OSLO
Hi hi! I am excited to recount our weekend getaway to Oslo, Norway! Since we weren't going to be with family eating turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, we thought we'd holiday in a new city and thanks to a flight deal, Oslo was our city! Oslo blew us away -- the architecture, cleanliness, landscape, culture, and people were all refreshing and impressive. I hope you enjoy the post and can use it as a guide to plan your own trip to Norge!
When we booked our flights to Oslo, we planned a Thursday through Sunday trip. However, we did not land in Oslo until 3:40 p.m. on Thursday and we flew out before the sun came up on Sunday. So we really only had about 2 1/2 days to explore this city. We did a lot of research ahead of time to make sure we saw the highlights and created a full itinerary for our stay. This turned out to be the best decision because we didn't miss a beat.
We had heard Oslo was expensive, so in doing our research, we discovered that Oslo offers an "Oslo Pass". Many cities around Europe offer something like this, so I was excited to find out Oslo did too. The Oslo Pass gets you free access to over 60 attractions, free public transportation in the city centre, discounts on other attractions and restaurants, etc. You can also purchase the pass for 24, 48, and 72 hours, depending on how long you'll be visiting. We opted for the 72 hour pass since we'd be getting in Thursday late afternoon. The 72 hour pass cost us 745 NOK or about $90. Turns out, we could have bought the 48 hour and you'll read why in a bit. Either way, the majority of the places we wanted to go were included for free with the Oslo Pass and it was great being able to hop on the bus, lightrail, and train to get around.
Pro Tip: Download the Oslo Pass app on your phone. Also download the Visit Oslo app to see what events are going on in the city. Both are wealths of information and very helpful!
Thursday, November 23rd - Day 1:
We kicked off an early Thursday morning by packing and getting Hugo off to his caretaker for the weekend. We were a little nervous to leave him since he seems to have developed some separation anxiety from our time away in September, but turns out, he had a grand old time playing with human Maria and Frenchie-friend Digit.
Once we got the airport, we were so excited to get away for the weekend! Our flight to Oslo was quick from Dublin -- definitely under two hours. It was fun watching the world below as we flew Northeast.
When we landed, we landed in the middle of a pine tree forest, which was pretty neat. The sun was also already set at 3:40 p.m. It was dark by 3:30 p.m. every day, which was an interesting and disorienting experience. The Oslo airport was gorgeous. The airport is actually a finalist in the World Architecture Festival and Inside Awards this year and has already won other architecture, design, and sustainability awards this year. The airport is clean, not crowded, and easy to navigate. One example of its sustainability is they keep the plowed snow from the winter to use as a coolent during warmer months. Love it!
There are several ways to get into Oslo city centre from the airport, but the quickest and easiest way is by far the Fly To Go express train. It is a direct trip that takes about 20-25 minutes and cost 180 NOK or about $22. It's also really clean!
After a quick walk from the Oslo Central Station, we checked into our hotel, Thon Hotel Rosenkratz Oslo. It was a very nice hotel in a great location. I would recommend anyone to stay there.
We didn't want to waste any of our short time in Oslo, so as soon as we got checked in, we headed to the National Museum, which houses spectacular pieces, including Edvard Munch's "The Scream". With the Oslo Pass, you get free entrace to the National Museum, otherwise it is 100 NOK or about $12. Fun fact: it's FREE admission for EVERYONE on Thursdays. So there's that too. The National Museum is one of the only museums that is open later into the night, which is why we chose to do this Thursday night. So keep that in mind if planning a trip. The museum's collection was fantastic. It's not too big, which made it less overwhelming than some galleries; and it was laid out sequentially, starting with older pieces progressing to more recent times. We saw works by Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Matisse, Rodin, Munch, and PIcasso.
After we made our way through the gallery, we headed to Karl Johan street, which is the city's main street. It is filled with good shopping, restaurants, and leads up to the Royal Palace. To our surprise [which, maybe we shouldn't have been surprised], there was a Christmas market set up right in the middle of it all. It was called Jul i Vinterland or Christmas in Winterland. It was the cutest market with a skating rink, ferris wheel, and vendors selling everything from traditional Norwegian sweaters to mülled wine. We grabbed some roasted nuts while we walked around looking at all the goods and then warmed up by a fire with some mülled wine. For dinner, we grabbed a giant bratwürst and a potato dish. It wasn't an American Thanksgiving, but it was great to indulge and get in the Christmas spirit!
Chris was bummed out because he wasn't going to be able to watch the Vikings play on Thanksgiving Day. But as we were leaving the Vinterland to go back to our hotel, I noticed a TGI Fridays and gave Chris a nudge. It was worth a shot, right? And huzzah! They had the game on, so we bellied up to the bar to grab a beer and watch some of the game. Another fun fact: 2 tap beers at TGI Fridays in Oslo costs $28. It was worth it though to see how happy Chris was to watch his Vikings.
Friday, November 24th - Day 2:
We woke up Friday morning feeling rested and refreshed and we were ready to hit the ground running! Breakfast was included with our hotel, which is now becoming a prerequisite when we book hotels. The Thon Hotel Rosenkratz Oslo had one of the best hotel breakfasts I've ever had anywhere in the world. It was more than your typical European spread of meats, cheeses, and yogurt. They had eggs, sausages, meatballs, reindeer [yikes -- I didn't dare], veggies, fruit, breads, sweets, meats & cheeses, relishes, and the best fresh squeezed orange juice. YUM! I want to go back just for that spread of food!
First on our itinerary for Friday was to go check out Oslo's City Hall. It is free [obviously] for anyone to go in and take a look at the beautiful interior of the building. The outside is impressive, but not overwhelming by any means, but the inside is a true piece of art. There is a gigantic main hall that towers above you and is wall-to-wall murals. It's also worth taking a look upstairs as the state rooms are also a sight to see. One of the rooms is used for important government lunches and dinners, but is also where they perform their civil marriage ceremonies. It houses Edvard Munch's "Life" painting. Plan to spend 30-60 minutes here appreciating its beauty.
Right outside the City Hall is the Nobel Peace Center, which showcases the Nobel Peace Prize and is where the laureates are presented with their award. We didn't go in, but that is something visitors can do.
Our stops for the rest of the day were all located on the peninsula of Bygdøy. During the warmer months, you can get there by taking a ferry from the harbour, which is included with the Oslo Pass. During the winter, you must get there by bus and Bus 30 is your golden ticket. Again, this was also included with the Oslo Pass. The ride to Bygdøy was enjoyable. We got to see the peninsula, which is mainly residential. The houses were unreal. We first thought they were former giant homes turned businesses, but nope, they were people's actual houses. If I would've looked in the mirror, I would have been green with envy. They were gorgeous homes!
First up for us on the peninsula was the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. This one had the trickiest hours of operation because it is a large, outdoor museum, so it's only open from 11-4 during the winter since the sunlight is minimal. [but always check museum's websites since opening times tend to change depending on time of year and what day of the week it is.] We had free entry with the Oslo Pass, otherwise it costs 130 NOK or about $16.
The museum shows how people lived in Norway from 1500 to the present through its collections from around the country. Its main attraction is a stave church from around 1200 and is one of their few medieval pieces. There was also an indoor exhibit on the culture of Norway's Sami people. This was one of my favorite museums because it was a beautiful sunny day and we got to be outside seeing some really phenomenal, old, Norwegian architecture. I also enjoyed learning about the Sami culture, something I hadn't heard of before visiting. Plan to spend 2-3 hours here.
Next up, we headed to the Vikings Ship Museum down the road. Entry is free with the Oslo Pass, otherwise it is 100 NOK or about $12. We were really excited to visit this museum because it houses three Vikings ships that were found as part of Vikings burials. The museum is pretty barron, which makes the ships the center focus and they are astounding. Plan on spending about an hour here.
The first ship you see is the Oseberg, which was built around 820 and is thought to have been less of a seafaring ship, and more of a "royal yacht" for someone of stature to parade around in shallow waters. The ship was used for the burial of two women, whose bones are on display in the museum as well. The ship was excavated between 1904-05 and was in bad shape. Miraculously, they were able to reconstruct the ship using 90% of the original wood.
The other two ships in the museum are the Gokstad and Tune ships. The Gokstad ship is thought to have been built around 890 and was a true seafaring ship. It was intended for warfare, trade, and transporting people and cargo. This ship was used in the burial of a Viking warrior, whose bones are also on display in the museum. It was discovered in 1880. The Tune ship is different from the other two in that it is not fully reconstructed.
Our last stop on our museum tour for the day was the Fram Museum, which has two major vessels, the Fram and the Gjøa, ships that ventured Greenland, and North and South Poles. This museum is free to enter with the Oslo Pass, otherwise it is 100 NOK or about $12.
I hadn't expected to like this museum so much, but once we dove in, it was fascinating to learn about Roald Amundson and his fearless expeditions. I especially liked learning about the Gjøa's journey to Greenland, where Amundson and his team learned a lot from the Inuits, including how to utilize dog sleds and acquiring the best clothing for arctic temperatures. These lessons turned out being crucial for Amundson's expedition to the South Pole.
Amundsen was granted the use of the Fram for a new expedition that was planned to drift over the Arctic Ocean as Fridtjof Nansen’s expedition had done, but this time further north and maybe over the North Pole. When Amundsen heard in 1909 that Robert Peary and Frederick Cook both claimed to have reached the North Pole, he decided to try for the South Pole “on the way to” the North Pole. In December of 1911, Amundson and his crew were the first humans to reach the South Pole beating out the Brits by a month. It was worth reading about how they did it.
The museum is a bit overloaded with information, so it did take awhile to get through it, but it is worth it. There are lots of pictures and artifacts from their expeditions. You can also board both ships and explore inside of them, which was fun. Plan on spending about 2 hours here.
After a long day of sightseeing and a little bit of shopping, we headed back to our hotel to freshen up and then grabbed dinner at Ett Glass, a cute two-story bar restaurant a few blocks from our hotel. The atmosphere was fun and cozy and the food was delicious. Another fun fact: 2 cheeseburgers with sweet potato fries, 2 glasses of wine, and a chocolate torte cost us $98. Ouch!
Saturday, November 25th - Day 3:
Saturday morning started out the same as Friday -- a delicious breakfast at the hotel. After loading up, we set out for the day. Our first stop was supposed to be the Vigeland Sculpture Park, but that is the only attraction we were going to that was a bit out of the way and we didn't have quite enough time in the morning since we had the Opera House guided tour scheduled for noon, so we switched gears.
Instead, we spent the morning walking around the grounds of the Akershus Fortress, an imposing 1300s medieval castle that has protected Norway from several Swedish attacks overtime. There are guided tours of the fortress, which tell stories of its inhabitants as it used to be the royal home, attacks, and even stories of it being haunted. Unfortunately, on Saturdays, there is only one English guided tour offered and it runs at 1:00 p.m. With our Opera House tour scheduled for 12:00-12:50, there was just no way we could have made it. If we ever go back, we would definitely do the tour. Entrace to the Fortress is free, but the guided tour would have cost extra. The grounds are great to walk though and offer fantastic views of the harbour and Oslo fjord.
Next we walked over to the relatively new Oslo Opera House. We walked a path through the State government buildings, which were imposing, and that opened up to another harbour in the Oslo fjord, exposing the magnificent opera house. The Opera House offers English guided tours on Saturdays at noon only and we got 20% off the price with the Oslo Pass, otherwise it is 100 NOK or about $12.
The opera house took five years to build and opened to the public in 2008. The exterior of the building was designed to look like an iceberg emerging out of the water and is made mostly of carrera marble. The interior foyer is carrera marble as well. However, when you begin your journey to the theaters, the material turns to German oak and is stained darker inside the theater, representing the inside of a tree. All of the oak was handcrafted by ship builders because they are skilled in creating long, bowed shaped pieces.
On the tour, we got to learn a little about the history of opera and ballet in Norway and how it came to Norway much later than most other European countries, the details of the architecture, we got to see the stages and how they move them to bring in the stage for other performances, we got to see backstage, the costume design area, and the welding workshop. The tour is definitely worth it and is a great behind-the-scenes to the arts.
One of the greatest features of the opera house is that you can walk to the rooftop and get incredible views of Oslo city centre and the fjord. Be careful in the winter as it can be a bit slippery!
After hanging out on the rooftop of the opera house, it was time for a warm up and lunch. We were back near Oslo Central Station and there was a fabulous Italian restaurant right on the harbour called Olivia. It was the cutest restaurant and we had the most delicious foccacia with spreads, ravioli, and pizza!
Even though I needed a nap after that gluttonous meal, Chris and I only had so much sunlight left in the day to make our ways out to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Luckily for us, we were already at the train station, so that actually made it pretty easy to hop on the subway and head out to the park.
Vigeland Sculpture Park is one of Oslo's main tourist attractions. It is a large park filled with over 200 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland. The sculptures are all of people in different poses and weird babies. The park is free to enter and I believe the Oslo Museum is also located on the grounds. We honestly didn't spend much time here as it was nearly dark and I don't know... how long does it take to look at a bunch of weird statues? [no offense to people who love this.] I would definitely revist the park in summer and enjoy the grounds more because the park did seem lovely.
We ended our night by walking through the Christmas market one more time and feeling very grateful for our time in Oslo. Our hotel also offered dinner every night included with the room, so we opted for a night in after walking our faces off the last three days. We also had an early morning ahead of us.
Sunday, November 26th:
The alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. and it was a brutal one. The sun wasn't even going to be up for another three hours. But nonetheless, we had an 8:00 a.m. flight to catch and Hugie Bear to get home to. We walked back to Oslo Central Station and found the tiger that shows up in pictures of Oslo! Then we took the express train back to the airport, hopped on our flight, and were back in Dublin before we knew it. [Norwegian Airlines is fantastic btw -- I would fly them again in a heartbeat.]
Overall, Oslo is one of the top cities I have ever visited. The city is compact and walkable, but the public transportation is bountiful and clean. Speaking of clean, the city in general is just clean. There was hardly a speck of trash anywhere. I totally dug the design and architecture and I groveled at every interior design/decor store we passed. The landscape was beautiful and we'd actually like to go back to Norway to experience the westside in Bergen and the mountainous and fjord-filled north. The Norwegians live by Jante Law, which to loosely summarize, is to live a life in which you are not better than anyone else. There is a good vibe in Oslo and everyone should add it to their bucket list.
A little bonus...
The gal who was watching Hugo took the dogs to the beach on Saturday and Hugo basically modeled the whole time.
Until next time...
Skal! xo
