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Oslo, Norway

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City of Oslo

Whilst in Oslo we did a walking tour, boat tour and hop on hop off bus trip that enabled us to visit some key sites a little out of the centre. We walked through the Christiana Torv area, where we saw the statue of Christian IV’s hand. Also Aker Brygge, a trendy area with lots of riverside restaurants. We visited the Karl Johans gate and saw the Parliament building. And those below.

The Tiger

Oslo used to be a bad city as the sailors used to come in and desire booze and women. The city was referred to as Tigerstaden (the City of Tigers) by the author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson around 1870, due to his perception of the city as a cold and dangerous place. His poem "Sidste Sang" describes a fight between a horse and a tiger; the tiger representing the dangerous city and the horse the safe countryside. Upon Oslo’s 1000-year anniversary in 2000, they wanted a tiger and so a local rich man donated a 4.5-metre bronze tiger made by Elena Engelsen.

The Opera House

The Oslo Opera House opened in 2008. It is an impressive architectural masterpiece that overlooks the Oslo Fjord. The structure was made for walking so you are encouraged to walk up onto the roof, from where there is a marvellous view over Oslo Fjord and surrounding buildings including the Library and Much museum. The Opera House is in the shape of an iceberg and you can also see a free floating glass iceberg in the fjord. From the front you can see many small, traditional wooden summer houses painted in bright, optimistic colours. These are used as saunas and changing rooms for those who swim in the Fjord. On the opposite side of the road is the Library and behind it is Munch museum which houses the largest collection of works (28000 of 30000 works) by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. (His iconic painting "The Scream" Is housed in The National Museum of Art in Oslo. It is said that Munch got his inspiration for ‘The Scream’ from the sculptures in Ekeburg Sculpture Park

Oslo City Hall

Oslo City Hall is home to the local government and it hosts the award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize (the only Nobel prize awarded outside of Sweden). The interior walls are completely covered in vibrant murals detailing Norwegian culture, daily life and significant moments in history, including the fire in 1624 that destroyed much of Oslo and the Nazi occupation during World War II.

Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress is one of the impressive landmarks of the City of Oslo, located along the water and overlooking the Oslo Fjord. The Akershus Fortress is a medieval castle dating back to the Middle Ages that has served as a royal residence, a military stronghold, and a prison throughout its history. Explore the castle grounds and learn about its fascinating history.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Vigeland Sculpture Park is the world’s largest sculpture park. It is a unique open-air museum featuring over 200 bronze, granite, and cast iron sculptures created by Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland.m The Monolith sculptures on the bridge depict 121 human figures clinging and floating together. There's women and men of different ages, and the top of the Monolith is crowned with children. The sculpture has been interpreted as a kind of vision of resurrection, and our longing and striving for spirituality.

Ekeburg Sculpture Park

We entered the park at Konows Gate and walked up many steps and steep slopes to the top. This wooded park featuring 31 sculptures beautifully overlooks the city and is where Munch found his inspiration for The Scream. The artworks are by internationally renowned artists like Salvador Dali, Damien Hurst, Louise Bourgeois, James Turrell, Dan Graham, Sarah Lucas and Roni Horn. This stastue is by Salvadore Dali. (We got the Tram 19 back to the hotel just as it started to rain heavily.)