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Towering over the Cruise Ship Terminal and seemingly demanding a visit is the Akershus Castle. Originally built in 1300 to protect Oslo from rival contestants for the Norwegian crown, the castle has been besieged several times but never captured. It has been a royal residence, a fortress and a prison.
The present structure dates mostly from the 17th Century, when King Christian IV converted it into a Renaissance castle. It has banqueting halls, secret passages, and towers giving it the atmosphere of a romantic castle. The castle is still used on royal and state occasions and the guards are Norwegian soldiers. There are nice views of the city and of the fjord from the castle's grounds and gardens. |
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Lying on the opposite side of the Akershus from the cruise ship
terminal is a military complex. It houses, amongst other things, a museum that tells the story of Norway's resistance during the Nazi occupation. It also contains the Forsvarsmuseet (Armed Forces Museum) tracing the history of the Norwegian military. |
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Radhuset (Town Hall) isnot far from the cruise terminal. It
was built in the 1950s. Outside it is covered with 1.5 million hand-made bricks. Inside are murals, carvings and tapestries by Norwegian artists. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies are held at the Radhuset. (Oslo has opened a Nobel Peace Prize Center nearby). Also nearby, along the waterfront, there are often shop stalls and street performers |
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Inland behind the Radhuset, you come to an area of broad tree lined streets and public gardens. There, one finds the National
Theater (above left). The statues in front of the building are of Henrik Ibsen and Bjornstjerne Bjornson, two of Norway's greatest writers.
Nearby is the Norwegian Parliament building (above rght).
Theater (above left). The statues in front of the building are of Henrik Ibsen and Bjornstjerne Bjornson, two of Norway's greatest writers.
Nearby is the Norwegian Parliament building (above rght).
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Walking in the other direction from the cruise terminal you can follow the shore to the modern National Opera and Ballet. Its sloping roof, looks as if it could do double duty as a ski slope. Visitors are permitted to walk on the roof.
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On the other side of the harbor on Bygdoy Peninsula are several museums. (There is a ferry that leaves from the waterfront by the City Hall to Bygdoy).
One of the most popular museums is the Vikingshiphuset (Viking Ship Museum) where three ships from the Viking period are on display (right). Nearby is the Kon-Tiki-museet dedicated to the explorations of Thor Heyerdahl. In 1947, Heyerdahl built and sailed the balsa raft Kon Tiki from Peru to Polynesia to support his theory that ancient South Americans could have had contact with the Pacific islanders, especially Easter Island. He subsequently sailed an Egyptian-style boat called the Ra II across the Atlantic in order to show that ancient Egyptians could have had contact with ancient Americans. Both the Ra II (below) and the Kon Tiki (below right) are on display. |
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Another museum on the Bygdoy peninsula is the Norsk Folkemuseum, which has 155 traditional Norwegian buildings that were brought to this site from all over Norway. These include an example of a traditional stave church from 1200. Guides in traditional dress tell about the buildings. Exhibits show traditional costumes, weapons, toys and other historical artifacts.
There is also the Norwegian Maritime Museum, which includes the exploration ship Fram used in the polar explorations of Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen. |
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Other places of interest in the Oslo area incluce: the Munch Museum, which houses a large : collection of artist Edvard Munch's
work.
Along the same lines, the Vigelandmusset (Vigeland Sculpture Park) is dedicated to the works of sculptor Gustav Vigeland. In 1921, Vigeland gave all of his sculptures to the city of Oslo and they are displayed in an outdoor setting along with the studio in which he worked.
The Nasjonalgallerit (National Gallery) has a cross-section of European art with emphasis on Norwegian artists.
The Slottet is Norway's Royal Palace, the home of Norway's king. The palace is not open to the public but the surrounding grounds
are open. The changing of the guard takes places at 10:30.
In the suburbs of Oslo, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump towers over the surroundings. Built for the 1952 Winter Olympics, it offers
panoramic views of the city and fjord for those daring enough to go up it. Underneath the jump is the Skimuseet, which has artifacts and exhibits about the history of skiing.
work.
Along the same lines, the Vigelandmusset (Vigeland Sculpture Park) is dedicated to the works of sculptor Gustav Vigeland. In 1921, Vigeland gave all of his sculptures to the city of Oslo and they are displayed in an outdoor setting along with the studio in which he worked.
The Nasjonalgallerit (National Gallery) has a cross-section of European art with emphasis on Norwegian artists.
The Slottet is Norway's Royal Palace, the home of Norway's king. The palace is not open to the public but the surrounding grounds
are open. The changing of the guard takes places at 10:30.
In the suburbs of Oslo, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump towers over the surroundings. Built for the 1952 Winter Olympics, it offers
panoramic views of the city and fjord for those daring enough to go up it. Underneath the jump is the Skimuseet, which has artifacts and exhibits about the history of skiing.
Cruise destination travel guide - - Norway- - Oslo - - Attractions