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Oslo Highlights


The small Northern city of Oslo is Europe´s fastest-growing capital and a favourite tourist and convention destination. Oslo is the economic and government centre of Norway, a buzzing global city that connects all kinds of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping with the rest of the world, and a hub of academic and cultural activity.

During the last two decades Oslo has experienced a renewal in all aspects of urban living, cultural activities and architecture. Visitors can enjoy internationally acclaimed museums and exhibition spaces, exciting contemporary architecture, music festivals and concerts, restaurants inspired by the new Nordic culinary movement and international cuisine and a vibrant nightlife.

Being a tourist in Oslo, especially in July, can be an amazing experience. Museum goers, history and architecture enthusiasts, and nature lovers will all have plenty to enjoy. The city is welcoming to all visitors. All primary attractions and travel can be experienced with few challenges to accessibility, while the relevant infrastructure is steadily improving.

Here is only a handful of the options. For more information on attractions, excursions and dining options, please visit the official travel guide for Oslo https://www.visitoslo.com/en/.

The entrance of Munch Museum in early spring.

The Munch Museum

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Didrick Stenersen

The museum has the world’s largest collection of Edward Munch’s works. A brief introduction to the exhibition is given in English every Sunday at 1 pm.

The monolith and surrounding sculptures at the Vigeland Sculpture Park.

Vigeland Sculpture Park

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Thomas Johannessen

Sculpture park located inside the Frogner Park containing more than 200 sculptures by the artist Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), including The Angry Boy and the 17 meters high Monolith. The park is free to enter at all times.

The iconic Stave Church from Gol built around 1200 CE at the Norwegian Folk Museum.

Norwegian Folk Museum

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Tord Baklund

Located on the Bygdøy peninsula the Folk Museum is one of the world’s oldest and largest open-air museums. It contains 155 traditional houses from all parts of Norway including a stave church from the year 1200.

Religious artefacts and everyday objects at the medieval gallery of the Museum of Cultural History.

Museum of Cultural History

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Didrick Stenersen

The museum houses the largest collection of items from pre-historic times and the Middle Ages found in Norway. The ethnographic collection contains Egyptian mummies, Antique art, items from Arctic expeditions as well as from African, American and East Asian cultures. 

The wooden, steel and glass building of the Astrup Fearnley Museum at the outer most point where the city of Oslo stretches into the Fjord.

Astrup Fearnley Museum

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Didrick Stenersen

The Astrup Fearnley Collection is a collection of modern and contemporary art counted among the most significant of its kind in Northern Europe. The museum complements works from the permanent collection by rotating exhibitions with internationally renowned artists.

View from the green Ekebergparken hill to Oslo Fjord during the summer.

Ekebergparken Sculpture Park

Photo credit: Helge Høifødt/Wikimedia commons

Sculpture and national heritage park with a strong international art collection surrounded by beautiful scenery with many spectacular lookout points. The park is always open and is free to visit.

Local ferry by the waterfront of one of Oslo Fjord’s islands in the summer.

Oslo fjord

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Sabine Zoller

The Oslo fjord and all its islands are easily accessible with the ferries going between Aker brygge and the islands of Hovedøya, Lindøya, Nakholmen, Bleikøya, Gressholmen and Langøyene. The islands are popular places to go swimming during summer, each with its unique character and history. With a regular public transportation ticket, it is possible to go island hopping between the different islands.

Oslo’s Opera house with people relaxing on it during the summer.

The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Tord Baklund

Oslo’s Opera House is located right at the harbour, with an exterior that appears to be rising right out of the sea. Visitors are invited to climb its roof and enjoy panoramic views over Oslo and the fjord. Guided tours are given in English and Norwegian.

The gallery showing one of the Viking ships at the Viking Ship Museum.

The Viking Ship Museum

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Thomas Johannessen

Museum on the Bygdøy peninsula with the world´s best-preserved Viking Ships, including hundreds of objects from the famous Oseberg ship.

The front of the wooden Fram explorer ship at the Fram Museum.

Fram Museum

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Susanne A. Finnes

The museum contains the ship Fram, known as the strongest wooden ship ever built and still holds the records for sailing farthest north and farthest south. Visitors can come on board the ship and see how the crew and their dogs managed to survive both in the Arctic and the Antarctic.

Combination tickets are available for the Fram Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, and the Norwegian Maritime Museum

The Natural History Museum entrance covered in lush vegetation during the summer.

Natural History Museum

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Thomas Johannessen

Norway´s largest collection of natural objects is available in the Botanical Garden, the greenhouses and the Zoological Museum. The Botanical Garden is a 150-acre garden containing 35,000 plants and 7,500 species. In the Zoological Museum visitors can view dinosaur skeletons as well as exhibitions displaying wildlife from Norway and the rest of the world.

The entrance of the National Gallery established in 1837 in downtown Oslo.

National Gallery

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Tord Baklund

The National Gallery, established in 1837, contains Norway’s largest public collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures.

People sunbathing and relaxing at the shore of Sognsvanns lake in the summer.

Sognsvann lake

Photo credit: Flladina

Recreation area with great places for picnics, swimming, fishing, walking and running. Easily accessible with the subway.

Lake surrounded by the green, lush Oslo forest in the summer.

Oslo forests

Photo credit: VisitOSLO/Tord Baklund

The city of Oslo is surrounded by large forest areas with ample recreation opportunities. Most hiking routs are usually well-marked, but a map is recommended for longer distances. Both the northern and eastern parts of the forest are easily accessible with both the subway and several bus routes.

For more information about these and other activities, visit the VisitOSLO website.