Welcome to Norway, home to the Vikings, the land of the midnight sun, and the inspiration behind the beautiful landscapes of the movie Frozen. While on my 6-months exchange, I discovered many beauties about Norway and its capital city, Oslo, and here's my personal list of 5 must-see places in Oslo, Norway.
(I apologise in advance for the photo dump, I got a little carried away đ¤Ł)
1) Oslo Opera House
One of the key sights in Oslo, the Opera House is home to the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and sits at the head of Oslofjord. The design of the building is really unique, and this is probably one of the few places in the world where you are encouraged to climb its roof! The sides of the roofs have stairs that people can use to climb up, or you can just freely walk up the slopes. The view from the top of the Opera House is amazing, and you get to glimpse a little bit more of Oslofjord and the buildings surrounding the Opera House. I personally feel that this is the most beautiful Opera House amongst the Scandinavian ones.
You can also get an amazing view of the sunset from the Opera House. Just chill there with your friends or loved ones, and enjoy the breeze and scenic view. It is also free to simply enter the Opera House to take a look at the architecture inside. They have a really cool locker/coat area for visitor's usage (usually during winter for people to drop off their winter coats before heading inside the theatre), and the interior design there is amazing!
It is also really convenient to go to the Opera House - it's about a 3-5 minutes walk from Oslo Central Station, so you can just take a short walk there after landing in Oslo! (P.s. there are lockers at the Central Station, so you can drop off your luggage before heading to explore the area around the city centre!)
2) Toboggan run (Korktrekkeren)
If you have the chance to visit Oslo during winter, this is definitely a place that I will recommend visiting. Located at the end of Line 1, the Frognerseteren metro station offers a beautiful bird's eye view of the city, and is the start of Korktrekkeren - Oslo's most popular Toboggan run (aka a sledding trail). According to VisitNorway, Korktrekkeren is 2,000 metres long, and the elevation drop is 255 metres. One non-stop ride takes about 8â10 minutes, and you can then take the metro back up to Frognerseteren station for another round. Sled rental is on a per-day basis, and cost around SGD16-24 per day. While I was there on exchange, I went sledding with my friends thrice, and it was really fun and enjoyable! It is definitely an experience that I miss, and the view while sledding down was pretty! My friends and I even stopped midway (where there's a flat area) to have a snowball fight - my first snowball fight and a memory very precious to me.
I wanted to highlight the view from Frognerseteren metro station as well. As the station is located pretty high up the mountains, the view of the entire city is unblocked, and it's beyond amazing. I honestly felt awe when I first saw the view, and it really melt away my tiredness. Fun fact, the Frognerseteren metro station is located 469 metres above sea level, and holds the record for being the metro line with the highest altitude difference in the world (it is about 478 metres difference between Frognerseteren and Stortinget - the lowest station in the Oslo Metro).
3) The Royal Palace
Home to the Norwegian Royal Family, the Royal Palace is a trade-mark of the city. Located in the city center of Oslo, the palace is easily accessible (just a short 5-minute walk from Nationalthetret Station), and is surrounded by the Palace Park (Norwegian: Slottsparken) - one of the largest park in Oslo. The statue right in front of the palace building is of King Charles III John, the King of Norway and Sweden during the first half of the 19th century (when the palace was built). It is a very nice place to just take a walk, grab some photos, and chill with your friends! Also, the Royal Palace is open to the public during the summer season, where you can have guided tours of the palace. If you would like to see more action at the Royal Palace, plan your trip in May to coincide with Norway's National Day (May 17), and you'll catch a glimpse of the Royal Family and the Children's parade, and just soak in the atmosphere!
4) Sognsvann
Located near KringsjĂĽ, Sognsvann is a popular lake in the North of Oslo, and many people come here for recreational activities. The lake is 3.3km in circumference, and has one of the most beautiful view I've seen while on exchange. Sognsvann is one of my favourite place to go to, and I made it a point to run at least once there when the snow melt, and I have to say, it was one of the best run I ever had. The sheer amount of greenery and beauty offered by the lake is immense, and I loved every moment spent there!
As for accessibility, you can get there by taking the metro to Sognsvann Station (on Line 5), or if you're heading to Oslo for exchange, it is walkable from KringsjĂĽ Student Village. So if you love nature, you know which student village is for you đ
In winter, you'll see Norwegians with their skis heading to Sognsvann for a quick ski session (Norwegians are basically one with the ski), and the lake is also frozen and covered with snow! Perfect to make a snow angel (try it - my friend jumped into the snow) or have a snow fight with your friends! In summer, people head there to chill, swim, have barbecues or mass-gathering session! It's definitely a lot more lively there during the summer, warmth does a lot to change people's behaviours and mood.
5) Frognerparken (+ Vigeland Sculpture Installations)
Last on my Top 5 list is Frognerparken, the largest park in Oslo. In the center of Frognerparken is the Vigeland sculpture installations, informally known as Vigelandsparken (Vigeland Sculpture Park) but is not actually a separate park on its own! Fun fact, the sculpture installation is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland. My friends and I even tried to copy some of the sculptures and it turned out pretty funny. If you're interested in sculptures, or just walking around, this is a good place to go, and I definitely recommend checking this sculpture park out! There is also a fountain display in the middle area of the park, and a lot of green spaces to just chill and hang around.
To get to Frognerparken, you can take a direct tram or walk there! From Oslo Central Station (Jernbanetorget station), you can take a metro to Majorstuen station (all 5 metro lines work) and walk around 300 metres (according to Google), or take tram #12 from the tram station right outside the Central Station (I think it is platform B). The tram will take you right outside the park, you'll just need to cross the road and you'll be there.
That's it for my Top 5 places to visit in Oslo, Norway! Of course, this is not all, Oslo has a lot more places worth visiting! Writing this brought back lots of good memories, and Norway is honestly reallllyyyy pretty đ I hope for you to be able to visit these places some day.
---
Valerie is a Sociology major from National University of Singapore. She loves baking, photography, and scenic walks/hikes. She has a photography account on Instagram (@travalogues) where she dumps all her exchange travel photos.
*****
Did you find this article useful? Want to give back a little? It only takes a second to share this post onto your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or forward it to someone who may benefit from it. Share it and help other students find The Student Corner, proudly brought to you by the student team of Euni.co. If you haven't already, go and check our platform out.
Comments