Oslo

Town view
Town view

Oslo, the capital of Norway, has an ideal situation: in the midst of nature and on the edge of a fjord. Oslo is a peaceful city, without noise or traffic. A city to enjoy, surrounded by the waters of the fjord and the green tree-clad mountains. The perfect combination of virgin nature with the attractions and cultural life of a great capital.

Oslo is a city where there are large numbers of festivals, theatrical performances, exhibitions, etc. But what really distinguishes Oslo from other European capitals is how close it is to nature and the good facilities for enjoying it. There are few capitals where you can go skiing or stroll through virgin forest just 20 minutes away by metro.

Visiting the city

The Cultural History Museum houses more than 150 buildings from all over Norway, among which is the stave church from Gol, dating from 1200. In the museum devoted to Edvard Munch there is an impressive collection of drawings and paintings by this expressionist artist. Also worth a visit is the fabulous museum which preserves the original balsawood rafts, Kon-Tiki and Ra II, built with papyrus.

Norway is the cradle of skiing: its four thousand years of history are displayed in a museum located at the foot of the Holmenkollen ski jump. In the port of Oslo is the Akershus fortress, built in 1592 over the foundations of a medieval castle dating from 1299. During the visit, at 13.30 hr, you can see the changing of the Guard. Other essentials are the Vigeland sculpture park and the National Gallery.

Other places of interest

Bergen, the capital of the Norwegian fjords, set among seven mountains, has a special charm: wooden houses from the Hanseatic era, ancient alleyways, the famous fish market in the old port opposite Bryggen wharf, declared by UNESCO as World Heritage. A city of festivals and museums, Bergen was European Cultural Capital in 2000. Throughout the summer there are concerts at Grieg's home. Many excursions and cruises leave from Bergen to visit the nearby fjords and fascinating archipelagos.

The Flåm Train runs on a very steep railway passing through snow-capped mountains with spectacular waterfalls and ending at the Sognefjorden fjord.
The railway snakes down from Myrdal, a station on the railway line from Oslo to Bergen, to Flåm, 865 metre below, at the deepest bend of the Aurlandfjord.

Stavanger, situated in the Fjords region, has been named European Cultural Capital for 2008 by the European Union. This city, the fourth largest in Norway, is famous for its wooden houses, the Petroleum Museum, fjords such as Lysefjord and the majestic Pulpit Rock or Preikestolen, which offers an impressive view of the whole fjord.

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