All my life I’ve loved travelling, and I have been lucky enough to get to see many parts the world already. My passion for travelling has inspired me to make a few travel articles for Her Campus readers, and I would like to start with my hometown; Oslo, Norway.
Oslo is the capital of Norway, a 7-hour flight away from Boston. Having an amazingly central location, Oslo is the perfect place to start your journey when visiting Norway. It’s on the waterfront, 20 minutes from the airport, 20 minutes away from the mountains and right next to classic Norwegian nature. All in all, it’s a great place for all you travelers out there looking for a diversified city.
First thing you want to do when you decide to go to Oslo, get a Oslo pass! This is your cheapest and easiest way to experience the city. It gives you free entry and discounts to all the museums, attractions, public transportations, free parking, tours, ice-skate and ski rental, and so on. If you want full details on the Oslo Pass and how to get it, go to; http://www.visitoslo.com/en/activities-and-attractions/oslo-pass/
6 Attractions in Oslo you don’t want to miss out on:
Holmenkollen:
If you’ve ever watched skijumping from Oslo, you’ve seen Holmenkollen. This place has been around for more than a century of skiing tradition, and is one of the most popular places to go when you want to be stunned by nature. It has a gorgeous location and at the observation deck on top of the jump tower you can get a panoramic overview of the entire city and its surroundings. Best of all, its open 365 days a year (and free with an Oslo Pass)!
Vigelandsparken:
This park is one of Norway’s most visited attractions with more than 1 million visitors a year. But it isn’t just your everyday park; it’s home to more than 200 sculptures made by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), hence the name Vigelandsparken (“Parken” means “the park “in Norwegian). This park is just an incredible piece of art, which has to be seen! It is free and open all year long at all times.
Viking Ship-, Fram- and Kon-Tiki museum:
Most people associate Norway with Vikings, so when visiting Norway you should defiantly take the time to visit the Viking Museum. The museum contains two of the world’s best-preserved wooden Viking ships, amongst other artifacts from the Viking times.
Another really cool museum to check out is The Kon-Tiki museum. It was built in the honor of the world famous scientist, Thor Heyerdahl, who became legendary after crossing the Pacific Ocean on his raft; Kon-Tiki.
Lastly, I would check out the Fram museum, where the strongest wooden ship ever built is displayed. The museum is named after this ship, which is well known for it’s travels to the farthest north and south you can get; the Arctic and the Antarctic. In the museum you can learn the breathtaking stories from Fram’s expeditions and even get to go on board the ship. These museums are all located within walking distance of each other, and with the Oslo pass you get free entrance to all of them.
The royal palace:
At the top of Karl Johans gate (one of Oslo’s best shopping streets) you find the royal residence. It was built in the early 1800, and is open for guided tours in the summer. Behind the palace you find a beautiful park, containing lakes, statues and gorgeous nature. This park is a very popular recreation area, perfect for a romantic picnic or just enjoying a quiet moment.
Tusenfryd Amusement Park:
If you have a car while staying in Oslo, I recommend taking a 20 minutes drive to Norway’s biggest amusement park, Tusenfryd! It features dozens of awesome rides, including the Thundercoaster, which is ranked the highest and fastest wooden coaster in Europe! If you go in the summer I also recommend bringing your bathing suit and enjoy their water-park as well! If you have a Oslo Pass you get a 20% discount on your entrance ticket to Tusenfryd!
Shopping:
A warning before your shopping spree, Norway is quit expensive. Be sure you know the currency before swiping your card, just to prevent any unpleasant surprises. But by all means, shopping here is amazing! There are two streets in the city I highly recommend; Bogstadveien and Karl Johans gate. Both are located nearby the Royal Palace and offer a huge variety of stores and restaurant. If you’re more of a mall-person I strongly suggest you go 10 minutes outside Oslo to Scandinavia’s biggest mall; Sandvika Storsenter. It is easily accessible, by either public transportation or car, and here you have a collection of endless stores and restaurant options. However, if you don’t want to leave the city, there are plenty of malls here too! I would recommend Aker Brygge, which is located on the waterfront. This place has something for every taste and wallet, and is also one of the sites for Oslo’s nightlife.
As any other city there are endless possibilities to what you can do, these were just a few hints and pointers to get you started. I truly hope you enjoy your stay!
Click on this link for further information: http://www.visitoslo.com/en/