Oslo might not be the first stop that comes to mind when you’re thinking about travelling to Norway. Nevertheless, this modern capital city is worth some of your time. With a lovely waterfront, clean boulevards and some architectural marvels, Oslo won’t bore you quickly.
I discovered Oslo for one and a half day at the end of my road trip around Norway’s highlights. This is enough time to discover the city centre’s highlights at a relaxed pace. We even visited some parts twice, because it was raining on our first day in Oslo, but it was lovely summer weather the next. As we had already been road tripping the country for quite some time, had done lots of uphill hiking and fjord kayaking in the past days and had only limited time, we chose to focus on the centre of town and discover it rather slowly.
Oslo has more to offer to tourists than what is listed in this blog post and is a good base for a Scandinavian city trip and you might want to allocate more time for your visit to the city. If you want to, you can venture out of the city centre, for instance to visit the Holmenkollen ski jump. Oslo also counts many museums, like the Viking Ship or Munch museum. But if you don’t have the time or the energy, this list makes the perfect starting point for Oslo explorations.
1. Oslo’s opera house
Oslo’s Opera House is without a doubt my favourite sight in the city. This mesmerizing modern building should be admired from every possible angle. Take some time to sit on one of the benches in front of the Opera House and watch the people pass by. Climb up the roof and enjoy the views over the city and the Oslofjord … And don’t forget to take a look inside! We weren’t planning on doing so, but as we were caught in a sudden downpour, we ran in and got a glimpse of the marvellous interior. Maybe the torrential rain wasn’t so bad, after all.
2. The Royal Palace and Palace Park
Norway’s Royal Palace lies in the middle of its capital, at the end of the lovely main street Karl Johans Gate. Unlike many other royal palaces, it doesn’t have a fence completely encircling it. You can touch (parts of) the building if you want to, even when the royals are actually in the house. And the palace gardens? Well, they are a lush green public park for all and sundry.
3. Karl Johans Gate
When looking at the Royal Palace, make sure to turn around and look back. From the higher grounds the palace is built on you have a great view (and photo opportunity) on the grand boulevard that is Karl Johans Gate. The street is lined with blooming flowers, many shops, and a delightful green area. Oslo’s main street is also home to the Norwegian Parliament and National Theatre. Two buildings that are a sight on their own. In my opinion, The Karl Johans Gate is quintessential Oslo: clean and with a lot of green.
4. Akershus Fortress
While Oslo mostly breathes a modern vibe, there’s history to be found here too. The Akershus Fortress, a castle dating back to the 14th century, lines the city’s waterfront and takes you back to the Middle Ages. The fortress had a strategical position and defended the city from several attacks. It was later used as a royal residence.
5. City hall
Oslo’s city hall may not be the most beautiful building in town. Yet, the two-towered construction has something special about it. The city hall was even the location where the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded from 1990 until 2019. Make sure to also take a look at the square in front of the building and at the view: the city hall faces Oslo’s harbour.
6. The harbour and Oslofjord
I mentioned Oslo’s waterfront already several times in this blog post. It’s lined with some of the city’s most amazing buildings. But you can also find plenty of restaurants and other entertainment on some of the banks of the Oslofjord. There’s for instance SALT on one of the quays. It’s a nomadic art project consisting of several wooden constructions, one of which was covered in t-shirts when we were there. SALT also offers food, music and … two saunas. Oh, and look out for the work of art floating the fjord in front of the Opera House. It’s called Hun Ligger (She Lies) by Monica Bonvicini.
7. Aker Brygge
This area also lining the Oslofjord is renowned for its many restaurants, food trucks and nightlife. There’s plenty of modern buildings to be spotted here. The wharf offers a seating area with views on the fjord. Unfortunately, we visited this part of town when the weather was really bad, so we weren’t able to really take in the lively atmosphere of sunny summer days.
8. Oslo Cathedral
You can’t visit a city without seeing its cathedral. Oslo’s might not be the most spectacular Christian building out there, but swing by shortly on your walk through the city to see this cathedral from the late 17th century.
9. Street art
We didn’t really take a tour of Oslo’s street art, but while walking around I noticed several remarkable pieces of arts on city walls. Keep your eyes open when visiting other landmarks or take a look at Visit Oslo’s guide to the city’s urban art, to compile your very own street art walk.
Street art fan? In Belgian city Ostend you can discover the city’s street art with a virtual tour guide.
10. 22 July Centre
Highlight isn’t the right word for this memorial of the terror attacks of 22 July 2011 that occurred in Oslo and on Utøya Island. We didn’t visit the free permanent exhibition, but stood still at the outside monument that commemorates the tragic events. The memorial is filled with shards of glass and displays the names of the victims. While you’re here take a look at the mural on the government building nearby. It’s a work by the one and only Pablo Picasso.
11. Vigelandsparken
Last but not least, the Vigelandsparken – a part of the larger Frognerparken – is not to be missed. The park contains over 200 statues designed by Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. As a result, it is the world’s largest sculpture park designed by one artist. All sculptures depict naked humans of all ages and in all types of scenes. This fascinating park is free to enter.
While I loved being in Norway’s spectacular nature, I’m super glad we added some visits to cities to our road trip itinerary as well. I personally love city trips and they made our vacation more varying. Apart from Oslo, we also visited Stavanger and Bergen.
Looking for another city break in this Nordic land? Check out my list of things to see and do in Bergen.
Want to know more about hiking in Norway? Read about my experience with hiking on the Lofoten Islands and hiking Trolltunga.
Craving more Scandinavian adventure? Consider kayaking on the Hardangerfjord, one of my favourite experiences ever.
Fancy a road trip through Norway? Discover the 12-day itinerary around the country’s highlights I did.
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