The capital of Norway is surrounded by beautiful nature, in the back of the fifth largest fjord in the country. If you arrive by sea, you will see the most beautiful entrance to the port, what you can dream up. After passing the idyllic skerries of Oslofiorden, the pearl of architecture welcomes you, Opera, in the youngest district of Oslo.
Oslo's location is unique. The city center is located right on the fjord, it is surrounded by vast forests, and the mountain areas are very close.
Norwegians love nature, and in Oslo, sailing on the fjord, walking tour, cycling or skiing in the Nordmark area, are always at your fingertips. A short ferry journey to the islands of the fjord – or an equally short trip by city train to the Nordmark area – takes you far from the city noise.
Oslo was proclaimed the capital of Norway in the middle of the 11th century by King Harald the Stern. Great fire in 1624 year, he destroyed a large part of the old buildings, but the city was moved and quickly rebuilt by Danish King Christian IV and named after Christiania. 300 years later, the city was renamed Oslo.
Oslo today, with my people 575 000 residents, is a modern metropolis with lots of interesting places, such as the characteristic buildings of the Opera House, Town Hall and the newly built Holmenkollbakken ski jump. In the Norwegian capital you can find one of the most visited tourist attractions, the unique Vigeland Park with sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, you can also visit the Munchmuseet and enjoy the view of paintings by one of Norway's most famous artists, Edwarda Muncha.
Not far from the center you will find the idyllic Bygdoy Peninsula, with Viking ships, on the Fram Fridtjof Nansen polar ship, on the Kon-Tiki raft of Thor Heyerdahl and of course the Folkemuseet open-air museum, which houses all the old ones, traditional wooden buildings characteristic of the country.
Oslo is constantly changing. Around the new Opera, a new one is growing in the coastal part of the city, modern district, which emphasizes the proximity of the capital to the fjord.
More attractions await along the Oslofjorden fjord. On the eastern side, there are the white-painted summer resorts of Drobak and Son, Fredrikstad with its charming Old Town, as well as the mighty Fredriksten Festning Fortress in Halden. On the west side of the fjord is the Slottsfjellet castle hill in Tonsberg – the oldest city in the country, Asgardstrand, where Edvard Munch and Blaafarveverket lived (museum of art and industry) International Mode, not to be missed.
The Kon-Tiki Museum houses the original Kon-Tiki raft made of balsa wood, which in 1947 years she transported the world] famous traveler Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) and its crew across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia. The Osebergskipet is one of three Viking ships from the 9th and 10th centuries, which is on display at the Vikingskipshuset museum.
The Norskfolkemuseum is Norway's largest cultural history museum. The museum houses almost 150 old houses, collected from all over the country and rebuilt in a large park.
There is a monument commemorating the first people on Bygdoy, who reached the South Pole. Roald Amundsen (inside) reached the South Pole in 1911 year, and his ship, "Gj0a", is on display at the Norwegian Maritime Museum. Nearby is the Frammuseet. The Fram is a ship, who suffered another polar explorer, Fridtjofa Nansena, towards the North Pole in the period 1893-1896. Nansen and his team were the first in the world to reach the North Pole, after a long and exhausting skiing trip. Bunad comes in many variants and was created during the dissolution of the union with Sweden in 1905 year, inspired by traditional folk costumes.
W 2011 Oslo hosted MS in skiing for the year. It was a great celebration in the Nordmark area.
Oslo is surrounded by beautiful nature, and Nordmarka is a popular recreational area for the city's residents all year round. Cross-country skis are obligatory in winter.
There are many beautiful beaches along the Oslofjorden fjord. Oscarsborg Fortress is located on a thriving island in the Oslofjorden.
The Oslofjorden is frequented by boat lovers in the summer.