatherproof complex consists of 45 differ-
ent shops and boutiques, all of them relatively upscale and flooded with light
from skylights. You can purchase candles, incense, sweaters, art, housewares,
cosmetics—you name it. Thirteen different restaurants, including burger and
beer joints and one serving Indian food, refuel weary shoppers. You can also stop
to admire a bronze statue of skating great (and former movie star) Sonja Henie.
Oslo City, Stenersgate 1, opposite the Central Station, is the biggest shopping
center in Norway—loaded with shops and restaurants. Also near the Central
Station, Galleri Oslo, at Vaterland, has been called Europe's longest indoor
shopping street. Businesses are open daily until midnight, including Sunday. A
walkway connects Galleri Oslo to the Central Station.