Oslo Hotels

If you can overcome the potential strain on your budget, a cursory tour of Oslo is well worth the expense. While the city may lack the flash of Stockholm and inherent charm of Copenhagen, Oslo provides a welcome departure from urban flurry and commotion. On lovely Oslofjord bay, with dense forests and lush hills and mountains on the perimeter, Oslo is a beautiful city to explore.

Attractions

Oslo proper is replete with a tidy collection of attractions that are easily accessible either on foot or via public transportation.

Akershus Castle is one of the most impressive city fortifications in the world, let alone Europe. Construction began in 1290, with several restorations since to upgrade the stone fortress walls. Despite incursions by everyone from Sweden to Nazi Germany, Akershus has never been successfully taken from Norway. The castle fortress still serves as a base for the Ministry of Defence, as well as a mausoleum for generations of Norwegian royalty.

The Nobel Peace Center, much like the museum of the same name in Stockholm, Sweden, provides intuition on the life of Alfred Nobel, as well as displays about past recipients of the Peace Prize. The Center bestows the influential international honour every December 10, with a grand ceremony at Oslo City Hall.

The foundation was laid for the unusual City Hall in 1931, although formal inauguration did not occur until 1950. The strange, bold structure defines for many residents the best in Oslo architecture. With numerous art exhibits and cultural spectacles, City Hall is worth a tour.

The National Gallery, or Nasjonalgalleriet, is by far the most educational and important museum in Norway. The fabulous structure contains over 50,000 works of art, though the most famous attractions are by native son Edvard Munch.

The wonderful Royal Palace of Norway may not afford occasions to meet with King Harald V but has become one of the most popular attractions in the country since tours became available in 2002.

Events

Oslo offers a full slate of festivals, concerts and events to visitors who want to get out and about.

The biennial Ibsen Stage Festival celebrates the work of famous Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, with performances at the National Theatre.

For the past decade the Iagori Gypsy Music Festival has drawn the best in international folklore talent to Oslo, each September.

The New Oslo Opera House is a fabulous concert hall which hosts myriad performances throughout the year. The Oslo Opera Festival, held every September, aims to spread appreciation of the genre to new generations.

The ULTIMA Oslo Contemporary Music Festival is one of the most vital in Europe, at least in the realm of contemporary music. The foremost event in Norway features concerts, stage productions, dance, films, installations, composer conferences and youth projects.

Climate

The climate of Oslo is humid continental, with a splash of hemiboreal. Summers can bring intense heat, with even snowfall and cold throughout the winter months. The city experiences four distinct seasons.

• Winter (November to March) -1.5-3.5°C

• Spring (April to May) 0.5-15.5°C

• Summer (June to August) 10.5-21.5°C

• Fall (September to October) 3.5-15°C