Since 2001, the United Nations has consistently ranked Norway at the top of its Human Development Index (measuring life expectancy, literacy, GDP per capita, etc).
The locals are very aware that they’re living in “the best country in the world”. Lukewarm towards the EU and reluctant to enter the Euro zone, Norway’s currency is kroner (meaning crowns). In February 2009, 1 GBP was 10 kroner.
Formerly a Viking capital, according to Norse sagas Oslo was founded by King Harald Hardrade around 1049 AD.
The city is surrounded by fjords, hills and mountains and these are where locals go at every opportunity. Be prepared for long, cold, white winter nights and sunny summer evenings, as the sun may set at 3pm in December and 11pm in midsummer. On May 17, the national day, the streets of Oslo are jam-packed with people dressed in national costume, and the city’s children parade along Oslo’s main street, Karl Johan. A good day for royalty-spotting; the king and his family wave from the palace balcony for hours.
Where to stay
In style: Oslo’s first boutique hotel, Grims Grenka (Kongens gate 5, +47 2310 7200, firsthotels.com) opened in 2008 to rave reviews. In the historic district by Akershus Fortress and five minutes from the Central Station, its rooms range in size up to 750 square feet.
Nobel Peace Prize winners stay at the venerable Grand Hotel (Karl Johans gate 31, +47 2321 2000, grand.no). This fabulous Louis XIV-style building has been around since 1874 and has a designated ‘Ladies Floor’, with rooms named after Norwegian women entrepreneurs, sport stars and artists, such as Åsne Seierstad, author of The Bookseller of Kabul.
For self-caterers, Slottsparken Apartments by the Royal Palace, (Wergelandsvelen 5, +47 2325 6600, thonhotels.com) has single rooms and two-bed suites with kitchenettes.
On a budget
Near the Central Station, the Copenhagen ferry and Oslo’s historic district, Hotel Bastion (Skippergaten 7, +47 2247 7700, hotelbastion.no) is an urban gem. Rooms are decorated by Anemone Våge, the interior designer responsible for private apartments in the Royal Palace.
Anker Hotel (Storgata 55, +47 22 99 75 00, anker-hotel.no) is near the Central Station, the Oslo Opera House and the Munch Museum.
For a more nautical experience, take a berth at M/S Innvik (Langkaia at the Bjørvika Docks, +47 2241 9500, msinnvik.no) a B&B ship in Oslo harbour, near the Opera House.
Where to eat
In style The Christiania Bohemians gathered at Grand Café (Karl Johans gate 31, +47 2321 2000, grand.no), whose large back wall painting depicts the 19th-century band of artists, including Henrik Ibsen. During the 1890s, he sat at his own table by the window every day. The dinner menu includes hare and elk. Lunch includes several tempting varieties of open sandwiches.
The century-old Viennese-style Theatercaféen (Stortingsgaten 24/26, +47 2282 4050, theater cafeen.no) is among the ten most famous cafés in the world, according to the New York Times. Over the road from the National Theatre, it’s a good place for celebrity-spotting. The daily special might include veal liver, seafood casserole or Wiener schnitzel.
The maximalist Café Christiania, across the street from parliament (+47 2201 0510, cafechristiania.no), offers a lunch buffet or afternoon tea.
On a budget
Next door to Grand Café, Ett Glass (+47 2233 4079, ettglass.no) provides hot lunches, while Café Habibi (Storgata 14, +47 2217 0201) offers Palestinian dishes (and throws in belly dancing on weekends). Café Albertine (motto: “If you have
no money, you must at least eat well...”) at Aker Brygge (+47 2102 3630, cafealbertine.no) has light meals.
In the Bohemian Grünerløkka district, Sult emphasises natural ingredients and creative cookery.
Doing business
Norwegians are informal and rarely use surnames. Titles are even rarer. Introduce yourself at the beginning of a telephone conversation; it’s impolite not to. Time is valued and punctuality is important. Call even if you’ll be just ten minutes late. Shake hands on arrival. Norwegians are direct and usually get straight to the point. Most companies have strict policies on receiving gifts, so be careful. Boasting will get you nowhere and interrupting is considered impolite.
For most people, lunch is 30 minutes and often consists of open sandwiches. However, international guests are usually offered hot lunches. Alcohol is rarely served with lunch, but business dinners include wine, and saying “Skål” is expected.
The working day is from 8 to 3.30pm and it’s acceptable for men or women to leave early to pick up children from day care.
Downtime
Keeping Fit
Oslo is about nature. Hop on the Holmenkollen tram and walk in the fresh air while enjoying magnificent views of the fjord. Vestkantbadet (Solli Plass) offers massage and spa treatments, including 85 minutes of ‘Soft landing & Vitamins’.
Lunch hour
At Bare Jazz in the city centre (Grensen 8, +47 2233 2080, barejazz.no), you can have coffee and cake while browsing the cool jazz shop.
Or if you’d rather stretch your legs, the best place to walk is the astonishing and unmissable Vigeland Sculpture Park, which covers an area of 80 acres. It features 212 full-sized bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland between 1907 to 1943, including the Monolith and Sinnataggen or, “the Little Angry Boy”. There are cafés and plenty of places to picnic.
Overnight stop
In 2004, Norway banned indoor smoking in public places. Restaurateurs got creative, expanded their outdoor sections and provided heating lamps and colourful blankets.
Today, smokers and non-smokers alike enjoy outdoor eating, even on chilly winter days. In a nautical mood? Bygdøy pensinsula is home
to 8th-century Viking ships, the polar ship Fram (used by Amundsen to get to Antarctica for the 1911 race to the South Pole), Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki raft and much more. In summer, everyone gathers at Aker Brygge (formerly a shipyard) for after-work beers.
Weekend
River city Drammen is 35 minutes by train from Oslo. Stretch out on one of four city beaches or enjoy the riverside promenade. Look out for the River Harp, a cool sound sculpture by the pedestrian bridge Ypsilon, reflecting variations in water flow and bridge oscillations.
Amble along Bragernes Torg, Scandinavia’s largest market square, where you can munch on sweet strawberries and watch busy fruit sellers. Lunch at Glass Restaurant by the fast-flowing river. During summer, if you feel energetic, don waterproofs and climb Kjøsterudjuvet Gorge.
For a taste of Norway’s mountains and fjords, do ’Norway in a Nutshell’ (norway nutshell.com), which includes a journey on Northern Europe’s highest-altitude railway line alongside cascading waterfalls, a boat trip to Unesco-listed Nærøyfjord, and a bus ride up the hair-raisingly steep mountain road Stalheimskleiva.
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