The name may refer to the Ekeberg ridge southeast of the medieval town. Others interpret it to mean the meadow of the gods from áss or ansu an Old Norse reference to the Æsir (pagan Germanic gods) though ás is rarely used in place names this way. There is a 'folk' theory that Oslo = the mouth of the Lo river, a lost name of the river Alna, but it is grammatically and historically incorrect.
@ a glance essentials:
Language:
Norwegian
_
Norwgn Krona
Water safety
Safe to Drink - Among the Cleanest in the World
Nearly all Locals can speak excellent English.
Currency:
NOK
Local Transport
Metro, Bus, Tram & Trains are sufficient for the cities. Remote areas require a car
.
In the Norse Sagas Oslo is said to be founded by Viking King Harald Hardrada in 1049 AD, as Ánslo. At the time, that whole region of southern Scandinavia was actually part of the 🔎Kingdom of Denmark until 1241, (it would continue to be united with both Denmark and Sweden at times, for most of it's history.) and at the top of 14c Oslo was made the seat of the kings' power.
The city🔍 burned down 14x over centuries! After a 3 day inferno in 1624 Danish King Christian IV started from scratch on the other side of the Aker river, renaming the city Christiania (Kristiania) - this part of the city is now known as Kvadraturen. The original site continued as the village of Oslo and was eventual absorbed as a suburb of the expanding city. When in 1925 the capitol took back it's original name, the suburb was renamed Gamlebyen (literally Old Town), to avoid confusion.
a bit of background...
CHECK OUT THE:
MY FAVORITE SPOTS TO...
........... ....... Despite being a thoroughly urban city hub, Olso is actually mostly woodland; just 30 minutes outside it's core is Oslomarka (= Oslo forest), protected against development with wild life, skiing & hiking trails. Ever year, since 1947, London's Trafalgar Square's Christmas tree, a 50-60-year-old Norwegian spruce, has come from Oslo, a gift in thanks of Britains support in WWII.
FUN FACT:
Known as Tigerstaden, or Tiger City, after the Norwegian poem Sidste Sang† Oslo doesn't have the 'old world' feel that many other European capitols boast of, (no doubt due the many fires.) In fact, the exterior of most of the buildings are plain and impersonal, but don't be deceived; just like it's people, with a reputation of being unapproachable but actually being quite friendly once you get to know them, behind the city's dull doors, shut tight against the cold, are surprisingly warm, vibrant and even extravagantly decorated interiors. The extreme dichotomy is almost shocking.
Oslo was the very first city I visited in Europe proper at the start of my current travels (after my dogsledding adventure in Svalbard) and I found the modern capital fascinating; particularly the locals instances of public bathing in the freezing bay off floating saunas in February!
† Norwegian poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson described a fight between a horse and a tiger in the 1870 poem where the tiger was a metaphor for the dangerous
city and the horse the safe countryside.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Vafler - traditional heart shaped waffles ∞ Fårikål - mutton & cabbage ∞ Finnbiff - reindeer stew
Salmon & Cured Fishes like Lutefisk - dried in lye & Stockfish - unsalted, dried by cold & wind†
Brunost (Brown Cheese) - sweet, caramelized cheese †† ∞ Raspeball - potato dumplings*
Klemmeost - squeezable cheese in a tube, w/ bacon, ham, tomato or pepper
Lettrøkt Hvalkjøtt - smoked whale ∞ Kjøttkaker - ginger/ nutmeg meatballs w/ lingonberry sauce
➿➰➿
† Surprisingly, Norway's responsible for Japanese sake; salmon sushi, which didn't exist until the 1980's. And the oldest form of fermenting fish was by cold-adapted bacteria
†† Made from whey, milk & cream it's technically not a cheese [as traditionally formed by the coagulation of the milk protein casein after the addition of rennet or similar bacterial enzymes, with solid curds then separated from liquid whey pressed into cheese]
* Traditionally served only on Thursdays, also called Klubb, Potetball, Kompe or Komle
SEE
DO TRY
&
VISIT
What to Where to Why . . .
Surprising Finds:
📍 Floating (KOK) Saunas 📸 - on the Bjørvika harbor; tiny cedar saunas on flotillas, bobbing on the freezing
Oslsofjord, with people alternating between the hot steam and cold plunging in the bay. Most famous
of which is SALT - part sauna, part music venue, part food hall & festival center.
For those who don't find this rather drastic spa tradition relaxing, a Japanese bathhouse with Onsen &
Turkish Hamam & Rhassoul can be found @ The Well, Norways largest spa which also has traditional
Scandinavian saunas and baths plus jacuzzis and waterfalls in their indoor / outdoor facilities.
📍 Miniatures like The Mini Bottle Gallery - tens of thousands of tiny bottles stuffed with fruits & berries, worms,
snakes, mice, beer & liquors, a bottle chandelier and even a "Horror Room" or
Grass Roots Square - thousands of bronze mini people sculptures filling the square in a unique art installation†
📍 Donald Trump Bench - a black stone bench from the 1980's @ Galleri Oslo bus terminal with "Donald T,"
"Waldorf Astoria" & "The Village" eg. etched in it. Trump was not well know in Norway at the time but the
artist had traveled to NY and thought the tycoon was a good symbol of Manhattan vibes
† As of 2023 the sculptures were removed for construction, but they should be returned when the work is completed
My Favorite Spots . . .
📍 Damstredet & Telthusbakken - cobbled streets with traditional old timber wooden houses c. 1700 & 1800s. and
home of the garden walkway Kjærlighetsstien (The Love Trail.)
📍 Aker Brygge Wharf - formerly industrial, now home to trendy shops, cafés & entertainment
📍 Bjørvika Harbour District - with famous modernist Opera House, SHE LIES sculpture floating
in the bay, small beaches hidden between buildings, and the Munch Museum
📍 Blomqvist Auction House Gallery - one of the oldest & largest in NO - where you can peruse
through art antiques before they go to the block
📍 Sundays Flea Markets like the one in Birkelunden
... to Wander & Explore:
... to Visit:
📍 St. Hallvard's Church🔍 & Monastery - a Brutalist Church with unusual inverted dome
📍 Vigeland Mausoleum🔍 - The artist, Emanuel Vigeland,† converted part of his museum into a crypt for his ashes,
covering the dark, barrel-vaulted walls himself with erotic paintings and an 800 sq'm fresco, VITA (life), that
took him 20 years to complete. A flashlight is needed to visit and the hall has a haunting echo
📍 The Devil of Oslo @ Oslo Domkirke / Cathedral c. 1697 AD - a stone relief depicting a man being attacked
by a dragon & lion. The stone is actually 900 years old, predating the Cathedral - having been found in the ruins
of St. Hallvard's Cathedral and then attached to the newer Oslo Cathedral
Amazing Museums like:
📍 The Folk Museum; 150 building open-air museum, including the Gol Stave Church, c. 1200
📍 The National Gallery - small but exquisite art museum with Munch's SCREAM, (stolen twice!)
& Norwegian Troll 🧌 painter Theodor Kittelsen's famous works
📍 The Ibsen Museum 📸 - in the playwright's historical home,
📍 Nordic Bible Museum, Reptile Park, Transport Museum, & Holmenkollen Ski Museum + Tower
📍 Fram & Kon-Tiki Polar Exploration 📸 - with reconstructed Kon-Tiki boat & miniature Easter Island sculptures
† Brother to the more celebrated Gustav, of Vigeland Sculpture Park (see ...to Commune with Nature, below)
... to Commune w/ Nature:
📍 Nordmarka - wilderness park just outside the city, in addition to hikes, guided
excursions are offered including meeting moose 🫎 and farmhouse tours
📍 The Vår Frelsers Gravlund (Our Savior's Cemetery🔍) - where Edvard Munch is buried
📍 Vigeland Sculpture Park - 212 statues over 80-acres - including the famous ANGRY BOY†
📍 Botanical Gardens in Tøyen - site of museums like the Natural History Museum
† Not to be confused with the similar CRYING BOY fountain in Bergen.)The Frogner Park collection is the world’s largest
sculptures gallery of a single artist, Gustav Vigeland
... when feeling Bookish:
📍 Deichman Public Library - one of the coolest libraries I've ever visited; 📸 massive, multi-storied with glass walls,
mini atriums, hidden reading nooks and amazing views of the fjord.
📍 Litteraturhuset (House of Literature) - Europe’s largest shop dedicated solely to literature, (with cozy reading lounge)
📍 Tronsmo Bokhandel - specializing in art books
📍 Nomaden - Fa travel emporium, with books, maps & travel equipment
📍 Cappelens Forslag (Cappelens’ Proposal) - secondhand & vintage, antiquarian titles, cult literature and rare books,
with a mini-café and comfy seating (including a barber’s chair!)
📍 Grünerløkka - a former working-class district now filled with artisanal shops, cafes and 2nd hand bookshops,
like the 'vintage' Schous Bøker - Mathallen Food Court, inside restored factories, is also nearby
(The neighborhood becomes a hotspot for nightlife after dark)
... when feeling Adverturous:
📍 Tobogganing @ Korketrekkeren - a 2,000 m long sledding hill, with a drop off 255m. (sleds + helmets can be rented)
📍 Tusenfryd Amuzement Park - largest in Norway, 30 minutes from Oslo by metro
📍 Fjord Cruise - anywhere from 90 min. - 4/5 hours sightseeing natural wonders & waterfront sites around Oslofjord
📍 Spikersuppa Skate Rink - next to the Christmas market, during the holidays, with mulled wine and handmade crafts
📍 Skimore; Oslo Winter Park - ski park with 18 slopes, 30 minutes from downtown in the warm months it has a treetop
climbing park & zipline and mountain biking trails
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A Påfyll, or refill of a black coffee is usually only 1/2 $! So be sure to ask. (At Godt Brød chain påfyll are free)
📍 Tim Wendelboe - where the baristas educate on origin of their bean & brewing method
📍 Supreme Roastworks - founded by a world-champion brewer; Odd-Steinar Tøllefsen
📍 Kuro - specialty coffee that shares its space with a concept store, known for fashion
📍 Fuglen Coffee Roasters - est. 1963; coffee by day, cocktails at night, & all retro furniture inside is also for sale
📍 Cafe Sør - @ night it turns into a bar and hosts great local live music (click arrow for more bars...)
Neighbood Bars:
📍 Himkok - speakeasy style distillery 📍 Grabein - colorful brick bar with a good menu
📍 Oslovelo - Bodega, Cycle shop & Bar 📍 Tamara Café - corner bar
Rooftop Bars:
📍 Thief Roof Grill and Bar - with live music and views of city & surrounding hills
📍 Norda Cocktail Bar 📍 Eight Rooftop Bar @ the top of the Grand Hotel
... to have a Cuppa or Nightcap:
... when I'm Peckish:
📍 Fiskeriet Younstorget - sophisticated seafood 📍 Den Glade Gris (Happy Pig) - for affordable lunch
📍 Little Pickle - upscale, cozy corner joint 📍 Kafé Celsius - seafood & historic dining room c. 1626
📍 Grand Café - est. 1874, 📸 where Ibsen ate daily & Munch offered to swap a painting for 100 steaks
📍 Syverkiosken - famous kiosk, serving Norwegian hotdogs since 1979 like lompe; with potato pancake in leu of bun
For Husmannskost (Crofters food) - hearty Norwegian dishes to sustain farmers & workers in cold:
📍 Schrøder - historic establishment c.1925, popular with writers & artists, unchanged since the 50's
📍 Kaffistova c 1901 - known for authentic Norwegian meatballs (kjøttkaker) & reasonable lunch specials
📍 Sofie’s Mat & Vinhus - homey atmosphere with traditional dishes
📍 Haralds Vaffel - for authentic Norwegian waffles
📍 Cocoa Café - with specialty hot chocolates
📍 Baklava House & Konditori - for amazing pastries
📍 Gioia (Joy) Gelato & Crêpes - homemade Italian ice cream, milkshakes, chocolates and more
... for something Sweet:
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Most Known For:
♦️ Akershus Fortress/ Castle 📸 - c. 1299, once the royal residence and site of executions for
dissidents, including, as recently as Nazis after WWII
🔸 Viking Ship Museum - with 9c norse ships and the largest burial ship in the world
♦️ Parliament, Nationaltheatret, Nobel Peace Center & nearby City Hall, with Munch’s
famous frescoes 📸 where the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony is held annually
🔸 The Royal Palace - 19c with 54-acres of surrounding park and the daily changing of the
guards (1:30pm) (Open during the summer, with only guided tours)
........................ Oslo is full of mythical creatures; a water nymph is said to live in Frogner Park's fountain, visible on full moons, and the
forrest is infested with Trolls, like Huldra - a seductive troll that looks like a beautiful maid (but with the tail of a cow) who lures people
deep into the woods and Dovregubben, a troll king, made famous by Ibsen’s 1867 PEER GYNT.
🌀 Oslo Open House (September) - when government buildings, the Royal Palace & gardens let visitors in
🌀 Holmenkollen Nordic Ski Festival (March) - (FIS World Cup)
🌀 Medieval Festival in Old Town (May)
🌀 Saint Olaf Day/ Olosk (July 29th) - marking the patron & king of Norway for more than 900-years,
celebrated with singing, dancing and costume performances
Close Enough to Visit:
🪧 Trollfoss - the Troll Waterfall, the highest waterfall in Vestfold
🪧 Tønsberg, NO - with historic Slottsfjell Tower, the Vikingodden (& Viking ship reconstructions,) Færder National
Park and nearby charming islands Nøtterøy & Tjøme
🪧 The Atlantic🔍 Road / Atlanterhavsveien - 5 mile scenic route connecting to the island of Averøya, snaking over
skinny land slips & eight bridges with stunning ocean🔍 views, one of the world's best road trips*
🪧 Kristiansund, NO - with free Sundbåten ferry to many small islands and charming historic fishing village of Grip
*FYI for those drive: car headlights must be at all times in Norway - and cars must have winter tires on from Nov. 1 until around Easter. (If renting a car, the agency should take care of this.)
Going to visit
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