Top 10 tourist attractions in Oslo


Oslo’s name comes from the ancient Norwegian language, one is “God” and the other is “Grassland”. It’s the capital of Norway and the largest city. Oslo is ideally located at the end of the Oslo Fjord. It faces the sea and is backed by the mountains with a very beautiful natural scenery. Oslo is the capital of oil painting, sculpture and drama, which is full of art. Oslo is also the award place for the Nobel Peace Prize, and the annual awards ceremony is held at the Oslo City Hall. At the same time, there are all kinds of museums in the city. If you are interested in the history, culture and celebrities of Northern Europe, you mustn’t miss this wonderful city.

1. Vigeland Sculpture Park

The Vigeland Sculpture Park is a sculpture-themed park. The statues in the park are completed by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. The most famous among the statues are the “angry boy” and the Monolith. There is a central axis of 850 meters in the garden. There are four different themes along the central axis starting from the main entrance: the bridge of life, the fountain of life, the pillar of life and the ring of life mainly with various statues and reliefs. Not only does each sculpture have its own unique meaning, but even the overall layout of the park contains the artist’s understanding and interpretation of the theme of “life”.

2. Oslo National Gallery

The National Gallery was managed by the National Museum of Art and Architecture since 2003. The parliament decided to build it in 1836 and it was completed in 1842. Originally located in the Royal Palace, it was moved to the new building designed by Heinrich Ernst and Adolf SchirmerIt in 1882. The collection in the museum includes works by sculptor Middleton, by painters Johan Christian Claussen Dahl, Erik Werenskiold and Christian Krohg. There are also some of Munch’s works including the famous one “The Scream”. The date of the painting “The Scream” was considered to be 1893, and many scholars believe that this is the earliest work of “The Scream”.

3. Akershus Festning

The castle was built in 1299 and is also located next to the town hall. During the reign of Christian IV, the castle was transformed into a royal residence. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle gradually declined.  And the work of repair and reconstruction began in 1899. It used to be a prison in history and later became part of the palace. The building is majestic and elegant with the greatly beautiful mosaic glass. The road up the mountain is made of cobblestones and the trees are deep. Visitors can learn the history of Oslo here. In addition, we can overlook the  nice scenery of the harbor of Aker Brygge.

4. Oslo Fjord

The Oslo Fjord is a bay south of Oslo and is part of the Skagerrak Strait. The Oslo Fjord is not a geographical fjord. In fact, the Norwegian word “fjord” can refer to large waterways. There are many small islands in the fjord of Oslo that are dotted with vocational houses in various colors, which is beautiful against the green grass and blue sea.

5. Bygdøy

The Bygdøy is located on the west side of Oslo. The island is home to several museums and is therefore known as the Museum Peninsula. There are the Folklore Museum, the Viking Ship Museum, the Maritime Museum and the Fram Museum. The Fram Museum is well worth visiting. Fram is a ship that was used to explore the Arctic and the South Pole. The name of the ship is “advance”. The first human Amonson who arrived in the Antarctic took Fram to complete the race. There is a lot of information about the competition between him and Scott to conquer the Antarctic, and of course there are quite a lot of ship boarding supplies at the time. In addition to the museum, there are also the summer residences of the Norwegian royal family and many houses with Nordic characteristics. Even if you don’t visit the museum, you can take a stroll here and experience the natural beauty and culture of Norway.

6. City Hall

The Oslo City Hall is located in the heart of the city that is close to the port area. It was completed by Norwegian artists from 1900 to 1950 with constant decoration. It is a reddish-brown office building with a large bell and a mighty statue of a knight on horseback. It is an Oslo landmark building with two twin towers that are very impressive. The most striking thing about the town hall is the murals, as well as the wood carvings on both sides of the town hall. The murals are brightly colored and in harmony with the Nordic architectural style. The woodcarvings are directly carved out of logs showing the history of Norway. The City Hall is an office that is completely open to the public and tourists. Visitors who want to visit can follow the tour guides for free.

7. Fram Museum

The Fram Museum is a triangular building on the Bygdøy Island that was officially opened on May 20, 1936. The museum features three great Fram expeditions from 1893 to 1912 in nine languages. One of the most important exhibits is the world’s strongest wooden ship and the first ship in Norway dedicated to polar research – the Fram polar ship. Visitors can board the boat to visit the inner cabin and machinery room. The temporary exhibition highlights the bipolar issues that continue to heat up, the items brought back by each expedition, and the world’s largest library of polar themes with more than 220 books.

8. Oslo Palace

The palace was built in the 19th century and is the place where the king and queen live. The palace is open to travelers in summer. You must attend an explanation group of about 1 hour if you want to visit the inside of the palace. When the royal flag rises above the palace, the king is in the palace. In front of the palace there is a bronze statue of King Carl John. The palace garden is with trees that are tall and dense, grassy flowers and fragrance, which is quiet and elegant.

9. Munch Museum

The museum’s is not big but the design is exquisite with a large number of glass design, which makes it bright and comfortable. The museum shows the works of Munch’s various periods. We can know Munch’s art and creation history from all aspects. The museum let his fans express their love for him and his works here. After the visit, there is an exhibition hall dedicated to show visitors’ own paintings about “The Scream”, which reflects their understanding and love for this wonderful work. When we come out, there is another studio that broadcast Munch’s life. There is a row of Munch’s works outside the hall that is made in the form of reliefs. It writes “please touch the art of Edvard Munch”.

10. Oslo Cathedral

Oslo Cathedral is a Dutch baroque cross-shaped church. It was opened by the bishop Hans Rosin on November 7, 1697. The interior decoration work was not completed until about 1720. There is an organ inside the church and a large number of paintings hung on the walls. The watch that was placed in 1718 is the oldest church bell still in use in Norway today. The Oslo Cathedral is the official Norwegian church where many national and royal major celebrations take place. At 12 o’clock on Wednesdays, visitors can experience Lutheran’s organ worship service. At that time, the ancient pipe organ of 6000 tubes in the church is played.

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