Oslo – one of Lonely Planet’s Top Ten Cities in 2018, the capital in Norway and the city of Edvard Munch´s “The Scream”, has it´s own beautiful fjord.
The Oslofjord is not so narrow as the fjords in western Norway. But with it´s many islands and the easy access from the city center, it is a great fjord to experience. Popular things to do are fjord-cruise, guided kayak tours, rib-boat and swimming in the fjord.
Visit OSLO
Visit OSLO is the official destination company for Oslo.
Oslo – What to see, what to do and where to eat
By the fjord you have the Opera House, the new Bar Code, Sørenga Seawater Pool, Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen, the Modern Contemporary Astrup Fearnley Museum, the Viking Ship Museum (closed in five years from october 2021 due to rebuilding) and Fram Museum – The Polar Exploration Museum among the numerous other attractions.
New and popular restaurants “pops” up by the fjord, like Vippa and Sørenga Sjømat (Seafood) together with the well known Lille Herbern in the Oslofjord, Mathallen Food Hall at Grünerløkka, Ekebergrestauranten with it´s beautiful view over Oslo and the Oslofjord and Sommerro at Frogner.
Fjordlife on the Oslofjord
In summer, you can live life to the fullest on the Oslofjord. With an ever-increasing number of activities, everyone can enjoy a day out on the fjord, no matter the budget.
There are several types of Fjord Cruises on the Oslofjord. Sightseeing Cruise, Jazz Cruise and Evening Dinner Cruise are some of them.
If you want to experience the Oslofjord in a way that you will remember the rest of your life, you should join the Floating Sauna KOK Oslo. Swim in the fjord all year round, and then enjoy the hot sauna afterwards.
Mad Goats is located in the heart of the bay by the Opera. There you can take an Introduction Course and get Vått Kort, join Guided Kayak Tours in the Akerselva River and on the Oslofjord, or rent a kayak and explore the Oslofjord on your own.
Oslo – Activities and Attractions
The Ekeberg Park is the place where Edvard Munch was inspired to paint the world famous “The Scream”. This is close to Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, and is really a must place to visit when you are in Oslo. You can see many of Edvard Munch`s paintings at the National Museum or the Munch Museum, both museums are brand new and opened in the summer 2022.
Frognerseteren Restaurant is located just a few hundred meters above Holmenkollen Ski Jump. From there, there is a fantastic view over Oslo and the Oslofjord.
Have we forgotten to mention anything? Yes, of course. There are a million reasons to Visit Oslo. You should also visit the Kon-Tiki Museum and the Vigeland Sculpture Park. And of course, don´t forget the shopping.
Oslo is a “small big city” surrounded by beautiful nature and is really worth a visit. And it is a “hub” to other adventures in Norway.
SNØ – Winter is best in summer
In Oslo you can ski all year round. SNØ Indoor Ski Center is located at Lørenskog, it takes about 15 minutes to drive there. If you travel by bus or train, it is only a short distance from the train station/bus stop to SNØ. SNØ is open almost all year round, see the website for information on season and opening hours for alpine and cross-country skiing. You can go alpine skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing at SNØ. There are also sports shops and a café/restaurant at SNØ.
Winter in Oslo
Oslo is fantastic in winter. It only takes 20-30 minutes by T-banen from central Oslo to Holmenkollen, which is a great starting point for winter activities in Oslo. From the Frognerseteren Restaurant, which is located only a few hundred meters above Holmenkollen Ski Jump, there is a fantastic view over Oslo and the Oslofjord.
There is a bustling life in the ski slopes in the Nordmarka forest where you have great ski slopes and many warm and cozy cabins where you are welcome for a hot cup of choclate and something good to eat. Maybe there is a fire in the fireplace too. See Skiforeningen website for more information about the cabins, season and opening hours.
If you want to see Oslo and the Oslofjord from above, the Holmenkollen Ski Museum and Ski Jump is the place. Holmenkollen is also one of the starting points for hiking and skiing in Nordmarka, a popular place for recreation in both summer and winter.
Oslo Winter Park has great slopes suitable for everyone. In the Tryvann Slopes at the top, you can choose different levels of difficulty, there are slopes with green, red and blue levels of difficulty. Tårnbakken with a green level of difficulty is a 900 meter long hill that is great for small children and beginners.
Wyllerløypa in the lower part of the winter park is a 1.3 kilometer long black slope which is steep and challenging. From Wyllerløypa there is a fantastic view towards the Oslofjord and the areas around the fjord. Here we are talking Fjord view with a capital F.
There are also terrain parks adjacent to Oslo Winter Park in addition to restaurants, ski hire, ski school and ski workshop. The video below is from Wyllerløypa, with fantastic view towards the Oslofjord on a beautiful winter’s day at the end of February.
The National Museum in Oslo
The new National Museum in Oslo opened in the summer of 2022. The National Museum in Oslo is the Nordic region’s largest art museum. The museum has an exhibition area of 10,000 m2 where more than 6,500 works of art are exhibited.
The museum has a separate section with Edvard Munch where the Scream is displayed together with many other works by the world-famous artist.
In addition to the exhibitions, there are also shops, cafés and restaurants at the museum.
The Munch Museum “Lambda” in Oslo
The new Munch Museum “Lambda”, located in Bjørvika in Oslo, opened in the summer of 2022. In addition to three versions of The Scream (drawing, print and painting), there are as many as 13 floors of Edvard Munch’s art and international exhibitions, music, performance, film, talks and activities for children and young people.
The Munch Museum has cafés, a restaurant and a bar as well as a shop and a research library with literature, letters, diaries, notes, photographs and newspaper clippings that are available for internal and external research.
From Oslo to the Western Fjords
Is it possible to visit the western fjords from Oslo, and spend only one day? I do not have any car, how do I get to the fjords? What fjord in Norway do you recommend to visit? What activities can I do in the fjords?
There are many questions on how, where and how long time you need to experience the Western Fjords from Oslo. Some great fjords to visit are the UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjord which are branches of the 204 kilometer long Sognefjord.
You can go there by train. Time to spend, day trip or more. Available all year.
References
The National Museum in Oslo
Munch Museum in Oslo
Accommodation in Oslo
Visit Oslo – Accommodation in Oslo
Oslo – Useful Links
Official page for Oslo: Visit Oslo.com
Travel with boat from Kiel in Germany to Oslo: Colorline.com
Visit Oslo: Oslo´s top 10 Attractions