Oslo is the capital of Norway, a state on the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the Norwegian sagas it is said that the city of Oslo was founded around 1048 by King Harald, although not so long ago, archaeologists found Christian burials here dating from the period up to 1000.
Until 1380, Oslo was the residence of the Norwegian kings, and from 1572 - the center of the Danish administration in Norway. In 1624, a devastating fire occurred in the city. The king of Denmark and Norway decided not to rebuild the ruined city, but built a new one, calling it Christiania. In 1814, Christiania became the capital of Norway, and on January 1, 1925 the city was renamed Oslo.
Norway consists of 18 fülke - administrative units, which are respectively divided into 430 communes.
Science and education
Oslo is the most important educational and scientific center of the country. Several tens of thousands of students study in the capital. The most famous institutions:
- University of Oslo is Norway's largest and most prestigious university.
- Norwegian business school.
- Norwegian School of Information Technology.
- Oslo School of Architecture and Design.
- Norwegian School of Sports Sciences.
- Norwegian Academy of Music.
- Norwegian School of Theology.
- National Academy of Art.
- National University of Natural Sciences.
- Norwegian Military Academy.
- National Defense College of Norway.
- Norwegian University College of Police.
- State Academy of Art.
sights
Oslo County has a large number of attractions and cultural sites, so the city is a popular tourist destination. One of the most visited places is the castle and fortress Akerhus. Oslo Cathedral, the Royal Palace, the Norwegian Parliament and the National Theater are located on the main street of the city.
Oslo is the capital of Norway with attractions that are known all over the world. For example, the Oslo Town Hall - here they annually present the Nobel Prize. Among the museums, the most popular are those that tell the story of the Vikings.
Holmenkollen ski jump is the second most visited tourist attraction in Norway. Among the parks, it is worth noting the Vigeland Sculpture Park in the west of the city in the Frogner area.
Workers at home
Between 1920 and 1924, the architect Ragnar Dal built tens of thousands of typical houses for the working class. The houses on Grorudveien 3 and 5 are the last representatives of the buildings of that time. Now they have the Steinhogg Museum, cafes, apartments and studios.
Farm Bankall
The farm consists of two residential buildings, one of the 18th century built, the second - of the 19th. In the courtyard there is a barn and a stable, as well as a small brewery. In 1926, a fire broke out on the farm, but it was completely restored. The farm can be rented for exhibitions, meetings and social events. However, the building does not give up for parties.
Observatory
The Norwegian inventor Gran Olsen dreamed that people could observe the starry sky, and therefore built a star observatory in Holmenkollen. After Olsen's death, the building was used for various purposes, even as a warehouse. In 2012, Oslo decided that the former observatory should become the residence-museum of the inventor Olsen.
Frogner Manor
This is one of the largest and oldest estates in Oslo with a history dating back to the 5th century. In the second half of the 1300s, the estate was divided. Most of it was given over to the monastery. The estate has rooms with an unusually beautiful interior. Among the attractions: Bernt Anker ballroom, portraits, many landscape photographs of Christiania.
Power station in Breckfossen
The small building is the only surviving part of the power plant. After the closure of a nearby sawmill, the building of the power plant was leased to a warehouse. Now the building has been restored and offers its premises for rent for corporate parties and special occasions.
Frysja Art Center
In 1855, the merchant Johan Heinrich Schmelk founded a plant for the production of nails and steel wire. Later, the premises became the property of a fishing hook company. Later, the city municipality bought the building in order to use it as workshops for artists. After the reconstruction, the old factory premises were completely preserved. Art studios are fully subsidized by the municipality and currently provide jobs for 53 professional artists.
Old roman school
This is one of the oldest schools in Oslo. The opening took place on May 1, 1861 and the school operated until 1911. Now the building has been completely restored; it houses an art residence with a studio.
Old town hall
It was built in 1641. The building served as the Town Hall of Christiania from 1641 to 1733, then the Supreme Court is located here. After a fire in 1996, the old interior was completely restored. Today there is a restaurant on the ground floor, and the Opera House on the second.
Police station
The building was built in 1622-1647 and was used as a new city hall, courtroom, police station with prison cells. The room at Rådhusgata 7 is the city’s first police station and once served as the main police station.
In 1900, a new site was built in Teenbekken. During the occupation of 1940-1945, there was a German special unit Schnellkommando.
In 1978, the police moved to a new building. Today it is a venue for cultural and musical events.
Medieval park
The park is about ten minutes walk from the city's main railway station. Here you can find the ruins of the Church of St. Clement and the Church of St. Mary.
Munch Museum
The museum is promoting the work of the Norwegian artist and graphic artist Edward Munch. Now the museum fund has more than 1000 paintings, 4500 drawings and 18 000 graphic images. In addition to the creations of the master, some of his personal items are stored in the museum.
Kon Tiki Museum
This is a historical museum in Oslo on the Bugda peninsula, dedicated to the travels of the famous scientist Thor Heyerdahl. The museum is named after the main exhibit - the Kon-Tiki raft, on which the traveler and his team sailed across the Pacific Ocean.
The exposition is divided into surface and underwater parts. In the underwater part, you can see fish that circled under the raft during the trip. The museum has a small cinema and gift shop.
Viking Ship Museum
The museum is dedicated to historical Viking ships and archaeological finds of the time. It is part of the General Museum of the History of Culture at the University of Oslo and has existed since 1926. On display are famous Norwegian drakaras.
Fram Museum
It is located on the island of Bugde. This Oslo Museum is dedicated to the history of Norwegian polar expeditions. The building is a kind of glass tent on the banks of the Oslofjord, in which the Nansen expeditionary ship “Fram” is displayed.
This is the main exhibit of the museum, on which visitors can board. In the museum you can also see stuffed representatives of the polar fauna of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere: bears and penguins.
National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
The museum was founded on July 1, 2003 by combining the collections of the Museum of Architecture and the Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Gallery. The gallery exposition contains the largest collection of works of Norwegian art: the works of Munch (the painting "The Scream"), as well as the works of famous foreign masters Picasso, Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh.
The gallery is famous for the abduction of the painting "Scream" in 1994. A few days later, she was able to return thanks to the efforts of the local police.
Norwegian National Theater
The Drama Theater was opened in Oslo in 1899. Among the productions are famous works of foreign and national playwrights. After the occupation of Norway, the theater was used as a barracks to house soldiers. In 1980, a fire broke out in the building, which destroyed the stage and stage equipment. The theater hall was almost not damaged, since it was possible to lower the fire curtain in time.
Vigeland Sculpture Park
The park is located in the Frogner district and is the most famous park in Norway, thanks to the work of the sculptor Gustav Wigeland. The basis of the park is composed of sculptural groups that depict the whole spectrum of human feelings and relationships. Each sculpture conveys a set of emotions during various classes: dancing, running, wrestling.
The sights of Oslo Fulke are interesting and diverse. Here everyone will find something to their liking.
Temples of Oslo
- Church of the Holy Trinity. An active temple in the city center, founded by Bishop Lauritz Eyrap. This is one of the largest churches in Oslo with a capacity of 1000 seats. The interior is decorated with stained glass windows that depict stories of biblical stories.
- St. Olav's Cathedral. The Cathedral of St. Olav was built in 1856, it contains a copy of the painting "Sistine Madonna", donated by the Norwegian Queen Josephine. In 1989, the Church was visited by the Pope, who presented the relics of St. Olav to the temple.
- Cathedral. The third cathedral in Oslo is used by the Norwegian royal family for various celebrations. The temple is known for its unique beauty of stained glass and organ.
Winter holidays
In Oslo, the sights in winter become even more interesting. In the cold season, it will be ideal to combine a visit to cozy cafes with walks in numerous parks and skiing.
Among the most popular attractions of Oslo and its environs are the Oslo Winter Park ski resort. From the city center to the resort, which is located in the suburbs, can be reached in 30 minutes.
In the Nurmark area there are ski slopes up to 450 kilometers long, which are illuminated in the evening. Nurmark is a large forest area in the north of Oslo, where you can relax in the air all year round.
And in Holmenkollen skiing competitions have been held for a century, so the Norwegians love this place so much. There are wonderful views, the Ski Museum, which presents interesting Norwegian polar artifacts, an exhibition on snowboarding and modern skiing.
East Norway
In the list of attractions near Oslo there are many interesting places.
For example, you can visit the old town of Fredrikstad, one of the best preserved fortified places in Europe.
In Westfold, a visit to the rope park will be an entertaining activity. Sightseeing in Oslo and the surrounding area is no less interesting than walking around the city. For example, an original tour of the ruins of the medieval cathedral of Domkirkeodden differs from ordinary excursions in that the guides offer tourists a small concert of Gregorian singing performed by them.
Modern sights of the city of Oslo
Fulke (or district) Oslo is famous for its modern and iconic places:
The Astrup-Fearnley Museum of Modern Art presents works by famous contemporary artists. It was conceived as a public place where you can have a good time and relax.
The Bjorvik district - a spacious pedestrian zone near the Norwegian Opera and Ballet Theater - promises to become the new cultural center of the capital.
Barkord - a modern business district, built in black and white, looks like a barcode.
Mathallen is the center of culinary traditions and a huge gastronomic market with restaurants, cafes, pastry shops, vegetable stalls and fish shops.
Oslo attractions in the reviews of tourists occupy a separate niche. Particular attention is paid to free entertainment. For example, in the park at the royal palace you can watch the changing of the guard. Vigeland Sculpture Park and Botanical Gardens are open to the public. Here you can make beautiful photos. Noisy Christmas markets can also be considered Oslo sights; here one can especially feel the national flavor and local traditions. Fans of outdoor activities will be able to ride on numerous ski slopes for free.
In a word, when choosing to vacation in Norway, you need to be prepared for the fact that there will be no time to be bored.