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OsloOslo'''Oslo''' is the capital of Norway. The city and county (Norwegian: ''fylke'') of Oslo are coterminous. Image:Stortinget.jpg|thumb|500px|Stortinget ==Understand== In 2004 Oslo was ranked the 15th most expensive city to live in in the world; in a [http://www.ubs.com/1/ShowMedia/ubs_ch/wealth_mgmt_ch/research?contentId=38226&name=PL_2003_e_o_2.pdf regularly published research paper by UBS] (''Prices and Earnings - A comparison of purchasing power around the Globe'' / 2003 edition), Oslo was rated most expensive city of the survey. Chances are, if you are going to Norway, Oslo will maybe not be your primary target, as Norway's nature is more exciting in other parts of the country. Nevertheless, while you are there, Oslo has some interesting sights to see. Oslo, with its approximately 453 square kilometers, is one of the largest capitals in the world. Granted, most of this is forest, but it is a highly appreciated recreational area by most of Oslo's inhabitants. ==Get in== ===By plane=== Gardermoen Airport (aka Oslo Airport) is a big international airport in the small place Gardermoen. It's 22 minutes and 160 NOK by high speed train (flytoget) from Oslo central station or alternatively try one of the cheaper buses which take roughly 45 minutes or the slow train (77 NOK). *[http://www.flytoget.no/ Flytoget] If you fly with Ryanair you will arrive at Oslo Torp. To be blunt, this is nowhere near Oslo, with the bus ride taking about 2 hours (bus meets planes, cost NOK 230 return). It is a nice airport though. ===By train=== Oslo is easy to get to by train in Scandinavia. From Stockholm in Sweden it's roughly 5 hours for example. However, the train service between the two capitals has suffered a severe cutback in 2005 for economic reasons. Trains from Gothenburg (4 hours) still go on a daily basis, however. ===By car=== ===By bus=== * ''Nor-Way Bussekspress'' express coaches [http://www.nor-way.no/] * Local bus services [http://www.trafikanten.no/] ===By boat=== You can take many different boat lines to Oslo. From Frederikshavn, Hirtshals or Copenhagen in Denmark. You can also go from Kiel in Germany. ==Get around== Oslo has a [http://www.adshel.no/oslo.html public bike service]. Just get a keycard at the tourist office and you can get a bike at numerous places in the city. Many tourists also get day passes on the public transportation (buses, trams, underground and local trains), which is pretty good - ask in the "Trafikanten" ticket shop at the Jernbanetorget (main square at the bottom of Karl Johans Gate). ==See== Image:OsloDomkirke.jpg|thumb|Oslo Cathedral *The '''Frogner park''' with the Vigeland sculpture park is a large green area about 10 minutes by subway from the city center. In addition to being a nice green recreational area, it is also decorated with hundreds of sculptures by the Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. There is a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere here, and if your children wants to climb the statues, nobody will even bother to look twice at you. There is also a cafeteria, and two museums, the City Museum of Oslo and the Vigeland Museum. *The [http://www.munch.museum.no '''Munch Museum'''] is definitely worth a visit if you want to enjoy paintings of the famous Norwegian painter Edward Munch. (The museum is closed due to security improvements and will remain closed until the summer of 2005.) There is of course also the '''National Gallery''', featuring Norwegian art from the national-romantic period, as well as some art by international artists. Image:OsloAker.jpg|thumb|Akershus *'''Akershus festning''' is a medieval castle built in 1299, located close to the city center. There are several excellent viewpoints to the '''Oslofjord''' and surrounding areas. The stone walls create an exciting atmosphere, and you are free to roam around in tight passages and staircases. There are two museums here, both related to Norwegian military history. Image:Oslo_bygdø.jpg|thumb|240px|View of Bygdøy *Somewhat outside the city center is a peninsula called '''Bygdøy'''. You can get there by bus, or (perhaps a bit more exciting) by ferry, which departures from pier 3 outside the city hall. At Bygdøy, you will find the '''folk museum''', a large open air museum featuring typical buildings from various periods in Norwegian history. Close by, you will find the '''Viking ship museum''', which in addition to two viking-ships also contains various other viking artifacts, and a viking burial chamber, complete with ancient skeletons. You will also find the '''Norwegian maritime museum''', and the '''Kon-Tiki museum''' (displaying Tor Heyerdahl's balsa raft Kon-Tiki, and Ra II, as well as some other artifacts from the Easter Island). Another museum, the '''Fram-museum''' is also located here. It features the vessel Fram, used to enter both the North and South Pole. Image:Kontiki.jpg|thumb|Kon-Tiki ==Do== *Take walks in Oslo's many '''forests''' *The area around Holmenkollen is well suited for cross-country skiing, but also a nice area for hiking during summertime. While you are there, you can also visit the ski-museum which is located close to the ski-jump. For additional fun, buy a cheap sledge or "akebrett", and sleigh down from Frognerseteren station. If you buy a day-card for the subway, you can race all day long, but make sure you are well dressed, as you are going to get wet. * In summertime, you can also take one of the ferries out to various islands in the '''Oslo-fjord'''. *If you want to experience '''nightlife''', Oslo has a surprisingly large selection of restaurants, nightclubs and bars considering the population size. ==Learn== ==Work== ==Buy== ==Eat== '''Aker Brygge''' is a coastal area located south of the city hall, which during summer time is seething with life. There are outdoor restaurants and bars almost anywhere. Be sure to get some tasty sea-food (or whatever else you like to eat) while you are there, or just enjoy your cold beer in the summer sea-breeze. Be advised that this is also the most expensive area in Oslo to dine or drink, so unless the weather is good, you can just as well stay indoors somewhere else. And somewhere else would mean any of the restaurants, bars, or nightclubs located within the city center. A key reference point will be '''Stortingsgaten''', running parallel to '''Karl Johans gate''', both running eastwards from the '''royal castle''' (this is also the main shopping area). While both of these streets have a few restaurants and nightclubs, most will be found in one of the side-streets running out from them, or parallel to them. It doesn't matter much where you start, you will find restaurants, bars, and nightclubs almost anywhere from the subway station Nationaltheatret at the west, to far beyond Oslo central railroad station on the east. There are several other areas, such as '''Grünerløkka''', '''Majorstuen''', and '''Grønland''' that might also be worth checking out. Be advised that nearly all bars and nightclubs close at the same time, so if you want to get a taxi back to your hotel, try to leave a few minutes before the rush starts. Norwegians are increasingly snacking on Kebabs and chips, but try a pølse instead - a hot dog served with fried onions, ketchup and mustard, wrapped in a flat potato-cake called lompe. Fast, cheap and tasty ===Budget=== ===Mid-range=== * '''Paris-Texas''', Rådhusgade 28. Excellent mussels, lamb and steak. Beautiful simple room and good service. * '''Lanternen''', First Ferry stop on Bygdøy. Salads, sandwiches. The herring is good. Three kinds of herring with bread is NOK 80. ===Splurge=== ==Drink== As of 2004, all bars, pubs and restaurants in Oslo are smoke-free. Which means you have to go outside to smoke. But since you can't drink on the street, you have to leave your drink inside. Oslo is very expensive, and you can often be expected pay up to NOK 60 or more for a pint (0.5l in to be precise) of beer or a glass of the house wine. * '''Byrakrat''', Grensen 10, tel:47 22340241. Beer, drinks, seafood. Free open Wireless Internet. Also almost covered outside area for smokers. * '''Cafe Tiger''', Torggata 5. No food but good drinks and coffee menu. Has free and open wireless internet. ==Sleep== Getting a hotel in Oslo can potentially be difficult. It would be smart to reserve a room in advance. There are also relatively few youth hostels, etc., for backpackers and people travelling on a budget. Contacting a travelling agent, and getting a reservation beforehand is essential during peak periods. ===Budget=== *[http://www.haraldsheim.oslo.no/ '''Haraldsheim Youth Hostel'''] *[http://www.oslohostel.com/ '''Oslo Hostel'''] Take tram 10 Disen or 12 Disen. Go off at Storo. Take bus 56 (once an hour 0600-2400) to Rønningen. 300 meters to walk (downhill). ===Mid-range=== ===Splurge=== *[http://www.hotel-continental.com/ '''Hotel Continental Oslo'''] Located between the National Theatre and Aker Brygge, this family-run hotel has a Michelin-listed gourmet restaurant (Annen Etage) and a large Vienna-style cafe (Theatercafeen) which is the place to be seen in Oslo. Outstanding service and prices to match, still considered good value for money. Nice quiet bar with original Edvard Munch litographs. *[http://www.grand.no/ '''Grand Hotel Oslo'''] This is the hotel where Nobel Peace Prize winners stay when coming to Oslo for the award ceremony. Expensive and lots of services. Excellent view over main street "Karl Johans gate". Grand Cafe, at street level, was Henrik Ibsen's daily watering hole. ==Contact== ==Stay safe== Oslo is a very safe city, so specific advice is hard to give here. There are the usual pick-pockets and panhandlers you find in most cities, but most Norwegians don't take any special security measures when going into Oslo, and neither should the tourists. ==Cope== Oslo is easy to get around in, and almost every Norwegian speaks English more or less fluently. ===Internet=== Byrokrat and Cafe Tiger has free open wireless internet. If you just want internet access a NOK 18 cup of coffee a Cafe Tiger is worth it. ==Get out== * Take the most beautiful train journey in the world: take the train to Bergen and pass the Hardangervidda. * Go further north, go to Trondheim and eventually go to Bodø and Lofoten. * In summer, try heading down the south coast, to places like Lillesand, Risør, Kragerø and Sandefjord, very picturesque and beautiful. * In winter, go skiing in Hemsedal, Geilo or Beitostølen ==External links== *[http://www.visitoslo.com/indexe/ Visit Oslo] (Official tourist site) *[http://www.flytoget.com/ Flytoget] (Highspeed train between Gardamoen and Oslo) fr:Oslo WikiPedia:Oslo {{stub}} First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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