"Oslo" a Oslo Travel Page by ChiTownMike

Oslo was a late addition to my Scandinavian trip itinerary. In hindsight, I know I would have missed out on a wonderful city had I not spent some time there. Oslo boasts many of the same features I found in Stockholm; clean, organized, proximity to nature, wonderful surroundings, people who speak impeccable English, etc. However, this is not to say one should mistake the two places for being one and the same. Oslo presents one with its own set of attractions and atmosphere.

Vigeland Park is an expansive park that is a great place to wander around on a nice day. It is a cool park and a great place to just hang out and relax. There are a large number of statues and sculptures in the park. The most visible of which is Gustav Vigeland's Monolith. The Monolith is a large stone sculpture comprised of naked bodies.

One aspect of Oslo I really enjoyed were the unique museums.

The Kon-Tiki museum dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl. Heyerdahl set out to demonstrate that people from thousands or years ago were able to travel to different areas of the world over vast distances by using primitive boats and rafts. He built balsa rafts using the same methods available in ancient times and sailed one from South America to Polynesia and another from Africa to the Caribbean.

The crews on his boats hailed from various countries around the world. As an act of protest against the sale of weapons to developing countries he burned his boat the Tigris which sailed from Asia to Africa.

Viking Ship Museum. When one recalls the Old West of the United States, cowboys come to mind. In feudal Japan, it is the samurai. And in Norway it is the Vikings. The Viking Ship Museum showcases 3 wooden viking boats. The boats are burial boats and are in quite good condition, especially considering they are 1200 years old!