"Oslo - between forest and fjord" Oslo by Bernd_L


Oslo Travel Guide: 3,475 reviews and 6,096 photos

The origins of Oslo date back to the 8th century when the Vikings built a settlement here. They choose this place well. Located at the banks of a large bay at the top of Oslo Fjord and protected by the surrounding mountains this was a perfect harbour for their boats. As agriculture, trade and shipbuilding flourished the village gained more and more importance and grew into a city which became the capital of Norway.

A fire in 1624 destroyed the city completely. King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway decided to rebuild the city near Akershus Fortress. The new city was called Christiania. After the unification of Norway with Sweden the city experienced economic and political growth. When Christiania celebrated its 300th birthday in 1924 Norwegians decided to re-name their capital with its original name Oslo again.

Oslo today has a population of more then half a million. It's the center of a densely populated area which is home for about one third of the population of Norway. Although located far north (59°55"N) it has a relatively mild climate due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. Spring and summer are modestly warm, autumn temperate and winters not as strong as you would expect at this latitude.

Nature is never far away in Oslo. There are a lot of parks and the view from the tall mountains over the green city and the fjord with its rocky islands is fantastic. In wintertime Oslo offers all kinds of winter sports. More than 2.000 kilometres of tracks for cross-country skiing, slopes for alpine skiing and the Holmenkollen ski jump tower guarantee Olso's reputation as a paradise for skiers.

During the long days in summer (in mid-June it isn't really dark at night, although the sun sets for a few hours) watersports like boating and swimming are fun, especially in this fantastic environment.

Culture is another factor which contributes to Oslo's popularity. Lots of interesting museums, art galleries, theatres and music events can be visited. The architecture of the buildings itself is interesting. So even if the weather is not that good you'll never be bored in this city.

Oslo also is home to a world-famous institution, the Norwegian Nobel Committee which selects the winner of the yearly Nobel Peace Price. According to the will of the Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel this price is granted to “the person(s) who shall have done the most or the best work for brotherhood between nations, for abolition or reduction of standing armies and for arranging and promoting peace processes”. The price is awarded each year on December 10 in the Oslo City Hall the anniversary of Nobel's death.

Further information:
Tourist Information Centres
Oslo Central Station, Jernbanetorget 2, N-0154 Oslo
Or near City Hall, Fridtjof Nansens Plass 5, N-0160 Oslo

Tel.: +47 24147700
Fax +47 22429222
E-mail: info@visitoslo.com
Internet: www.visitoslo.com

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Nature and culture in perfect harmony
  • Cons:Dark winters and too much rain
  • Last visit to Oslo: Dec 2003
  • Intro Updated Sep 26, 2004
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Reviews (21)

Comments (21)

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  • edgarhee's Profile Photo
    edgarhee Apr 5, 2007 at 2:59 PM Report Abuse

    Travel to Oslo is a problem if you are not on a Ryanair flight. Bus fare is more expensive than the SAS Bussen from OSL to Oslo.

  • Igraine's Profile Photo
    Igraine Dec 28, 2006 at 6:18 AM Report Abuse

    Loved the Vigeland park myself. Nice overview of all the things to see

  • tessy's Profile Photo
    tessy Aug 12, 2006 at 3:12 PM Report Abuse

    Scheint so, dass wir die gleichen Interessen haben .... :-) Wir überlegen gerade einen Wochenendtrip nach Oslo und ich hatte mir die von dir beschriebenen "Sehenswürdigkeiten rausgeguckt". Liebe Grüße

  • thecatsmeow's Profile Photo
    thecatsmeow May 29, 2006 at 10:59 PM Report Abuse

    Thanks for the virtual tour! Nice page with some good tips. The airport was a great heads up. Hello from Washougal. Joyce =^oo^=

  • HORSCHECK's Profile Photo
    HORSCHECK May 11, 2006 at 12:19 PM Report Abuse

    Bernd, fabulous page with brilliant photos of Oslo. Brings back many memories of my time in the Norwegian capital. Hey you have been to so many countries, it really is about time to build more pages ... ;-)

  • tini58de's Profile Photo
    tini58de Jun 23, 2005 at 1:31 AM Report Abuse

    Wonderful page, Bernd! Your hotel tip was excellent - we loved it!

  • dutch_anna's Profile Photo
    dutch_anna Mar 29, 2005 at 4:59 AM Report Abuse

    Good page with interesting tips. Thank you!

  • tpal's Profile Photo
    tpal Mar 28, 2005 at 7:25 AM Report Abuse

    Wonderful pictures. I love the Viking history and the ship museums. Thanks for the tour...Tom

  • SPW's Profile Photo
    SPW Mar 27, 2005 at 6:40 PM Report Abuse

    An interesting city with lots of attractions for the visitor. I like the seafaring nature of many of the museums.

  • pepples46's Profile Photo
    pepples46 Mar 27, 2005 at 12:09 PM Report Abuse

    tess is right, ich haette das auch machen sollen!! tolle seite, fine pix. tks for sharing Bernd

Bernd_L

“Travelling can seriously damage your prejudices!”

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