"Amazing Oslo" a Oslo Travel Page by bpwillet

Oslo is surrounded by the calm yet teeming waters of the Oslofjord. A tribute to their Viking heritage there are ample boats throughout its waters.Activity is everywhere in the summers, on the water, in the streets and cafe's, in the parks and on the beaches. The forests that surround Oslo are perfect for day hikes in summers for magnificent views of the city or for skiing in the winters to enjoy the sun and woodlands.

Oslo, “the fields of the gods” is not only Norway’s capital but its largest city. First mentioned in Icelandic writings that there was a city here around 1050 run by Harald Hardråde. Christianity had come to the region and was beginning to take root and the first cathedral was set up by Hardråde’s son Olav Kyrre. A few hundred years later, Oslo’s military stance was beginning with the crowning of Håkon V Magnusson and the building of the Akershus Fortress in 1300. Oslo at this time only had roughly 3,000 inhabitants, half of which were wiped out by the plague in the mid-1300’s. After which Norway became a province of Denmark from 1397-1624 with all political and military matters being handled out of Copenhagen. With Kings ruling from abroad, Oslo began to be ignored. Oslo experienced one of its worst fires in 1624 that reduced it to ash. It was King Christian IV, king of Denmark-Norway, who decided to rebuild Oslo, despite local protest, on a different location that was more defendable, renaming it Christiania (of course). He also decreed that no house was to be made out of wood, but out of brick if people were to live within the city borders. A very expensive material at the time and it caused a palpable social gap.

The 18th century brought with it new ideas and new commodities for trade and import. The Enlightenment had begun to spread through the trade routes and had reached Norway. Sweden tried taking Christiania and taking over rule in Akershus Castle in 1716 with King Karl XII. It never fell, but Christiania was wounded. A century later the Danish king gave Norway to Sweden in 1814 and the leaders in Christiania drafted Norway’s first constitution. Despite Sweden’s rejection, Christiania became the capital of the region and May 17th is still celebrated today as their national day. With the Danish prince gone, they acknowledged that King Carl XIII of Sweden was also King of Norway. International affairs were handled from Sweden but Norway was able to conduct its own internal affairs-separate from Sweden, due in part to the Kiel treaty of 1814.

It wasn’t until 1905 that Norway became independent from Sweden and Christiania the capital of the country. Oslo returned as the city’s name in 1924. Continued growth brought with it new optimism and a powerful political center. After German occupation in the 1940’s Oslo remained resolute and came out stronger.