Oslo Favorites

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Favorite thing: Holmenkollen is a hilly area just outside Oslo full of quaint and colourful wooden houses... traditionally looking at first sight but if you watch a bit more carefully, you'll soon discover that it's a very wealthy area.

It's located near the Marka, the woodlands, and it's a great destination for outdoor activites and hiking - as well as for admiring the world's longest ski jump. From up there yoiu can have amazing views of the Oslo fjord.

Fondest memory: I think I saw in this area one of the most beautiful buildings in Oslo - a large wooden red building with a turret (see photo). It turned out that it's a hotel, the Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica - I so wish I would have stayed there.

The Holmenkollen area is located about 30 minutes from downtown Oslo. You can easilt get there by metro: take number 1 direction Frognerseteren and get off at either Holmenkollen or Besserud.

Favorite thing: It's always good to have a little cash by you in case something comes up. But the use of credit/debit cards is the easiest way to get around in Norway. Many norwegians don't carry any cash as cards are accepted literally everywhere for payment. And ATM's are "everywhere". The airport train and the taxis all accept credit cards. If you insist on having cash but don't use ATM's - bring a couple of US$, € notes or travellers checks and exchange them in one of the banks or cambios. Your hotel might also be able to assist you with an exchange.

Favorite thing: If you wonder what it's like in Oslo right now or the coming days, you can try and check this link out. It will tell you more than you need to know about humidity, length of the day (sunrise/sunset), winds, temperature, etc:

The weather forecast for Oslo

You can also check out these webcams showing different parts of Oslo. (They are not very exciting during nighttime though):

Webcam 1 over Oslo

Webcam 2 over Oslo

Favorite thing: I always make sure I get a map of the places I'm going - it's always very helpful. If you take a look at the attached link you will find a map that enables you to close in on any detail you might be interested in in central Oslo.

Map of the central parts of Oslo

Favorite thing: If you happen to visit Norway in the month of May, do not miss our National Day and the following celebration on May 17th. It is truly memorable, despite being chaotic and impossible to get around the city at that day. May 17th is celebrated from the early hours in the morning 'til late at night. Families with children start the day with speaches, school bands and school choirs at their school, from there everyone travels together down to the city to participate in the huge parade with children, marching bands, choirs - ages 6-18 years old. Everyone's wearing nice clothes and many wear the traditional 'bunad' (an old traditional outfit for finer events). There are flags everywhere (and people!). The parade continues down Karl Johan and towards the castle where the king and queen wave at the kids walking by. The parade ends at about 1 PM. From then on children are allowed to eat as much hot dogs and ice cream as they want all day(tradition), many families go to restaurants or go home to have family dinners. Afterwards there are games and happenings at different schools and in different parks, a huge celebration. I think May 17th can bea bit overwhelming for those unfamiliar to the celebration (at least in oslo - as many streets are blocked for traffic) but it's the children's day, so it's a fun thing to experience!

Favorite thing: When going to Oslo, think about buying the Oslo pass. It allows you to use the public
- transportation (which is very good in Oslo),
- free entrance in the most museums (we never paid)
- reduction in restaurants (we never were in these restaurants)
- other reductions

Depending on how long you will stay there, it is a fantastic thing to have this Oslo pass. We got it with our hotel booking, so we had not to pay. You just have to fill out the date and the time you start to use it. It is available for 24h/48h/72h/96h.

With the Oslo pass, you get a little booklet where all the museums and other reductions are described.

Fondest memory: For more informations, have a look at
http://www.visitoslo.com/index.php?cat=49104

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Favorite thing: Oslo is the capital city of Norway. The population of the city proper is 541,822 (as of April 1, 2006). The conurbation extends into the surrounding county of Akershus, with a total population of 825,105 (as of January 1, 2006, according to Statistics Norway), with a current annual growth exceeding 15,000 (in 2005 Oslo and Akershus had a growth of 15,472 according to Statistics Norway), a number which according to Statistics Norway is only expected to keep rising steadily making Oslo one of the fastest growing cities in Europe. The Oslo metropolitan area has a population of about 1.3 million, and about 1.7 million people live in the Oslofjord region. The metropolitan area of Oslo sprawls out on both sides of the Oslofjord of which the city center of Oslo is situated at the end of, giving the urban zone or region more or less the shape of a U turned upside down although it sprawls in all directions.

About 22 % of the population of Oslo are immigrants. The urban municipality (bykommune) of Oslo and county (fylke) is the same entity. Of Oslo's total area, 115 km² is built-up and 7 km² is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amounts to 22 km². The forests in Oslo consist of 85 % needle trees and 15 % leaf trees. Animals such as elk, deer, pheasant and the rare lynx can be found outside of Oslo.

Favorite thing: You want to discover Oslo easily and don't want to spend that much money? Buy an Oslo Pass! There is no cheaper and easier way to see Oslo.

It offers unlimited free travel by bus, tram, subway, boat and local trains within Oslo, free access to a lot of museums and attractions as well as free entrance into two swimming pools. Furthermore you get discounts for several shops, restaurants, car rentals etc.

For further information see www.visitoslo.com