Oslo: A Viking Capital

The capital city of Norway, Oslo, is an excellent destination for a short break or holiday. It has a huge amount of sights both within and around the city.

Getting There

Oslo’s main Airport is the Gardermoen Terminal. This is actually a fair distance from the city itself, around 22 miles, but has good rail and bus links with the city. Flights to here can be booked with British Airways, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Scandinavian Airline Systems.

Further from the city is Sandefjord Airport. This is where Ryanair fly to, which is also known as ‘Oslo-Torp’. The airport lacks any kind of rail link to the city but instead has a shuttle bus.

Sightseeing around Oslo

Oslo did not become the capital of Norway until 1299. To counter external threats, King Hakon V began to build the Akershus Castle and Fortress. The Castle has undergone many changes over the years and is an excellent place to visit. Why not take a guided tour around with one of the guides in period dress? Inside are many sumptuous Renaissance style banqueting halls as well as the medieval crypts and dungeons which lie on the lower levels.

While you’re there you might also like to pay a visit to the Norwegian Resistance Museum. This is within the castle complex and contains much information on Norways often forgotten struggle against the Nazis after they occupied the country in 1940.

After that you might like to go to the Historical Museum, in the Univestity of Oslo. Within are many of the archaeological finds from around the city, including the well known ‘Hon-Treasure’ hoard which dates from the ninth century. Also here are many Viking age coins as well as much medieval church art.

Another sight, which is more difficult to get to but well worth the effort, is the Viking Ship Museum, or ‘Vikingskipshuset’. This houses three Viking age longships which were buried in the graves of ninth century kings. They are amazingly preserved, because they were buried in clay, and you can even see the intricate knot work and designs which decorated the ships when they were originally built. There are also many of the artifacts which were buried with the ship on show, including amazingly 1200 year old textiles.

Another rather curious place to visit is the Norwegian Folk Museum. This contains around 140 different buildings of various dates from throughout Norwegian History. There is a reproduction of an early twentieth century Norwegian town as well as a thirteenth century stave church, which was dismantled and brought here in 1855. It is possible to get carriage rides around the site in the summer months.

Finally, if you fancy something a little different from the norm, then why not take a ferry from Vippetangen quay to one of the islands in the Oslofjord. The views along the coast are truly beautiful. The most popular, and closest, island is Hovedøya. Here there are the ruins of a twelfth century monastery. But if you just fancy relaxing then the island is also a well known sunbathing spot – so why not just kick back and chill.

Norwegian Nightlife

Oslo has a huge amount of clubs and restaurants to visit. The majority of them are around the city centre and Karl Johan’s gate; the city’s main street. There are some other areas though, like the Grunerløkka district, which are well known for their nightlife. To find out exactly what’s going on, or where specific restaurants can be found it is a good idea to check online while you’re there or before you leave.

However before you rush out it is important to remember that a night out in Oslo is unlikely to be cheap. The exchange rate between the Pound and Kroner mean that even every day things like food can cost a fortune. Put on top of this a high tax rate on alcohol and cover charges to get into many clubs and you have all the makings of a very expensive night out.
 

But don't let this put you off. For a weekend away Oslo is very affordable and also not far by air and has all the makings of a very different holiday.