The Berkeley Guides:
Berkeley Guide to Europe:
Norway:
Oslo
What sets Oslo apart from other European cities is not so much its cultural tradition or its internationally renowned museums as its spectacular natural beauty. What other world capital has subway service to the forest, or lakes and hiking trails within the city limits? And where else but Oslo could you get lost in the woods while making your museum rounds? But Norwegians will be quick to remind you that Oslo is as cosmopolitan as any world capital (or at least any Scandinavian capital). It has a brain-numbing collection of museums, a long-standing theater scene, and varied, vibrant nightlife. And like other major metropolises, Oslo also has modern architectural monstrosities, traffic problems, and even a bit of urban sprawl.
Founded by Harald Hardråde in about 1048, Oslo is the oldest Scandinavian capital. After the original city on the eastern side of the Oslo fjord was repeatedly destroyed by fire, the 17th-century Danish king Christian IV moved it to its present site and renamed it Christiania. (Its original name was reinstated in 1925.) The city sprawls around the Oslo fjord and into the surrounding woodlands, and a mind-boggling public transit network connects all the major (and minor) sights, most of them outside the city center. Akershus and Nordmarka, the wilderness areas surrounding Oslo, are full of opportunities for hiking, boating, rafting, biking, fishing, and skiing. Check with the DNT or tourist offices (see Visitor Information, below) for details, or just take Tunnelbanen (T-bane) 15 to Frognerseteren and go for a hike.
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