Guide to Oslo, Norway Travel

The capital of Norway is situated on the water, at the end of the 60 mile long Oslo Fjord.  Oslo is one of the largest capital cities in the world, covering 175 square miles, but only contains 500,000 residents.  Cruise ships dock downtown, and it is an easy walk to the City Hall and the downtown area.

Our favorites:

1. City Hall -- the site of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, this 1950's building features a number of murals by Norwegian artists.

2. Vigeland Sculpture Park -- this one is difficult to explain, and our photos don't do it justice. The park features sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, depicting human life from birth to death.

3. Slottet (Royal Palace) -- a short walk from downtown, you can visit the park surrounding the palace, and watch the changing of the guard at 1:30pm daily.  We missed this attraction, but others from our ship who visited the palace enjoyed it.

Cruise tips:

1. It's such a short walk from the ship to downtown that you should plan on seeing as much of Oslo as possible.  The city is very walkable, and you will find the residents friendly and English-speaking. 

2. Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in Europe, so your cruise accommodations will be a real bargain. 

3. On our tour (Oslo Highlights), our guide was telling us about one of the kings of Norway who used to take the public bus out to the ski slopes.