Oslo, Norway

Aker Brygge is an upscale neighborhood of Oslo developed on the site of the former shipyard Akers Mekaniske Verksted. It is located on the west coast of Pipervika, the Oslo Fjord arm, west of downtown. The most popular part of the area is a wide boardwalk lined with restaurants, cafes and boutiques.

On a sunny day, the boardwalk is full of people enjoying the pleasant stroll along the quay, watching people pass by or boats in the small harbor on the other side of the boardwalk. It is also a high-end residential area with some very expensive apartments with a view of the water. Some of the buildings are occupied by offices, and there is also a cinema. The terminal for ferries to Nesodden is also here.

Bydel Aker Brygge Grundingen 6 0250 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-22-83-26-80

Akershus Castle and Fortress is a medieval castle built in the 1290s by King Haakon V and was developed into a fortress in 1592. It was rebuilt in 1537 into a renaissance castle. The castle was built to protect Oslo, which proved to be successful since it was never breached, and has been used as a prison at some time.

Akershus fortress is today still a military area, and is guarded by His Majesty the King’s Guard, but during the day is open to the public and is a popular spot for tourists. The main building of the castle was completely restored and is being used for dinners for foreign dignitaries and heads of state, as well as for various other official events. The castle has a number of beautiful halls, the Royal Mausoleum, and the Akershus Castle church, the home of the royal sarcophagi.

Festningsplassen 1 0015 Oslo, Norway, hone: +47-23-09-39-17

Recommended Activities for Families

Bygdoy Peninsula is a peninsula on the west side of Oslo center. Mostly a residential area, Bygdøy is also a popular spot for recreation with beaches, volleyball courts, and great walking and biking trails through parks and forests.

Many of Oslo’s popular museums are in Bygdøy such as the Kon-Tiki Museum about Thor Heyerdahl’s expeditions, the Viking Ship Museum, and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. The King of Norway has his official summer residence in Bygdøy. The best way to travel to the peninsula is by ferry, which leaves from Pier 3 just behind the City Hall. The trip takes about 15 minutes and runs from early April to October.

Bygdøy Peninsula 0286 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-47-22-44-97-00

Oslo City Hall is one of the most famous buildings in Oslo, admired for its characteristic architecture and well known as the site of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The construction of the building started in 1931 but was interrupted by WWII, and it wasn’t until 1950 that it was inaugurated. Before the construction started, the entire area was rebuilt and renovated to make space for it.

Located in Pipervika in downtown Oslo, City Hall is the seat of the City Council and the city's administrative body. The building contains a number of galleries and art studios, and is home to a large collection of artwork by local artists. Visitors should be sure to listen for the 49-bell carillon in the eastern tower, which plays every hour.

Fridtjof Nansens plass 0160 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-23-46-14-51

Ekebergparken Sculpture Park is a popular park in the southeast part of Oslo. It is a 25 acre National Heritage and sculpture park with magnificent views of the city. There are 31 sculptures in the Sculpture Park, many of which have women as the subject.

Next to the sculpture park, in an 1891 white villa, is an indoor museum that describes the nature and history of Ekeberg, and is the base of the Sculpture Park. There is also a design and art shop with related objects and books. The park offers art workshops, guided tours, and outdoor activities. Next to the museum is Hakkespettene, the kids’ activity center, and the popular climbing park.

Kongsveien 23 0193 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-21-42-19-19

Attractions for Couples

Known as the strongest wooden ship ever made, Fram Museum is the famous 19th century Norwegian ice-defying polar exploration ship that to this day holds the world records for sailing farthest south and farthest north. In the museum, visitors can come aboard the ship and see the place where the crew as well as their dogs survived the trip to the coldest, most dangerous places on earth – the North Pole and the South Pole.

An interesting feature of the museum is a polar simulator where a visitor can experience, virtually, the dangers and cold that the crew of Fram suffered more than a hundred years go. The Gjøa building of the museum has exhibitions on the Arctic and the Northwest Passage.

Bygdoeynesveien 39 0286 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-23-28-29-50

Frogner Park is the biggest park in central Oslo and a popular recreational area for people from all over the city. It is a part of Frogner Manor, which is located at the south end of the park, and houses the Oslo City Museum. Frogner Park also contains the famous Vigeland installation, a permanent sculpture installation by Gustav Vigeland created between 1920 and 1943.

It is the largest sculpture park in the world, making it a very popular tourist attraction, but also a spot where locals come to jog, have a picnic or relax. Also part of the park are Frogner Stadium and Frogner Open-Air Bath, as well as a collection of 14,000 roses of 150 different varieties.

Holmenkollen Ski Museum & Tower is located at the bottom of the famous Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo. Founded in 1923, it is the oldest ski museum in the world. It showcases 4,000 years of skiing history starting with prehistoric times, with a range of fascinating exhibits. The main features of the museum are galleries devoted to the topics of winter Olympics, polar expeditions, and skis.

Two Winter Olympics were held in Norway - the Olympics in Oslo in 1952 and Lillehammer in 1994. Polar Expeditions gallery features artifacts and images of the first expedition to the North Pole by Roald Amundsen in 1911 and of the first ski trip through Greenland by Fridtjof Nansen in 1888. The exhibition on skis has on display the first skis ever used, from about 600 AD. A popular part of the Museum is the ski simulator, which allows visitors to experience the feel of jumping from Holmenkollen Hill.

Kongeveien 5 0787 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-22-92-32-00

Karl Johans Gate is the main street in Oslo, named to honor King Charles III John. This elegant old street runs from Norway's Royal Palace to the main railroad station. Strolling along this street will bring you past many of Oslo's popular tourist attractions such as the Central Station, Stortinget (parliament building), the National Theatre, the Palace Park, and the old Oslo University Buildings.

At Eidsvolls plass, you will see Spikersuppa, the pond which turns into an ice skating rink in the winter. Oslo Cathedral is also on Karl Johans Gate, surrounded by the lively Bazaar Market, which is connected to the historic Brannvakta, or Fire Watch, Oslo's principal fire station between 1860 and 1939.

Munch Museum in Tøyen, Oslo, is home to the world's largest collection of Edvard Munch's works. It offers insight into his life and work as a pioneer of expressionism. More than half of Edvard Munch's paintings and most of his prints are located in the museum. The Museum's collection was left to the city of Oslo by Munch upon his death.

Additional works were donated to the museum by his sister Inger Munch. Various other works were obtained by the museum through trades of duplicate prints and other means. The collection consists of paintings, drawings, graphical prints, and articles. The museum often changes the works in the galleries in order to show the diversity of Munch’s production.

Edvard Munchs Plass 1, 0194 Oslo, Norway, Phone: +47-23-49-35-00