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    Tourist Attractions in Oslo

    The most interesting and beautiful tourist attractions in Oslo. Photos and a brief description.

    Oslo
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    About Oslo

    The prosperous and well–maintained Oslo is an example of restraint, diligence and determination of the northern peoples, who needed to work hard and constantly invent something new in order to survive. The best trends of modern architecture and progressive solutions in the field of urban infrastructure have united in the Norwegian capital. The magnificent Opera House and the Astrup-Fearnley Museum Complex are bright examples of urban planning of the future.

    On the other hand, there are almost no old buildings and neighborhoods left in Oslo. The city temples were built in the late XVIII – early XIX centuries, the palaces are not distinguished by special splendor and luxury. An idea of the medieval architecture of the Norwegian capital can be made only by the Akershus fortress and the old Aker Church.

    Top Tourist Attractions in Oslo

    Akershus

    The castle of the XIV century in the central part of Oslo, the center of a powerful medieval fortification, which performed defensive functions until the XVII century. Under the ruler Christian IV, the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. In the XIX century, the complex fell into disrepair, after which a complete restoration was carried out, and it became a place for state receptions. The castle chapel contains the graves of several Norwegian kings.

    Akershus
    Royal Palace

    Royal Palace

    The building of the mid-XIX century, originally built for King Karl Johan as his summer residence. The exterior facade of the palace looks quite modest and emphasizes northern Norwegian restraint. The interior is decorated with works of national art. The building is surrounded by a park, there is a regular changing of the guard on the palace square. It is possible to visit the palace with an excursion from June to August.

    Parliament Building (Storting)

    The structure was built according to the project of the Swedish architect K. Johans. It is located near the Royal Palace. Compared to the royal residence, the parliament building looks quite elegant. The Norwegian Parliament, consisting of 169 deputies, sits in the Storting. Special excursions are organized for tourists, but in the period from September to June they are held only on Saturdays.

    Parliament Building (Storting)
    Town Hall

    Town Hall

    The building where the Oslo City Council meets. This is a modern building erected in the middle of the XX century. The idea of building a new town hall arose after the breakup of the Swedish-Norwegian union in 1905. The Town Hall building is a significant architectural monument of the XX century and a famous symbol of Oslo. The annual ceremony of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize takes place on its territory.

    Karl-Johan Street

    One of the main streets of the city, named after King Charles IV Johan. It stretches from the Royal Palace to the Central Railway Station. The street is pedestrian. Oslo offers numerous restaurants, shops and souvenir shops. The main city attractions are located along the street: the Norwegian National Theater, the Cathedral, the Parliament building, the palace Park.

    Karl-Johan Street
    Aker Bruges district

    Aker Bruges district

    At the beginning of the XIX century, Aker Bruges was an industrial area where the shipyards of the Akers Mek corporation were stationed. In the 80s of the XX century, it was decided to create a recreational and entertainment zone on the territory of the district. Industrial buildings were demolished fairly quickly, some of the buildings were reformatted and rebuilt. Nowadays, Aker Bruges is a fashionable area with expensive shopping malls, apartments and trendy restaurants.text

    Viking Ship Museum

    Museum on the Bygde Peninsula within the city limits of Oslo, where the famous Viking drakkars are exhibited: the Ozeberg ship, the Gokstad ship, the Tyun ship. The exposition is part of the collection of the Museum of Cultural History. The building for the museum was erected at the beginning of the XX century with funds from the state budget. Each ship is housed in a separate room. In addition to ships, in the museum you can see various exhibits of the Viking age: carts, beds, vessels, sleds.

    Viking Ship Museum
    Kon-Tiki Museum

    Kon-Tiki Museum

    The museum's exposition tells about the life and work of the Norwegian traveler T. Heyerdahl. This man is known for crossing the Pacific Ocean on a raft in 1947, and also made several more long expeditions (including to Easter Island). The museum houses all the vessels on which the traveler sailed: "Kon-Tiki", "Ra", "Fatu-Khiva", "Tigris", "Ra II". The collection was founded by one of Heyerdahl's associates, K. Haugland.

    Vigeland Museum

    The museum's collection is dedicated to the work of the original Norwegian artist E. Vigeland. The museum building was designed in 1926 with the participation of the master himself. The main hall of the museum is painted with frescoes that demonstrate various moments of human existence. The collection consists of paintings, drawings, sculptures created by Vigeland. Inside the building in the chapel is the grave of the artist.

    Vigeland Museum
    Fram Museum

    Fram Museum

    The museum exposition is dedicated to numerous Norwegian sea expeditions. The central exhibit is the ship "Fram", which visited three large voyages in the late XIX – early XX centuries. These trips were organized for the purpose of exploring and conquering the North Pole, but the attempt was successful only the second time. Along the way, the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago were explored. The Fram Museum was opened in 1936.

    Munch Museum

    The opening of the museum was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Edvard Munch, a famous Norwegian graphic artist and expressionist. This event took place in 1963. Over time, the museum turned into one of the largest cultural centers in Oslo. The collection consists of several hundred paintings, 1.8 thousand engravings, 4.5 thousand drawings and several sculptures belonging to the master's hand. In 2004, several exhibits were stolen from the museum, but two years later they were returned to their place.

    Munch Museum
    People's Museum of Norway

    People's Museum of Norway

    An open-air museum, organized at the end of the XIX century. It covers an area of 14 hectares. The exposition consists of traditional Norwegian houses of various eras, collected from all over the country (more than 155 buildings in total). Inside, the traditional atmosphere is recreated, giving an idea of the rural and urban life of the past times. A particularly valuable specimen is the ancient church of 1200.

    National Gallery

    The city art Gallery, which exhibits paintings by famous Norwegian and European masters. The museum was organized in the first half of the XIX century. There are works by Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Monet, Matisse, Gauguin, Goya, Van Gogh and other artists of the XIX – XX centuries. Separate expositions are dedicated to Norwegian painters, there is even a collection of Russian icons of the Novgorod school. Entrance to the gallery is free on Sundays.

    National Gallery
    Heni-Unstad Art Center

    Heni-Unstad Art Center

    The center is about 10 km away. from the Norwegian capital. It was founded by spouses Niels Unstad and Sonja Heni in 1968. The collection is based on the private collection of the family, consisting of 110 paintings. The Art Center consists of six exhibition halls, an auditorium and a conference room. Outstanding masters — "classics" of modern art are exhibited here: Picasso, F. Leger, J. Miro, M. Ernst, P. Klee and others.

    Astrup-Fearnley Museum of Modern Art

    The museum building is located on the territory of a picturesque harbor. This modern structure consists of three parts, united by a common glass roof. In two parts of the building there is a museum, in the third there are offices. From the pavilion to the pavilion, you can walk over bridges over canals. In front of the museum there is a small picturesque park, perfect for relaxing after visiting the museum exposition.

    Astrup-Fearnley Museum of Modern Art
    Nobel Peace Center

    Nobel Peace Center

    The Nobel Peace Center is a discussion club, museum, archive and creative space. It was opened in 2005 in the presence of the Norwegian royal family. The expositions of the center show the peacemaking role of Europe in solving military conflicts and problems of a global scale, such as neglect of nature, climate change, pollution. There is a school at the institution.text

    Oslo Opera House

    The National Opera Stage, located in an outstanding building of modern architecture. The theater opened in 2008 and almost immediately became one of the most popular attractions in Oslo. Even the President of Finland and the Queen of Denmark arrived at the opening ceremony. The architecture of the opera house building is dominated by asymmetrical lines, unusual shapes and large spaces. According to the reviews of the audience, excellent acoustics were achieved in the main hall.

    Oslo Opera House
    Norwegian National Theatre

    Norwegian National Theatre

    The largest drama theater in Norway, built in 1899. A hundred years later, the building was declared a national cultural heritage. The construction of the theater was financed from private funds, at first it existed on sponsorship money. Later, the theater was transferred to the state administration. The theater stage is dominated by plays by Norwegian, Swedish, and German playwrights, but sometimes works by other authors are staged.

    Cathedral

    The main temple of Oslo, built in the XVII century at the expense of citizens. Since the XII century, there have been two Christian churches in its place, but both have not stood the test of time. Stones, remnants of walls and other building materials left over from old buildings were used in the construction of the Cathedral. In 2006, a large reconstruction was carried out and many interior details were replaced, but the ancient altar of the XVII century was preserved.

    Cathedral
    St. Olaf Cathedral

    St. Olaf Cathedral

    The Catholic church, which was built in the middle of the XIX century in the Neo-Gothic style. After many years of persecution of Catholics as a result of the Reformation, they still managed to regain their right to their own cathedral in the Norwegian capital. In honor of the consecration of the cathedral, Queen Josephine granted the parish a copy of the Sistine Madonna by Raphael. In 1989, Pope John Paul II visited here. He presented a part of the relics of St. Olaf as a gift to the temple.

    Holy Trinity Church

    A spacious church of the XIX century, which is designed for about 1000 parishioners. The temple was built by architect A. Chateauneuf in the Neo-Gothic style. The building has a cruciform shape and is crowned with a bell tower. The exterior facade is made mainly of red brick. Inside there is an altar of the XIX century and a historical organ. The windows of the church are decorated with picturesque stained glass windows.

    Holy Trinity Church
    The old Church of Aker

    The old Church of Aker

    The oldest building in Oslo and the only surviving medieval temple. The structure is considered a valuable architectural monument. The first mention of this church is found in the sources of the XI-XII centuries. Presumably, the temple was built under King Olaf III, who ruled Norway in 1067-1093. The first building was wooden, later a stone building appeared. In the XIX century, they wanted to demolish the church, but the Society for the Protection of Historical Monuments stood up for it.

    Spasskoye Cemetery

    One of the oldest necropolises in Oslo, founded in 1808. In the middle of the XIX century, the cemetery acquired its own Lutheran church, which, surprisingly enough, has housed a parish of the Russian Orthodox Church since 2003. Burials stopped in the middle of the XX century and the cemetery was declared a memorial. There are graves of famous political, scientific and cultural figures of Norway.

    Spasskoye Cemetery
    Oslo Botanical Garden

    Oslo Botanical Garden

    Norway is a country with a cool climate and a lot of rainy days. The more Oslo residents and tourists appreciate the beauty of the city's botanical garden, which blooms in summer and fills the warmed air with sweet aromas. The garden was founded at the beginning of the XIX century during the maximum interest of European scientists in botany. In addition to ornamental plants, medicinal herbs are grown in large quantities on the territory.

    Vigeland Sculpture Park

    The park is located in the open air, it houses 227 sculptures made of various materials: granite, iron, bronze. The exhibits were created by the Norwegian sculptor G. Vigeland. The master created only nudes, some sculptures of the park cause ambiguous emotions, but it is believed that he was an outstanding sculptor. The central composition "Monolith" consists of intertwined human figures and depicts the cycle of life.

    Vigeland Sculpture Park
    Tusenfried Amusement Park

    Tusenfried Amusement Park

    Tusenfried is considered one of the largest and most popular amusement parks in Scandinavia. There are high-speed roller coasters, all kinds of bungee rides, carousels for the youngest visitors. On one of the attractions, you can experience the real state of weightlessness as in Space. There are many cafes and eateries on the territory of the park, where a large selection of street food is provided.text

    Akerselva River

    One of the longest rivers in Norway, stretching for 8.2 km. National parks and nature reserves are located on its shores. While walking along the Akerselva River, you can enjoy wonderful views of northern Norwegian nature. The river also flows through the territory of Oslo and provides economic activity of some industrial enterprises of the city.

    Akerselva River
    Sognsvann Lakes

    Sognsvann Lakes

    A wonderful area for outdoor recreation, where Norwegians like to go with the whole family for weekends and vacations. Hiking with tents in the vicinity of the lake, cycling, as well as skiing and ice skating in winter are very popular with locals. It is not uncommon to see Norwegian political figures doing a morning jog or doing exercises here.

    Holmenkollen

    One of the urban areas of Oslo, or rather, part of the Vestre Aker district. Ski and biathlon trails are equipped on its territory, there are hotels, guest cottages, restaurants and a full-fledged tourist infrastructure. Holmenkollen is located on a hill at the highest point of Oslo, one of the stages of the Biathlon World Cup is held here every year. The district turned into a sports and cultural center at the end of the XIX century.

    Holmenkollen
    Oslo Fjord

    Oslo Fjord

    A picturesque bay, one of the famous Norwegian fjords, which stretches from the Danish Straits to Oslo. People have settled on the shores of the Oslo Fjord since the Stone Age, well-preserved remains of ancient Viking dragonboats have been found here. There are a great many small islands scattered around the bay, the coastline is heavily indented, which creates obstacles for the passage of large vessels.