Oslo: The land of Vikings

TRAVELING / Norway / Norway - Oslo: The land of VikingsOslo: The land of Vikings

The capital of Norway, Oslo, is undoubtedly the most attractive and beautiful city in the country. It is rightfully considered a true mirror of the history and modernity of Norway. The appearance of Oslo reflected fires, wars, the power of Denmark, and then Sweden, periods of prosperity and decline, poverty and wealth, which eventually turned it into a real pearl of Scandinavia.

Today, the residence of the King and the Government of Norway is located in Oslo, and the city itself is the main cultural center of the country with many iconic places and architectural sights.
Oslo is by right considered the most attractive and interesting city in Norway. On its territory there are grandiose architectural monuments, numerous museums, magnificent parks.

One of the most prominent buildings of the city is the Town Hall of red brick. Its inner halls are decorated with antique frescoes and tapestries, and in a graceful courtyard adorning the fountain of Dire Va. Another prominent building in Oslo is the Government House (1958), which has a strict and unusual appearance. Every tourist considers it his duty to see the Royal Castle, similar to the White House in an old noble style.

The main street of Oslo, where many interesting buildings are located, is considered Karl-Johansgate. Here are located the National Theater, the Parliament building, art workshops and other notable buildings. Also, we recommend you to visit the New Opera, the fortress of Akerhus, the Nobel Peace Center, the amusement park Tusenfryd and the Holocaust Center. Among the museums in the first place is the Museum of Viking ships, the Norwegian Ethnographic Museum, the Munch Museum and the Kon-Tiki Museum. In addition, a must-see place is the amazing sculpture park Vigelandsparken with 212 sculptures.

In Oslo, there is a huge number of Norwegian restaurants that offer a wide selection of national dishes. It should be noted that almost all the Norwegian menu is based on fish and seafood, which are prepared according to the most varied and original recipes. The most popular are salmon, cod and shrimp. Also, they prepare delicious dishes from whale cuttings, however they are quite expensive, since hunting for whales is limited by law.

The main product of Norway is herring, from which they prepare snacks, salads, pates, soups, second dishes and bake pies. Well, from meat dishes Norwegians prefer fried pork ribs, as well as canned lamb and sheep heads, which are traditionally prepared for Christmas. In addition, during your stay in Oslo, we recommend trying traditional brown goat cheese and a variety of pastries.

From everyday drinks Norwegians prefer black coffee and milk. The most popular alcoholic beverage here is akevitt, which is prepared from 40% grain or potato alcohol, herbal on herbs and spices. Also it is worth trying a hot "gluck" (gløgg) of red wine, spices, raisins and almonds.
In Oslo there is a huge number of hotels for every taste. And here there is no European five-star classification, but the standards of service practically do not differ from the generally accepted ones. It is worth noting that in almost all hotels in the room includes breakfast.

The most expensive hotels (Hotel Continental, Lysebu Hotel, Losby Gods Manor, etc.) are located directly in the center of Oslo, as well as in its eastern part, and offer their guests a wide variety of all kinds of services and entertainment. However, prices in such hotels are quite high. Less expensive options are scattered throughout the city: small hotels, family pensions and budget hostels.

Oslo is famous for its noisy night life: every day after midnight, its doors for visitors are opened with all kinds of night cafes, clubs, bars and restaurants. Also Oslo is one of the favorite cities of jazz, classical and rock music performers from around the world. In addition, the city has a considerable number of theaters and cabarets, where in the autumn and winter regular performances are given. Well, in the world-famous Philharmonic Oslo, there are always great concerts with sold-out performances. Fans of cinema in the city will also like it, because its cinemas are considered to be among the best in Europe.

Oslo is rich in various festivals. Of these, the largest are the music festival "Norwegian Forest" and the Chamber Music Festival "Oia". It is worth noting that the city often hosts numerous free events, such as jazz concerts in the National Theater. And in front of the building of the theater, street performers, singers, clowns, musicians and jugglers constantly perform. Throughout the summer on the streets of the city concerts, marches, parades, theatrical performances are arranged.

And, of course, one can not help saying that Oslo, like all of Norway, is famous for its ski runs and descents. Quite near the city is the most popular park Trivann.


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Oslo has a special combination of city life and easy access to the great outdoors.

Oslo is one of very few cities in Norway, besides 
Bergen and Tønsberg, that does not have a formal coat of arms, but which uses a city seal instead. The seal of Oslo shows the city's patron saintSt. Hallvard, with his attributes, the millstone and arrows, with a naked woman at his feet. He is seated on a throne with lion decorations, which at the time was also commonly used by the Norwegian Kings

Culture

Oslo has a large and varied number of cultural attractions, which include several buildings containing artwork from Edvard Munch and various other international artists but also several Norwegian artists. Several world-famous writers have either lived or been born in Oslo. Examples are Knut Hamsun and Henrik Ibsen. The government has recently invested large amounts of money in cultural installations, facilities, buildings and festivals in the City of Oslo. Bygdøy, outside the city centre is the centre for history and the Norwegian Vikings' history. The area contains a large number of parks and seasites and many museums. Examples are the Fram MuseumVikingskiphuset and the Kon-Tiki Museum. Oslo hosts the annual Oslo Freedom Forum, a conference described by The Economist as "on its way to becoming a human-rights equivalent of the Davos economic forum.Oslo is also known for giving out the Nobel Peace Prize every year.
 

A large number of festivals are held in Oslo, such as Oslo Jazz festival, a six-day Jazz festival which has been held annually in August for the past 25 years. Oslo's biggest Rock festival is Øyafestivalen or simply "Øya". It draws about 60,000 people to the Medieval Park east in Oslo and last for four days.

The Oslo International Church Music Festival has been held annually since 2000. The Oslo World Music Festival showcases people who are stars in their own country but strangers in Norway. The Oslo Chamber Music Festival is held in August every year and world-class chambers and soloists gather in Oslo to perform at this festival. The Norwegian Wood Rock Festival is held every year in June in Oslo.

 

The Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony is headed by the Institute; the award ceremony is held annually in The City Hall on 10 December. Even though Sami land is far away from the capital, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History marks the Sami National Day with a series of activities and entertainment.

Oslo houses several major museums and galleries. The Munch Museum contains The Scream and other works by Edvard Munch, who donated all his work to the city after his death. The City-Council is currently planning a new Munch Museum which is most likely to be built in Bjørvika, in the southeast of the city. The museum will be named Munch/Stenersen.50 different museums are located around the city.Folkemuseet is located on the Bygdøy peninsula and is dedicated to Folk art, Folk Dress, Sami culture and the vikingculture. The outdoor museum contains 155 authentic old buildings from all parts of Norway, including a Stave Church.The Vigeland Museum located in the large Frogner Park, is free to access and contains over 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland including an obelisk and the Wheel of Life. Another popular sculpture is Sinnataggen, a baby boy stamping his foot in fury. This statue is very well known as an icon in the city. There is also a newer landscaped sculpture park, Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, with works by Norwegian and international artists such as Salvador Dalí.

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