My Visual Travel Experience: Oslo

Till 2007, I had never been to Scandinavia, though I had lived in Europe for many years, and had visited the continent on many occasions. Between 2007 and 2008, I managed to visit Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and Oslo. The fact that I worked with Nokia and my occasional meetings in Helsinki made it that much easier. I spent a couple of days in Oslo over a weekend before one such meeting in Helsinki. I enjoyed my visit immensely, though it was certainly a rushed visit - I had just 2 days, and even that didn't quite happen on account of a delayed flight! Nevertheless, I got a flavour of Oslo and what it had to offer.

Oslo is the capital of Norway and has a population of over 670,000. It was founded in 1040 AD. It became the capital of Norway in 1299 AD under the reign of Haakon V. From 1397 to 1523, and again from 1536 to 1814, Norway had a personal union with Denmark, and Oslo served as co-official capital. In 1814, Oslo became a real capital again when the union with Denmark was dissolved. There was a similar union with Sweden from 1814 to 1905. In 1624, large parts of the city were destroyed in a fire, and a new city was built by King Christian IV of Denmark, and named Christiana after him. In 1925, the city’s name was changed to Oslo. Today Oslo ranks very high in terms of quality of life, though it is one of the most expensive cities of the world. For travelers, there is a lot to see, and Oslo also hosts the annual Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, held at Oslo City Hall.

The Royal Palace is the official residence of the King of Norway. It lies at one end of Karl Johans Gate. The construction was completed in 1849 and the palace was made for King Charles III (known locally as Karl Johan) as his Norwegian residence. He was the King of Sweden (known there as Charles XIV John) and the King of Norway, and his reign was from 1818 till his death in 1844. The palace later became the permanent royal residence of the monarch. King Haakon VII was the first monarch to permanently reside there.  King Haakon VII reigned from 1905 to 1957, King Olav V from 1957 to 1991, and King Harald V was crowned in 1991.

Royal Palace

Statue of Karl Johan,
Royal Palace

Statue of Queen Maud (wife of King Haakon V
and the daughter of King Edward VII of England), 
Royal Palace

Oslo City Hall was completed in 1950. The red brick building consists of two towers. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held here every December. The interior is full of well known paintings, sculptures and tapestries. The main hall shows paintings from the country’s history.

Oslo City Hall

Oslo City Hall,
Viewed from an angle

National Theater had its first performance in 1899. It is the country’s main theater for performing arts. Outside the theater, there are sculptures of prominent personalities from the field, including directors of the theater. 

National Theater

Statue of Bjornson,
National Theater

Statue of Ibsen,
National Theater

Karl Johans Gate is Oslo’s main street and is named after King Charles III John. The street connects Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace. The National Theater and the Grand Hotel also lies on the street.

Karl Johans Gate

Grand Hotel is a prominent hotel located on Karl Johans Gate. The hotel opened in 1874. The annual Nobel Peace Prize banquet is hosted here, and the winner also stays here.

Grand Hotel

The National Gallery was originally situated in the Royal Palace but moved to its own building in 1882. The museum is famous for housing Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”.  It also has paintings by old masters like El Greco and Lucas Cranach the Elder, and impressionist artists like Renoir, Monet and Cezanne. Picasso is also featured.

National Gallery

Aksershus Slott is a medieval castle built in the 13th century to protect Oslo. Through its history, the castle has been used as a royal residence, military base, a prison, and the office of the Prime Minister. The castle has the mausoleum’s of many members of the royal family, including King Haakon V,  Queen Maud and King Olaf V.

Akershus Slott

Aker Brygge is a waterfront locality with shopping, dining and entertainment.

Aker Brygge

Vikings Ship Museum has the Oseberg Ship, which was excavated from the world’s largest ship burial. Other ships on display include the Gokstad Ship and the Tune Ship. The museum building was completed in 1957.  

Vikings Ship Museum

Oseberg Ship, Vikings Ship Museum

Norwegian Folk Museum was established in 1894. It is an open air museum with 150 buildings. The museum has the Gol Stave Church, rural buildings relocated from villages and rural areas, medieval buildings including farmhouses, recreations of shop and home interiors, and an open air stage with folk performances.

Gol Stave Church,
Norwegian Folk Museum

Open Air Performance,
Norwegian Folk Museum

Vigelandsparken, is a part of Frogner Park, a large public park. Vigelandsparken has sculptures by the famous Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), completed between 1924 and 1943. The park has a total of 212 bronze and granite sculptures by him. The park features a 100 meter long bridge, with sculptures on both sides. The park’s other highlights include a bronze fountain, a 14 meter tall monolith, and the two famous sculptures of The Angry Boy and the Wheel of Life.

Lovers Caressing,
Vigelandsparken

Lovers, Vigelandsparken

Mother and Child, Vigelandsparken

The Angry Boy, Vigelandsparken

Wheel of Life, Vigelandsparken

Fountain, Vigelandsparken

Girl with Reptile, Vigelandsparken

Sculpture of Gustav Vigeland, Vigelandsparken

My visit was rushed. Two days weren't quite enough to properly explore Oslo, but I did manage to cover the main sites. Like the other Scandinavian capitals, the city didn't disappoint one bit. It would be good to go back one day, spend more time in the city, and also visit other places in Norway like the Fjords up north near Bergen.