48 Hours in Oslo

Oslo, the capital of Norway, sits on the country’s southern coast at the head of the Oslofjord. It’s known for its green spaces and museums. Many of these are on the Bygdøy Peninsula, including the waterside Norwegian Maritime Museum and the Viking Ship Museum, with Viking ships from the 9th century. The Holmenkollbakken is a ski-jumping hill with panoramic views of the fjord. It also has a ski museum.

Where to Eat

• Breakfast
  • Creperie de Mari – European, French, Cafe – Great breakfast, lovely crepes
  • United Bakeries – Cafe, European, Norwegian – Great for amazing food, quick breakfast & coffee
• Lunch
  • TUNCO – Fast Food, Asian, Thai – small restaurant and takeaway spot
  • Brasserie Paleo – European, Scandinavian, Norwegian – if you are in the mood for Paleo, check this place out
  • Haralds Vaffel – amazing savory or sweet waffles, run of of Harald’s first floor flat, he’s not always open, but it’s worth it to find out
• Dinner
  • Statholdergaarden – Contemporary, European, Scandinavian – Bent Stiansen’s gourmet restaurant. In 1993, Bent Stiansen became the world master of the culinary contest, Bocuse d`Or. He and his team have developed Statholdergaarden into one of Oslo’s and Norway’s best restaurants.
  • hos Thea – French, European, Scandinavian – With background from legendary restaurants like Sancho and Norberto, Sergio bought a 100 year old butcher’s shop in Skillebekk. The year was 1987 and the goal was to create a small restaurant. With a modest economy the philosophy was simple: “a gourmet experience without expensive factors”.

Top Tourist Attractions

1. Viking Ship Museum – The Viking Ship Museum houses some of the best preserved Viking ships in the world. These ocean-going vessels were drawn on shore and used at burial ships. The Museum also displays some of the fantastic gifts that were given to the deceased to use in the afterlife.
   • Closed: 24-26 December; 31 December; 1 January
   • Suggested duration: 1 hour
2. Vigeland Museum – The Vigeland Park is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, and is one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions. The park is open to visitors all year round. The unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland’s lifework with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron. Vigeland was also in charge of the design and architectural layout of the park. The Vigeland Park was mainly completed between 1939 and 1949. Most of the sculptures are placed in five units along an 850 meter long axis: The Main gate, the Bridge with the Children’s playground, the Fountain, the Monolith plateau and the Wheel of Life.
   • Hours: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
   • Suggested Duration: 2-3 hours
3. Frogner Park – The largest park in central parts of Oslo and a popular recreational area for people from all over the city. Inside the park you find Vigeland Sculpture Park, one of Oslo’s most popular attractions. On a nice day the park is full of people; here you can go for a run, walk the dog, have a picnic or barbecue, play badminton or just enjoy the sun. Frogner Park has Norway’s biggest collection of roses; a total of 14,000 plants of 150 different species. Frogner Stadium and Frognerbadet open-air pool are located in the corner of the park that faces Majorstua. In the corner near Frogner plass you can visit Frogner Manor House and Oslo City Museum.