Travel_Photography: Oslo – Home to the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Oslo – Home to the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony

Oslo, the capital of Norway, ranked number one in 2012 in terms of quality of life among European large cities. Oslo does have a very nice vibe. It is surrounded by green hills and mountains. There are 40 islands within the city limits with numerous lakes. Within the city, there are abundant green spaces and the most interesting is the Frogner Park with sculptures of people and animals (left). The architecture is very diverse, ranging from medieval, Akershus Fortress and Castle, through traditional northern European, City Hall, to modern, Oslo Opera House.

The City Hall is home to the Nobel Peace Prize Award ceremony every year on December 10^th, marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.

What to see in Oslo?

1. Akershus Castle and Fortress - medieval castle, later rebuilt into a renaissance castle.

2. City Hall - its characteristic architecture, artworks, and the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, makes it one of Oslo's one of the most famous buildings.

3. National Museum - if you like modern art, it holds Norway's most extensive collections of art, architecture and design.

4. Royal Palace - is open to the public only during the summer and you must follow a guided tour since this is a living space of the royal family. This is not a museum.

5. Opera House - the angled exterior surfaces of the building make it appear to rise from the water.

6. Vigeland Park - is the world's largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland. (Tram 12 to get there)

7. Norwegian Museum of Cultural History / Folk Museum - displays buildings from rural and urban Norway from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. The buildings display folk art, folk dress, church art, Sami culture, and more. This is a great option to experience the Sami culture, if you're not heading north above the Arctic Circle. (See September 2015 post) (Bus 30 to get there)

Where to stay?

Comfort Borsparken is a good option. It is located across Opera House and walking distance to Akershus, City Hall, National Museum, and Royal Palace.

Where to go from Oslo?

1. Scenic Train Ride from Oslo to Bergen is considered one of the world's most scenic train rides by Bergen Railway www.nsb.no

2. Geirangerfjord is the most spectacular fjord of Norway, UNESCO World Heritage Site (see Sept. 2015 post); by NSB train about 5,5 hrs to Andalsnes, from Andalsnes by local bus to Geiranger during the summer time only.

3. Lillehammer has one of the best open air folk museum, then continue to Trondheim with Old Town full of colorful houses set on piles (see Sept. 2015 post); by NSB train/Dovre Railway – it runs through beautiful Gudbrandsdalen valley across the mighty Dovrefjell mountain range.

4. Copenhagen, Denmark – by ferry www.aferry.com

5. Stockholm, Sweden – by train 5,5 hrs www.raileurope.com

City Hall interior

The center of Frogner Park is decorated with the world famous Vigeland installation – sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland between the 1920s and 1943. The sculpture installation is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist.