Things to See and Do
First thing you should do is pick up an Oslo Card. With the Oslo Card you can experience Oslo almost without spending money - a rare thing in Scandinavia. It gives free entrance to museums, free public transportation, free parking and lots more. There are benefits on more than 50 different locations, so it is well worth the money. The card is available through most of Oslo's hotels, camping sites, the tourist information offices at Vestbanen (Brynjulf Bulls Plass and the Oslo Central Station, Trafikanten at Jernbane- torget, as well as all Narvesen news stands and some post offices in Oslo.
Viegland Park
One of the artistic highlights of Norway is the Sculpture Park in Oslo. The park contains 192 sculptures with more than 600 erotic figures, all modelled in full size by Gustav Vigeland without the assistance of pupils or other artists. Vigeland also designed the architectural setting and the layout of the grounds. Central to the park, and perhaps one of the world's most striking erections is The Column, At 14.12 meters (46 feet) high carved out of a single block of stone it consists of 121 figures and looks like Dali meets Freddie Krueger.
Modelled by Vigeland in the years 1924-25, it took three stone carvers from 1929 to 1943 to complete the Monolith, just shortly before Vigeland died. The column is completely covered by human figures in relief, singly or in groups. At the bottom there are seemingly inert bodies. Above them figures ascent in a spiral, the movement halting midway and then rising at a fast pace towards the summit which is covered by small children. Various interpretations of the Monolith have been suggested: Man's resurrection, the struggle for existence, Man's yearning for spiritual spheres, the transcendence of everyday life and cyclic repetition. My money is on too many drugs and not enough fresh air. Absolutely essential.
Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship Museum)
Huk Aveny 35.
Tel: 22 43 83 79
Website: www.ukm.uio.no/vikingskipshuset
Open daily: 09-18 (May 2nd-Aug. 31st), Reduced hours rest of year.
Price: NOK 40.
The three ships which make up this enthralling exhibition are the best preserved Viking ships in existence. They were found in large burial mounds in the Oslo fjord region. Being burial ships they contained rich furnishings of wood and textiles. Such materials, dating from the Viking Period, are rarely found in such a good state of preservation. The best vantage point is from the narrow walkways above the boats. Surprisingly, photography is allowed.
Well worth a look.
Norsk Folkemuseum
Museumsveien 10
N 0287 OSLO
Phone:(+47) 22 12 37 00
Fax:(+47) 22 12 37 77
Website: www.norskfolke.museum.no
Get a taste of Norway by visiting the 0pen-air museum. Here you get a glimpse of traditional Norwegian culture and history. A 13th century staved church and 150 authentic buildings from different national regions set the scene. Rotating exhibits include, Norwegian Folk Art, Norwegian Folk Dress, Sami Culture, Norway's first Hall of Parliament and other temporary exhibits. The best current featured temporary exhibit (Dec 2001) is "Cultures of Creativity - the Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Prize". This alone makes it worth a visit. Does anyone else see a striking resemblance between the stave church and certain Japanese architecture?
The Munch Museum
Tøyengata 53
PO Box 2812 Tøyen
N-0608 Oslo
Tel. +47 23 24 14 00
Fax. +47 23 24 14 14
Website: www.museumsnett.no/munchmuseet/
The Munch Museum has a collection of more than 17,000 graphic works by Edvard Munch - famous for his twisted, depressed, experimental uses of colour and texture. Not sure if you like his work? Check out a good selection here.
Akershus Fortress
Built on a rocky knoll overlooking the harbour around 1300, it was modernised in the seventeenth century by Christian IV, who also surrounded it with a large fortress, the Akershus Festning, whose thick earth and stone bastions were designed to resist artillery bombardments. The castle is however, remembered by most Norwegians as the Nazi HQ during the last war. Worth a quick look between major attractions.
Resistance Museum
Norway suffered bitterly during the German occupation and feelings still run deep today. The resistance museum offers a glimpse into what Norway suffered in those dark years.
An extremely comprehensive guide can be found at the Resistance Museum's website.
Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Europe Insiders page.
