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Oslo is the capital and largest city of Norway, and the third largest city of Scandinavia. Situated in the East of the country in a fjord extending over an inlet of the Skagerrak strait, it is surrounded by green hills and mountains and includes 40 islands and 343 lakes. Oslo is one of the world's northernmost capitals and so gets only 6 hours of sunlight in the winter. In high summer, sunlight hours soar to 18, making its climate markedly different between seasons, with cold yet relatively dry winters.
A relatively compact city squeezed into a thin strip of land along the shoreline, Oslo prides itself as one of the world's most sustainable cities. While it holds an array of historic monuments, Oslo is perhaps most famous for its modern architecture, including striking and daring projects launched at the turn of the millennium. Oslo's economy is powered by the maritime industry, high-tech and clean energy sectors.... Read more
Oslo is the capital and largest city of Norway, and the third largest city of Scandinavia. Situated in the East of the country in a fjord extending over an inlet of the Skagerrak strait, it is surrounded by green hills and mountains and includes 40 islands and 343 lakes. Oslo is one of the world's northernmost capitals and so gets only 6 hours of sunlight in the winter. In high summer, sunlight hours soar to 18, making its climate markedly different between seasons, with cold yet relatively dry winters.
A relatively compact city squeezed into a thin strip of land along the shoreline, Oslo prides itself as one of the world's most sustainable cities. While it holds an array of historic monuments, Oslo is perhaps most famous for its modern architecture, including striking and daring projects launched at the turn of the millennium. Oslo's economy is powered by the maritime industry, high-tech and clean energy sectors. In 2010, Oslo was ranked as the world's most expensive city to live in by the Swiss wealth management company UBS AG.
Oslo is the demographic, economic and political center of Norway. As the capital of Norway, Oslo hosts several national institutions. The city has a good selection of cultural institutions and a good selection of restaurants, some world class but most ordinary, as well as nightlife in general. While it is an expensive city for overseas visitors, many of the best things are free of charge, notably Oslo's proximity to wild nature and variety of outdoor activities.
Following the latest reform of January 1, 2004, the city is divided into fifteen boroughs (bydeler). Most tourist attractions are concentrated in the city center (Sentrum). Some other districts of note are Frogner, a hilly residential district with the namesake park famous for the Vigeland sculptures, and the Grünerløkka, hub for nightlife and the creative scene, while Munch museum is at Tøyen in the inner eastern suburb.
Traditionally, Oslo has been divided into the eastern and western parts, with the West being the more affluent, with elegant buildings and a posh character, and the East consisting of working-class neighborhoods, growing into a home for both the artistic bohemian and poor immigrant communities.
For the short term visitor, navigation is typically related to key buildings and streets in the Central downtown area.There is a comprehensive public transport system in Oslo, consisting of buses, trams, trains, metro (T-bane) and boats. The public transport is planned and coordinated by Ruter.
Ruter Service Center (formerly known as Trafikanten) is the information center for public transport in Oslo. It is situated at Jernbanetorget, just outside Oslo Central Station, by the foot of the clock tower, as well as at Aker Brygge and at Oslo Airport (Gardermoen). They hand out free maps, give information and sell all kinds of tickets. The Ruter website has timetables, maps, route planner and search engines for all city transport in Oslo, as well as all transport in the nearby counties of Akershus, Østfold, Oppland, Hedmark, Buskerud, Vestfold and Telemark. The Oslo Tourist Information Centre is in the same office at Jernbanetorget, at the rear counters.
There are two main hubs for public transport inside the city center: Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) / Jernbanetorget and Nationaltheateret (underground). All metro lines pass these stations, all trains pass Oslo S and most trains (including the Airport Express Train (Flytoget)) pass Nationaltheateret. Nationaltheateret is most convenient for key buildings such as the Royal Palace, the National Gallery, the Parliament, Oslo Concert Hall and Oslo City Hall.
The Oslo and Akershus public transport utilizes a zone system in which the price for a trip is calculated based on how many zones you pass through. For clarity, all ticket prices listed here are for one zone only.
All transport runs on the same fare scheme, and the same tickets are valid for all modes of transport.
All these tickets, except 365-day ticket, are half-priced for children (4–15 years) and elders (67 and up). 7-day and 30-day tickets are also half-price for youth up to and including 19. Children under the age of 4 ride for free. Children under 16 who travel with an adult travel for free at weekends. As a side note, bringing a bike requires buying an additional child ticket. Student discounts for 30-day tickets are also available, but only if you are studying in Oslo or Akerhus area. Read more about discounts here: discounts here. For a short visit, one additional option is to buy an Oslo Pass which includes free admission to many tourist attractions and other benefits.
All tickets can be bought at Ruter Service Centre (Trafikanten) near Oslo S, at Aker Brygge as well as at Oslo Airport (Gardermoen), at most 7-Eleven, Deli De Luca, Mix and Narvesen kiosks and stores in Oslo and Akershus in addition to other kiosks and grocery shops near stops and on ticket machines on all metro stations and a few of the tram stops. All these tickets are also valid on the night lines, running every Friday and Saturday night after the regular service has shut down.
Make sure that you have a ticket with you when traveling and that it is validated before entering the metro platform or boarding the rear door of the bus or tram. 24-hour tickets, 7-day tickets, 30-day tickets, 365-day tickets, Travelcards, single tickets purchased in a kiosk as well as electronic single tickets are not valid until they are activated (validated) or stamped. On a bus or tram, the tickets are activated (validated) or stamped when you board; stamping either by the driver or in a stamping machine (for Kupongkort), activating by holding the card next to a card reader. On the metro and the large railway stations, you activate or stamp the ticket before entering the train.
Almost all of the tickets are now available as electronic tickets, on an electronic travel card or on an Impuls card (for single tickets and 24-hour tickets), but a very few of the tickets are still available in paper format. The paper tickets will probably disappear during 2012.
Please note, these tickets are not valid on the Airport Express Train (Flytoget), the Airport Coach (Flybussen and Flybussekspressen) and Timekspressen.
Oslo has a fairly large metro system consisting of 6 lines. It is known as the Tunnelbane or mainly just T-bane in Norwegian. The metro covers the city center and a large part of the residential areas. The metro does not cover popular areas close to the city centre such as Bislett, St. Hanshaugen, Grünerløkka and Sagene. These areas are easily reached by bus or tram.
To find a T-bane station, just look for the blue and white logo with a "T" within a circle. There are six lines, but the network is easy enough to figure out: all lines merge to one single tunnel through the city center, from Majorstuen through Jernbanetorget (Oslo S/Oslo Central Station) to Tøyen, and then spread out into the suburbs. A loop line runs in a circle from northern Oslo city center to the center and back. The loop line is called "Ringen" (the ring) in Norwegian.
With rolling stock from the 1960s, the Oslo metro used to be one of the most run-down in Europe, but it has now been fully replaced with new metro trains engineered by Siemens and designed by Porsche.
When entering a T-bane station, make sure to pick the correct platform: all stations except three on the loop line (Sinsen, Storo and Nydalen) have separate entrances and separate platforms for trains going west and trains going east. If you have a paper ticket, make sure that it is valid (stamped) before entering the train. If you have an electronic ticket, you should theoretically validate the ticket before entering the train; however, this is not yet enforced rigidly (but the ticket must still be valid (activated)).
Trams and buses complement the metro network and use the same tickets. They cover most of the city and run from approx. 5 AM to midnight, on some lines up to 01:00. Two bus lines, 31 and 37, run all night, every day.
All tram lines run every 10 minutes during the day, and every 20 minutes at night and early morning (30 min at weekend mornings). The main lines cover parts of the city with no metro, and are an efficient way of getting around. The main, central tram terminal is at Jernbanetorget, where all lines converge.
Bus lines cover the rest of the city, as well as several ring lines. Nearly all central bus lines converge at Jernbanetorget. The most useful bus lines for visitors are buses 30, 31, 32, 34, 37 and 54, passing by Jernbanetorget and covering parts of the city with no tram or metro lines. Buses 20 and 21 provide central ring-line service, while buses 23 and 24 cover the highway ring road further out.
Nights after Fridays and Saturdays, night buses cover parts of the city with varying frequency. Most of these start or pass by the bus stops close to the Parliament building (Stortinget) and Jernbanetorget (Oslo Central Station/Oslo S). All regular tickets are valid.
Local trains (the NSB lines L1, L2, L3, L12, L13, L14, L21, L22) cover certain areas of the city (zone 1) and run out to the neighboring municipalities and towns. The local train network spans across the city limits to neighboring cities and towns. The local trains use the same tickets as the metro, trams, and buses within Oslo and Akershus counties, but a different pricing scheme is used on journeys beyond that.
Some of the cars on local trains have orange doors, with the notice "Ubetjent" and "Carriage without Conductor". These cars are usually not visited by the conductor, and you can use these cars only if you have a ticket which is stamped or pre-validated and does not need to be stamped by the conductor. If you are unsure about the rules, play it safe and take one of the carriages with black doors and notices marked "Betjent" and "Carriage with Conductor".
In the center, the main station is Oslo Sentralstasjon (Oslo S), which connects to the metro station Jernbanetorget through a direct link (escalators down by track 1/exit to Oslo City shopping center/bus terminal) and most bus/tram lines above ground. The second downtown station, served by most local trains and several regional ones, is the underground station Nationaltheateret, and is located immediately below the metro station of the same name. Most westbound buses also stop just outside the station.
Punctuality, especially in the winter, can be an issue as the train system is quite run down. However, things have improved since a big program of refurbishment was started in 2010. Please note that regular tickets are valid on the NSB trains, but not on the Airport Express Train (Flytoget).
Boats run from Vippetangen near Akershus fortress to the islands in the Oslofjord, as well as from Aker Brygge to Bygdøy, with many major museums. The regular tickets are valid for local boats.
The departures, especially in evenings and winter, are infrequent, so make sure you don't miss the last one!
From Aker Brygge, there are also departures for Nesodden and Slemmestad. These run out of Oslo and are not covered by the Oslo tickets. However, they provide a cheap cruise on the Oslofjord.
Except during the winter (approx. Dec-Mar) Oslo has a public bike service. Just get a keycard at the tourist office or at the aforementioned web site before going to Oslo and you can get a bike at numerous places in the city. The bike can be used for up to three hours before you return it to any city bike stall. Once you have returned it, you are immediately eligible for a new one, so you can practically keep the bike all day long provided you check in and check out every three hours. There is also a bike tour company in the downtown (Viking Biking) which offers rentals on new DBS comfort hybrid bikes with different sizes for men, women, and children. In addition to rentals, it is possible to take guided bike tours.
Taxis are expensive. Taxis in Oslo as in most of Norway are frequently new, large and comfortable cars like Volvo or Mercedes. Most taxis wait for customers in a line in front of hotels or train stations, or you can order one by phoning one of the handful of taxi companies (for an extra charge). You can also flag one from the street, or go to a taxi stand.
Several companies compete to have the most incomprehensible price structure. These fees vary by a taxi company and time of day. Usually, there are three different rates: The lowest one is the day rate, usually between 06:00 and 18:00. The next is the evening and night rate, usually 18:00-06:00 Monday to Friday and 06:00-18:00 on Saturdays. The last rate is usually for Saturday night after 18:00 until Monday morning at 06:00, but different companies do have different time frames. Beware that some companies will operate with a special holiday rate (helligdagstakst) on public holidays, including the night before, which will result in staggering rates.
Taxi drivers in Oslo aren't a particularly jolly breed, but they usually do not speed too much, and taxi-crime towards customers is almost non-existent (towards tax authorities, however, is a different matter). Sometimes a taxi driver will attempt to charge you extra for luggage, and some companies do have a surcharge for this. The price structure should be shown on a sticker inside the car but is always in so small print, and with an overwhelming amount of details, you can't possibly decipher it. Another thing that often disturbs visitors is that the taxi drivers' name and license are not printed inside the car itself. If you encounter any problems, ask for a receipt which will help you identify the car later, or make a note of the taxi license number on the car roof.
All taxis accept Visa and MasterCard, and the card should be swiped in the meter at the start of the journey for card validation. The driver will usually keep the card on top of the meter so that you can keep an eye on it. If you are uncomfortable with this, it is possible to ask to get the card back, but the card needs to be swiped again when you arrive at your destination. Most meters are just swipe and sign, but some companies have EMV chip terminals where you'll need to authorize the charge with your PIN. There have been no known scams connected to credit card fraud in taxis.
Taxi drivers do not generally expect a tip - most people pay the exact amount by card anyway.
For general information on driving in Norway, see Norway.
The major roads entering Oslo are also used for travel inside the city. In the eastern suburbs, road E6 is the main north-south corridor. East-west transport can be done on road E18 as well as Ring 3 running from E18 at the western city border to E6 in the eastern suburbs. The smaller (and slower) Ring 2 connects Skøyen in the west via Majorstua, Ullevål general hospital and Carl Berners plass to E18 east of the center. The ring roads (as well as other main roads) are great for navigation.
Beware to always give way to trams and pedestrians, unless overridden by signs or traffic lights. Never challenge the tram, they have a long braking distance and will, in any case, give a loud, clear warning if you are obstructing. In some roundabouts, the tram is driving straight through the island while cars must circle, be extremely careful in this type of roundabouts. Trams are not obliged to yield to pedestrians, while cars must. Park your car in safe distance from the rails as not to obscure the tram (ask locals if unsure).
Architecture in Oslo may at first seem dull. Unlike Stockholm, downtown Oslo has only scattered monumental buildings where in particular the Parliament-Palace axis (upper part of Karl Johan Street) has a certain grandeur. This central area and the public buildings there were designed after Oslo became the capital of Norway in 1814. The charm of Oslo can also be found in the affluent inner-city suburbs of for instance Frogner and Fagerborg as well as above St.Hanshaugen park. The districts surrounding the very center is characterized by the city's rapid expansion after 1850. These areas were developed when horses were still the most important transport, and blocks of flats from this period usually has a gate (known as port) from the street into the back yard where horses were kept. Oslo also has many exciting building projects, and the city's whole waterfront is undergoing a thorough change.
Northern Europe has a distinct wooden house tradition. Wooden houses are not allowed downtown, but these charming houses can be found in large numbers in villa suburbs such as Bygdøy and Holmenkollen, or former workers' areas such as Rodeløkka, Kampen, Vålerenga, Damstredet, Hellerud or Telthusbakken. The 1624 fire destroyed much of old Oslo (some churches and Akershus castle remain) and central Oslo is dominated by the city that was designed after the fire.Oslo has an amazing number of museums. Many of them are located next to each other and don't take long to visit.
If you are planning on seeing several of the expensive attractions in a short period of time, then the most cost-effective way to do this is to buy an Oslo Pass. It includes unlimited entry to most of the museums and the Holmenkollen ski jump (but not the Royal Palace), free travel on Oslo's quite expensive public transport, and even limited discounts on some restaurants and other attractions. Students get a 20% discount on the Oslo pass. You could also buy a travel card allowing unlimited travel on public transport (no student discount on this).
Somewhat outside the city center is a peninsula called Bygdøy. You can get there by bus (number 30) or, in summer months (Apr—Sep), by ferry departing from pier 3 at Aker Brygge outside the city hall.
Longer out at the peninsula of Bygdøy, you will find two groups of museums within walking distance of each other: In the first group, around 800 metres inland:
In the second group, on the harbor:
At Akershus Castle (see above):
Some other museums are:
There are a lot of both expensive and cheap places to eat in Oslo. The cheapest restaurants are Asian restaurants which, in many cases, serve good food at low prices.
Check the menus on the door. Even though you should always use your eyes (and nose) in any food establishment, Norwegian Food and Health regulations are very strict and enforced effectively, so eating out in Oslo is safe.
Street snacks are also available throughout the city, but they're usually more expensive than in comparable cities elsewhere.
Aker Brygge (tram 12, bus 21, 32, 33 or 54; stops Aker Brygge, Vika Atrium or Bryggetorget) is a waterfront located south of the city hall. During summer the area is very noisy and vibrant. There are outdoor restaurants and bars almost everywhere. Be sure to get some tasty seafood (or whatever else you like to eat) while you are there, or just enjoy your cold beer in the summer sea-breeze. Be advised that this is also the most expensive area in Oslo to dine or drink, so unless the weather is good, you can just as well stay indoors somewhere else.
Sven's, located near Vika Atrium, offers a fast food version of a traditional dietary staple - lutefisk. Sides include herring, pickled vegetables, and salted meats. Because of the amount of lye used to treat the food, be prepared to sign a waiver designating power of attorney upon entry. Closed Mondays.
You are also close to most of the restaurants, bars, or nightclubs located within the city center. A key reference point will be Stortingsgaten, running parallel to Karl Johans gate, both running eastwards from the Royal Palace (this is also the main shopping area). While both of these streets have a few restaurants and nightclubs, most will be found in one of the side-streets running out from them, or parallel to them. It doesn't matter much where you start, you will find restaurants, bars, and nightclubs almost anywhere from the subway station Nationaltheatret at the west, to far beyond Oslo central railroad station on the east. There are several other areas, such as Grünerløkka (tram 11-12-13 to Nybrua, Schous plass, Olaf Ryes plass or Birkelunden), Majorstuen (T-bane, tram 11-12-19 or bus 20-22-25-45-46 to Majorstua), and Grønland (T-bane to Grønland, bus 37 to Tøyengata or bus 60 to Norbygata) that are worth checking out. Be advised that nearly all bars and nightclubs close at the same time, so if you want to get a taxi back to your hotel, try to leave a few minutes before the rush starts.
Torggata is a good area for budget dining (from Hausmanns gate south to Youngstorget). You will find cheap Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese restaurants and even cheaper kebab-joints and pizzerias, as well as other offerings. It's close to the center, but you can get bus 34 or 54 to Jacob's church (Jacob kirke), or tram 11-12-13-17/bus 30-31-34-54 to Brugata or Hausmanns gate. The closest T-bane station is Grønland (then walk north along Brugata) or Jernbanetorget (then walk north-east).
Some great offerings in this area include:
Grønland is full of cheap eating joints, shops selling fabrics and jewelry, Indian and Pakistani sweet shops, cheap beer and more. Some of the best treats are:
Most cafes and restaurants serving traditional food are upmarket, but there are a couple of good spots to get stuffed on meat cakes and brown gravy, lutefisk and other delicacies:
You can always get your fix of sausage and kiosk-food at reasonable prices, but there are a few restaurants and cafés worth mentioning. The convenience stores and kiosk chains 7-Eleven and Deli de Luca will provide a choice of pastries, cakes, candy, refreshments and alternate 'snacks', many of which are over-priced and can be bought from a Rimi, Kiwi or Joker supermarket at a fraction of the price. When opting for the convenience stores, ask the staff how fresh the counter food is - where most produce is delivered in the morning and evening purchases may see the food lying there for up to twelve hours prior.
If price is no object, there is some very fine dining to be found. If there is anything Oslo has a lot of, it is expensive restaurants.
Beer at 4.75% or below can be purchased in supermarkets. Supermarkets stop selling beer after 20:00 each day, 18:00 on Saturdays, and 15:00 on holiday weekends. It is not possible to buy beer in a shop on a Sunday. It is illegal to drink in public areas. You will usually only get a warning if spotted by a police officer, but if you behave impolitely or s/he is having a bad day you can get a fine of NOK1,500. However, in public parks during summer, laws are not enforced as strictly. Good places to go for a park beer is Sofienbergparken and Kuba at Grünerløkka, Frognerparken in Majorstua, or the park at St. Hanshaugen, on a hill with great view located between Grünerløkka and Majorstuen.
Hard liquor, wine and beers above 4.75% ABV can only be bought at the state-owned shops called Vinmonopolet or at the international airport terminals. Vinmonopolet outlets are open M-F until 18:00, Sa 15:00, Su closed. Some of the central Vinmonopolet outlets in Oslo are:
All bars, pubs and restaurants in Oslo are smoke-free, which means you have to go outside to smoke. But since you can't drink on the street, you have to leave your drink inside, unless the bar/pub has a designated drink-area which is still open (they always close earlier than the venues themselves).
Oslo is generally expensive. Closing hours are as late as to 03:30 in the city center. National legislation says you can't serve any alcohol after 03:00.
Areas with notable pub density are Grünerløkka (tram 11-12-13 to Nybrua, Schous plass, Olaf Ryes plass or Birkelunden), Aker Brygge (tram 12 to Aker Brygge or bus 21-32-33-54 to Vika Atrium or Bryggetorget), Solli/Frogner (tram 12-13 or bus 30-31 to Solli), Grønland (T-bane to Grønland, bus 37 to Tøyengata or bus 60 to Norbygata) and the city centre especially Youngstorget or Grensen.
In 2010, Oslo was ranked as the most expensive city in the world. Still, there are possibilities for getting bargains in Oslo during the big sales. The prices on famous brands are not higher in Oslo than in London or Paris, often lower even if they are not on sale. The big sales are in January and August.
If you are out to shop there's plenty to choose from. The main pedestrian street Karl Johans gate has plenty of shops of dubious quality. The street Bygdøy allé (which is locally famous for its chestnut trees) (bus 20, 31) has regained its reputation of being a shopping street the past few years by establishments that focus on kitchens, kitchenware, interior designs, exclusive Norwegian furniture, light design, and others. The street Møllergata (downtown, public transport from stops Stortorget and Møllerveien at either end of the street) was earlier known as the furniture street. You will still find a few good but rather expensive shops for Norwegian furniture in this street. You can easily find this street close to the Christiania Glasmagasin and the street Torggata which contains a few home interior shops like KID, Hemtex and Åhlens (with a Muji-department in the basement).
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January 22, 2021
Europe/Oslo
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Resistance Museum is located on the territory of Akershus Fortress in Oslo and it is dedicated to the period of the Nazi occupation of Norway in 1940-1945. The museum of the Armed Forces is an arsenal of guns, rifles, mines and other deadly ammunition of wars, in which Norway had participated from... |
This is Maritime Museum. There are lesser-known ships in this museum, but there are steering wheels that one can rotate, and a bell to ring. Dried fish is hung on the beams of the museum. By the way, the admission is free.
Author: Nefer
Source: neferjournal.livejournal.com... |
This is
"Kon-Tiki" Museum
. Relatives of the great scientist and anthropologist Thor Heyerdahl established a museum where you can see the legendary balsa raft "Kon-Tiki" and the papyrus boat "Ra-2". Heyerdahl sailed on "Kon-Tiki" from Peru to Polynesia, and thus he proved that the people of the... |
If during your visit to Denmark you have already seen everything, you are getting bored, and have little money, then you have an opportunity to go in the so-called "mini - cruise" in Norway. From Copenhagen or Fredrikskhavn to
Oslo
. The price for two nights and a day in Oslo is from 13... |
Trams in Oslo are considered one of the oldest and favorite types of public transport. Once a year they even celebrate a certain holiday: during these days people in trams are treated to food, drink and different artists perform there.
At the 1000 year anniversary of the city the... |
Gustav Vigeland is one of the most prolific sculptors of Norway. In 1921 the Municipality of
Oslo
decided to build the library on the site of his house. Series of long negotiations between the artist and the authorities began. As a result, the city provided Vigeland with... |
On the next day of our trip we decided to rest from three-day races and spent the whole day in
Oslo
. During the first half of the day we were walking along with a wonderful tour guide, living in Norway for seventeen years. She told a lot of interesting stories and showed the city... |