The 11 essential things to do in Oslo

Visit Oslo: what are the best things to do and see in the capital of Norway?

Enclaved between a "fjord" and kilometers of forest, the capital of Norway is a casual city with an eclectic mix of old and new architecture, that it is difficult not to love. Its perfect size allows to explore Oslo On foot. The city has world-class museums, lively nightlife and many outdoor activities for the most energetic. If you intend to visit Oslo for a weekend or a few days, we gathered here best things to do in Oslo . So you can’t be bored during your visit to Oslo!

1. The Citadel of Akershus

Flickr – Lyn Gateley

Overlooking the Oslo fjord from a promontory, is the majestic Akershus fortress built by Håkon V at the end of the 13th century. Take the time to stroll around and inside the ramparts offering magnificent views of the harbour before exploring the royal crypt with the white tomb of Håkon VII (1872-1957) and the remains of the original medieval castle. Also in the castle park the Norwegian Resistance Museum . This allows us to learn more about the German occupation from 1940 to 1945 and the resistance. If you’re interested in Norway’s military history, you can also take a look at it Defence Museum which presents the Norwegian military history of the Viking period in the 1950s with exhibitions of weapons in particular.

2. Vigeland sculpture park (or Vigeland Installation)

Flickr – You

Vigeland is one of the most famous attractions in Oslo. Throughout the year, the works of Gustav Vigeland (212 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron including Monolith ) are exposed in Frogner Park. This park is an excellent place for a walk, summer and winter. If you want to know more about Norwegian sculptor, visit Vigeland Museum which includes the original molds of the statues.

3. Holmenkollbakken Ski Museum

Flickr – Michael Camilleri

The tremplin ski Holmenkollen may be the world's most famous ski jump. It allows a panoramic view of the entire city, and the site also serves as a concert venue. At the Holmenkollen Ski Festival held annually in March, it is possible to watch Norwegian athletes in full action. But the rest of the year, this place is just as interesting for its Ski museum . It retraces 4000 years of Nordic and Alpine ski history in Norway. Exhibitions show the expeditions of Amundsen and Scott, or Fridtjof Nansen. The entrance ticket to the museum (120 NOK, 14€) allows you to climb to the top of the tower and try a ski jump simulator .

4. Oslo Opera

Flickr – VisitOSLO

Whether you prefer opera singers wearing a viking helmet or rock’n roll, there are for all tastes to the Oslo Opera . You don’t need to love opera to go and admire the most beautiful modern building in the city. The white marble building located in the centre of the city in the Bjørvika district is nothing less than an architectural masterpiece. The roof, which extends all the way to the edge of the water, is, in itself, the detour. L’ Norway Opera and National Ballet offers all types of concerts and ballets that can please everyone. The opera also houses a restaurant. For the anecdote, it is the largest cultural building built in Norway from the Nidaros Cathedral Trondheim Completed in 1300.

5. Museum of Viking Ships and Fram Museum (Bygdøy Peninsula)

Flickr – You

You must absolutely surrender to the Bygdøy peninsula which houses several interesting museums. It is accessed by a short bus ride from the centre. The Vikingskiphuset (Musée des Navires Vikings) has the best-preserved Viking boats in the 9th century. Oseberg’s boat is the most impressive of them, measuring 22 meters long. The patterns on the woods are beautiful. The museum exhibits other Viking objects such as tools, clothing, sculptures and a horse cart. If you prefer a museum, choose this one. (Entered: 60 NOK – 7€ – / adult)

The Fram Museum owes its name to the ship built for Fridtjof Nansen for the Fram expedition, a marine exploration conducted in the Arctic Ocean. You can board the ship and ask how the Norwegian polar explorers have been able to survive in the most glacial regions of our planet. You'll have a glimpse of the fauna of the polar regions (white bears, manchots...).

The Bygdøy Peninsula is home to other museums: the Norwegian folk museum (see below), the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the Marine Museum.

6. The trendy district of Grünerløkka

Wikimedia – Tore Sætre

Grünerløkka was once one of the sectors of Oslo where the working class was the most represented, but after the industrial workers of the city left the neighborhood, the young and trendy people settled there. Today it has become a lively neighborhood of the city, very fashionable , with cafes, bars, restaurants and small shops, such as those not found in a shopping centre.

Walk between low residential buildings that are so characteristic of Oslo. Have a drink in one of the best cocktail bars in the city, the Bar Boca . This neighborhood is very pleasant, we like to spend time there, simply.

7. Aker Brygge

Flickr – Jean-Pierre Dalbéra

Built around an abandoned shipyard, the district of Aker Brygge is a little the heart and soul of the city. Animated day and night, its amazing architecture (a mix of new and old) faces the Oslo fjord. There are restaurants with terraces, but for the small budgets, one will abstain. It comes mainly to walk on the seaside and take the temperature, see the world.

Then go to the new neighbourhood Tjuvholmen Very artistic. Enjoy being there to visit the Museum Astrup Fearnley (modern art). There is a park with original sculptures right next door. The buildings here are very modern and design.

8. National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design

Wikimedia – Bjørn Erik Pedersen

The Nasjonalmuseet houses the largest collection of Norwegian art, works from the romantic era, to other more modern works from 1800 to the Second World War. Some of Edvard Munch’s most famous creations are exhibited here, like his most famous work, The Cri . There is also an impressive collection of European art, with works by Gauguin, Picasso and El Greco, and Impressionists like Manet, Degas, Renoir, Matisse, Cézanne and Monet. The museum is divided into four exhibition sites and the entrance is 50 NOK, free every Sunday.

9. Norwegian Folk Museum

Wikimedia – Enciclopedikt

One of the largest outdoor museums in Europe, the folk museum is another of the many museums of the Bygdøy peninsula. It includes more than 140 buildings, for most of the 17th and 18th centuries, collected from all over the country, rebuilt and organized according to their region of origin. There are paths between the old barns, the stabbur (highly bristles) and the half-timbered houses... The children will love the animals present here (horses, farm animals...).

Gamlebyen (old city) is a reconstruction of a Norwegian city from the beginning of the 20th century. One of the things to see is the standing wooden church (stavkirke) built around 1200 in Gol and moved to Bygdøy in 1885. The museum’s interior exhibition presents elements of traditional crafts, folk costumes, Sami culture, weapons, toys, pharmacy objects, and other historical objects. The entrance is 110 NOK for an adult.

10. The Cathedral

Flickr – Robert Scarth

Although consecrated in 1697, the Cathedral of Oslo was rebuilt and renovated several times. Its bell tower was rebuilt in 1850, while its interior was renovated shortly after the end of the Second World War. The main entrance is distinguished with its decorated bronze doors, as well as the ceiling paintings, the baroque chair and the altar (1699), as well as the windows made by Emanuel Vigeland.

After visiting the cathedral, make sure to visit the Bazaar along the old walls of the church. Dating from 1841, these fascinating halls are now occupied by galleries, cafés and antique shops.

11. Other visiting ideas in Oslo

If you stay in Oslo beyond 3-4 days, you may need a little more inspiration. Here are some additional ideas on which to rely:

• The Kon-Tiki Museum and the Marine Museum on the Bygdøy Peninsula
• The Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine
• The Mathallen Market (gastronomic center located in Vulkan, Great for lunch)
• Nightlife and many bars (to come in an article)
• The imposing building of the city hotel that houses the administration but also workshops and art galleries
• The Munch Museum no less than 22,200 works by the painter Edvard Munch (paintings, drawings and engravings)
• The Nobel Peace Centre
• Eventually: a cruise in the Oslo Fjord
• If the budget allows, test some of the best restaurants in the world

Oslo: How to get there? Where to sleep?

From both Paris airports and Nice, it is possible to take one Direct flight for Oslo with Air France and Norwegian. Depending on the season, check the proposed flights on Ryanair from France. To be sure to find the cheapest flight to Oslo, use the Compare Ulysses .

Note that in Oslo, the cost of living is very high, as in Norway. If you find many free activities, it is not obvious to visit everything for cheap. An equally important point is to know best areas to stay in Oslo to be central during your stay. And this is also confirmed on the price of hotel nights. To find the best price for your hotel in Oslo, search this Compare hotels .

Have you visited Oslo?