On the first weekend of June, I decided to get away from Helsinki and forget for a while about my research work. Well the decision was taken a month before when Finnair launched its summer prices.
So on Friday at midday, I landed on Oslo Airport. From there, I took the NSB train to the central station. My hostel was 10 min walk far from there. After the check-in, I went directly to the Info center and bought 'Oslo Pass' for 48 hours. It offers free public transportation and free entrance to museums and sights. The forecast for the weekend did not look good when I left Helsinki. Fortunately, they were wrong and apart of some short showers the sun shined and the weather was just perfect.
Oslo has a population of around 800000 inhabitants; counting the metropolitan area, the population is around of 1.4 millions. The city was founded in 1050 by the King Harald Hardråde on the right side of the fjord of the same name. In 1299, Håkon V transferred the capital of his kingdom from Bergen to Oslo whose port was safer and nearer to mainland. To protect his capital, he built the fortress of Akershus. But the compensation of the Hansa, the plague, several fires and its dependence on Denmark meant that Oslo did not develop its full potential.
In 1624 the city was completely destroyed by another fire. King Christian IV of Denmark ordered the reconstruction of the city around Akershus fortress. And he changed its name to Christiania.
In 1814, the union with Denmark was dissolved as Denmark supported Napoleon and as a result Norway was ceded into Swedish hands. Many landmarks were built in the 19th century during the union with Sweden, including the Royal Palace, the Parliament (Stortinget), the University, and the National Theater. Norway gained independence from Sweden 1905 and in 1925 the capital old name, Oslo, was reclaimed. During the Second Wold War, Oslo was occupied by German troops.
Modern Oslo began with the construction of the new City Hall, concluded 1950, to commemorate the city's 900th anniversary. Following the discovery of petrol in Norwegian territory in the 70s, Oslo has become a cosmopolitan city.
Apart of the above mentioned sights, another must-see sight is the green lung of the city, Vigeland Park, which covers 32 hectares in the heart of Oslo. In the center of the park one can admire a collection of sculptural works in bronze, granite and iron. The park takes you on a slow journey around the cycle of life, from birth, through youth and on to maturity and end with death.
Around 5 km far from the center, on the Bygdøy Peninsula is the largest concentration of museums in the whole of Oslo. The best way to get there is by ferry that leaves from the City Hall square and gets you to the peninsula in around 15 minutes. There, the visitors can enjoy the Viking Ship Museum, the Fram Museum, the Kon-Tiki Museum, the Norwegian Marine Museum, or the Norwegian Folklore Museum. It takes a hole day, but it worths.
And don't forget the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Peace, thus pay a visit to the Nobel Peace Center. And before heading back to the Airport, make a stop at the new Opera House, opened in April 2008, that lies in Bjørvika, in the center of Oslo.
During my strolls I took lots of pictures. The best ones I have the pleasure to share with you. Enjoy the virtual tour!
Oslo (Norway)
