Norwegian Folk museum, Oslo

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Another interesting part of the Museum is the exhibition on Sami life and culture.

Here, there were models dressed in Sami clothing, I could see how the Sami lived and how they hunted. It was very interesting. Part of the prized display, is the pair of Sami baptismal boots, made of white fur from a reindeer calf, which is considered the finest quality fur. The boots looked large, but they are usually young children between 3-4years of age who are baptized in church.
I learnt Reindeer fur provides excellent insulation, this is why it is used for clothes and footwear not only by nomadic Sami, but by Norwegians and the Finnish speaking population in northern parts of Norway.

You can buy these to take home as souvenirs.

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I have only described some of the buildings, there are so many more to see inside and out.

I was here on a wet day, so instead of the Folk dancers, dancing outside, they had to find a building. They did, but it really wasn't big enough. Anyrate, I did get to see a Norwegian folk dance, and to see the old Musical Instruments being played, it was good!

There a lots of buildings, mostly wood and with beautiful carvings. In one of the houses, I had an interesting talk to the hostess. She told me she actually grew up in a house the same as the one I was viewing.
There are plenty of farm animals too, and they are used to people. Flower and vegetable gardens are grown in the grounds, and in some of the buildings are exhibitions.

This is a museum that is well worth the money to come and see. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here!

FOLK DANCING....
During summer season, the group performs in the Open-Air Museum every Sunday at 2PM.
The group also performs on the special events and takes private engagements

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A wander around the streets of "The Old Town" in the open air museum, was like walking around in the old times! The buildings here are from different areas of Norway. The shops are open, and if you like old fashioned sweets, then you can buy them here. I loved looking at the groceries for sale in the grocery store, seeing if any were the same as at home. The Chemist shop is quite interesting too, quite different to the ones of today! There is plenty to keep you busy in this part of the Museum!
This is where I saw how the working class lived and worked in the 1800's in Norway.

The Loft from is from Sondre Tveito in Hovin, and was built around the 1300's.

I thought it a lovely building, looked better to me than the wealthy person's home, perhaps it wasn't that good inside though! Big round logs interlock with each other, making this look like a very strong building. The architecture is medieval, and if you look around the door, there is little original paint remaining.

The ground floor room, was used for storing food, and the upper story where textiles and other valuables were kept. There is a medieval bed in the upper story.

The Guest House is from Akkerhaugen, Sauherad, and is from the 1800's.

I hope they didn't receive too many guest's, as this house is one of the smallest on display! It stood out from the others, as it was painted with red, black and white squares along the edges, this was to create an illusion of brick, which it didn't for me. In Skien and Porsgrunn, people did this as they wanted their homes to look European.
A small porch covers the entrance to the single room which once had a fireplace in the corner. The furnishings are original and are decorated with carvings. The interior is covered with scenes from the Bible.

Telemark Farmstead is a collection of traditional log buildings from the area.
The Telemark area extends from the coast of the Oslo fjord, to the Hardanger plateau. This area has large lakes and major river systems, making it possible for river craft to use. Agriculture, animal husbandry and lumber were the main sources of livelihood until the 1900's.

So, in this area of the Museum, I could see the many of the buildings that came from here.

There was the double story house from Yli Nordre, Heddal, which first appeared in the 1500s on the farms of government officials and wealthy farmers. Later, as some farmers became more prosperous in the 1700's, they also built this kind of house. Three rooms are on the ground floor, the antechamber, the main room and the chamber.
The rooms are furnished to the period, and in some, I was able to talk to the person who was there to answer questions, like, there is a cellar in the house, but I can't find it? The entrance is in the cupboard at the foot of the bed!
Upstairs, are two more rooms, a storeroom and the guest room.

Originally, this type of house had a sod roof. When roof tiles began to be made in Telemark, it became fashionable to use them instead of sod.

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The Gol Stave Church at the Museum, is probably one of the better known attractions and most visited at the Museum.

This was my first Stave Church I had seen, so for me, it was a very impressive sight, one not to be missed at the Museum.
The Gol Stave Church is a full-size replica of the original church built in about 1250. Not all is the same though, as in 1884, when the original disassembled, it was found to have been altered and remodeled both in 1664 and 1802. When it was re-erected at the Museum, only the basic interior structure was re-used. The exterior was modeled after Borgund Stavkirke in Sogn on the Norwegian west coast.

The Church has plenty of beautiful wood carvings on the front and side portals and doors. Check out the well worn step into the Church, many feet have walked into this Church!
Inside the church, the corner posts represent the four gospels and the beams upon which the columns rest, represent God's apostles. Rather than being carved, the mural's are painted onto the wood.
The Stave church has been here since 1907.

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A short distance from the Viking Museum, is another good Museum, the Norwegian Open Air Folk Village. It is a big open air museum, so make sure you leave time to see all of it....
approx 1.5 - 2hours.

The museum's indoor exhibits show traditional handicraft items, folk costumes, Sami culture, weapons, toys, pharmaceutical history, exhibitions, arts and crafts activities, folk dancing, baking and church services..
Outside the buildings there are horse and carriage rides, feeding of the animals and guided tours.

I found out there is a lot of walking to be done to find the 158 buildings in the village, most from urban and rural Norway, dating from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

I loved this Village! I found out a lot about early life of Norwegians and what their homes looked like and much more.

ADMISSION.....Adults 100nok....Children 6- 15yrs 25 nok... Family ticket 200 nok.
OPEN....Mon - Friday 10-6pm ...Sat/Sun 10 - 6pm

Over the next few reviews, I will take you on a virtual tour around some of the village

Is it beautiful weather, or as long as it does not rain this is the place to visit. Musemuet is like a park, and you can walk around and see different buildings, it can be a house that they lived in for over 100 years ago, old stave churches, etc. It shows how the Norwegians lived in the old days.

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Great layout, interesting exhibits, all helping you appreciate the ancient way of life in these lands.

Most are self-explanatory, eg admiring the designs on objects, cabins, barns, etc.

Only thing is there is not enough information displayed in English :(