Settling into Oslo - Norway - page 71

CITY LAYOUT
See the “Oslo Attractions” map on p. 114 for a breakdown of these
neighborhoods.
MAIN ARTERIES & STREETS Oslo is at the mouth of the Oslofjord,
which is 97km (60 miles) in length. Opening onto the harbor is Rådhusplassen
(City Hall Square), dominated by the modern City Hall, a major attraction.
Guided bus tours leave from this point, and the launches that cruise the fjords
depart from the pier facing the municipal building. You can catch Bygdøy-
bound ferries from the quay at Rådhusplassen. On a promontory to the east is
Akershus Castle.
Karl Johans Gate, Oslo's main street (especially for shopping and strolling),
is north of City Hall Square. This boulevard begins at Oslo Sentralstasjon (Cen-
tral Station) and stretches all the way to the 19th-century Royal Palace at the
western end.
A short walk from the palace is the famed Studenter Lunden (Students'
Grove), where seemingly everybody gathers on summer days to socialize. The
University of Oslo is nearby. Dominating this center is the National Theater,
guarded by statues of Ibsen and Bjørnson, the two greatest names in Norwegian
theater. South of the theater, near the harbor, is Stortingsgaten, another shop-
filled street.
The main city square is Stortorvet, although it's no longer the center of city
life, which has shifted to Karl Johans Gate.
At a subway stop near the National Theater, you can catch an electric train to
Tryvannstårnet, the loftiest lookout in Scandinavia, and to the Holmenkollen
Ski Jump.
FINDING AN ADDRESS Street numbers begin on the southern end of
streets running north-south and on the eastern end of streets running east-west.
Odd numbers are on one side of the street, and even numbers on the other.
Where large buildings hold several establishments, different addresses are desig-
nated with A, B, and C.
STREET MAPS Maps of Oslo are distributed free at the tourist office (see
“Visitor Information,” above). For extensive exploring, especially of some back
streets, you may need a more detailed map. Opt for a pocket-size map with a
street index that can be opened and folded like a wallet. Such maps are sold at
most newsstands in the central city. If you can't find a map, go to the city's most
central bookstore, Tanum Karl Johan, Karl Johans Gate 43 ( & 22-41-11-00 ).

NEIGHBORHOODS IN BRIEF

Oslo is made for walking—in fact,
you can walk from the Central Sta-
tion all the way to the Royal Palace
(Slottet) in a straight line. Except
for excursions to the museum-
loaded Bygdøy peninsula and the
Holmenkollen Ski Jump, most
attractions can be covered on foot.
Oslo is not neatly divided into
separate neighborhoods or districts.
It consists mainly of central Oslo,
with the Central Station to the east

of the city center and the Royal
Palace to the west. Karl Johans
Gate, the principal street, connects
these two points. Central Oslo is
the heart of the city—the most
crowded and traffic-congested, but
also the most convenient place to
stay. Those on the most rushed of
schedules—the average visitor
spends only 2 days in Oslo—will
book an accommodation in the
center. It's not a real neighborhood,