Oslo, Norway

We flew into Oslo from Copenhagen and took the Flytoget (AKA "The Airport Express Train") train which is the fastest way (19 minutes) from Oslo airport to the Oslo Central Station (city center) and extremely convenient as the train station was directly below the airport. Click here to read more about this train service.

Oslo is also famous for its cultural attractions, such as the Viking Ship Museum, the Munch Museum, and the Oslo Opera House. The city has a thriving culinary scene, with many trendy cafes, bars, and restaurants serving traditional Norwegian cuisine as well as international dishes.

• Oslo residents are Norway’s healthiest.
• Most of Oslo consists of forest.
• The city used to be called Christiania.
• Oslo is the European Green Capital for 2019.
• The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo.
• Trafalgar Square's (London) Christmas tree is a gift from Oslo.
• Oslo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1952.
• Oslo is Norway's most ethnically diverse city.

• What are the top things to do in Oslo: View the "Visit Oslo" page for their list.
• Where is Oslo Located: See our map info below.
• How to get to Oslo: Take a look at "Visit Norway" page.
• Where is the best place to stay in Oslo: Click to view a Google Search Results list.
• Is Oslo worth visiting: Click here to see why the "Culture Trip" site says yes and gives you 11 reasons why.
• Where is the Holmenkollbakken Ski Jump: Click to jump to our section below on this page.
• Is Oslo expensive for tourists: The "City Mayors" site says Oslo is the # 3 most expensive city in the world. Click to view the "Visit Norway" site to read more information.
• What is Oslo known for: Click to view the "Go Fjords" page for more information.
• What is the Oslo elevation: Oslo is 3 feet above sea level. The area around Oslo is hilly and ranges in elevation up to approximately 500 feet above sea level.
• Best Oslo Hikes: Click to view the "All Trails" list of hikes for Oslo.
• What is the best time of year to visit Oslo: Click to view the "U.S. News" Page about Oslo Weather.
• How to get to the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo: Click to view the "Rome 2 Rio" page to learn how. Or click here to go to our page section below.
• What Restaurants are in Oslo: Here is a Google Search Results list for restaurants in Oslo.
• What Hotels are in Oslo: Here is a Google Search Results list for hotels in Oslo.
• Where is the Oslo Rail Station: Oslo Central Station is the main railway station in Oslo, and the largest railway station within the entire Norwegian railway system. It is located at Jernbanetorget, Norway's biggest public transportation hub, which also consists of the Jernbanetorget metro station, Oslo Bus Terminal and local bus and tram stops outside. Click here to view a Google Map of the Jernbanetorget area.

Where is Oslo Norway on the map?

It lies at the head of Oslo Fjord in the southeastern part of Norway. It is north and slightly west of Denmark and it is about 378 miles from Copenhagen to Oslo by car. It is approximately 330 miles west and slightly north of Stockholm Sweden if traveling by car.

Oslo is the capital of Norway and has a population of about 697k as of 2020. The original site of Oslo was actually east of the Aker River. The city was founded by King Harald Hardraade about 1050, and in approximately 1300 the Akershus fortress was built by Haakon V.

Click the map icon above to view an Oslo Norway Map.

There are currently over 1,050 places to stay in Oslo (see our Hotel list link at the bottom of this page). We chose to stay at the Comfort Hotel Grand Central, which was immediately adjacent to the train station. For our purposes this was perhaps the best play to stay in Oslo, Norway. It was so convenient to the trains and transportation for touring the area and right in the downtown area. There was a lot of activity and food options close by, however the rooms were quiet and comfortable. The room was not huge, which is typical in Europe but it was adequate to accommodate our luggage and clean and comfortable. We recommend it for short stays.

We utilized Expedia to perform our Oslo Hotel research, and to make our reservations at the Comfort Hotel Grand Central. We recommend Expedia because they are very reliable and easy to utilize.

IMAGE CREDITS: Both images are the property of the Comfort Hotel Grand Central Oslo, Norway.

We had the hotel name and we knew that it was close to the train station. When we got off the train and walked outside of the station, and used Celeste's cell phone map app to try and find the hotel, imagine our surprise when we realized it was right there in front of us!

Jernbanetorget Transportation Center

Our hotel is just around the corner to the left of the bus. The light rail station is underneath the area where the buses are lined up, and the Oslo Central Train Station is just left of this area as well.
NOTE: This image is the property of Ralf Roletschek via Wikidata

 Quick Facts 

Jernbanetorget is both a rapid transit station on the Oslo Metro and a light rail station of the Oslo Tramway. The metro station is in the Common Tunnel used by all lines under the city centre. It is located between Stortinget to the west and Grønland to the east. Until the construction of the station at Stortinget, Jernbanetorget was the end station for the eastern lines in downtown. Along with the Oslo Central Station, Oslo Bus Terminal and the tram and bus station above ground, Jernbanetorget is the largest transport hub in Norway.

 The above information was extracted from Wikipedia

Oslo Opera House

Oslo Opera House: The home of The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the National Opera Theatre in Norway. The building sits on the eastern side of the Oslo Harbor near the Havnepromenade.

The harbor and Opera House were practically in the front yard of our hotel's location, a walk of perhaps 100 yards and we were standing on the harbor seawall.

 Quick History Lesson 

In 1999, after a long national debate, the Norwegian legislature decided to construct a new opera house in the city. A design competition was held and, of the 350 entries received, the judges chose that of Snøhetta. Construction started in 2003 and was completed in 2007, ahead of schedule and 300 million NOK (~US$52 million) under its budget of 4.4 billion NOK (~US$760 million). The gala opening on 12 April 2008 was attended by His Majesty King Harald, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and President Tarja Halonen of Finland and other leaders. During the first year of operation, 1.3 million people passed through the building's doors.

 The above information was extracted from Wikipedia

The museum is most famous for the completely whole Oseberg ship, excavated from the largest known Viking ship burial in the world near Tønsberg in Vestfold County, Norway.

All the Viking ships at this museum were ocean going vessels before they were hauled onto land to be used in burial rituals for their wealthy owners. In the burial mounds, archeologists unearthed skeletons, beautiful wood carvings and a diverse range of artifacts from the fascinating world of the vikings.

Imagine sailing in the North Atlantic in a ship that is approximately 71 feet long with a beam of 16.7 feet? I've travelled through the North Atlantic in a Navy cargo ship that was 500 feet long and we would get bounced around in ways that would make us all cringe! I cannot begin to imagine how the Vikings could travel in their much smaller vessels!
Click Here to visit their website.

The #30 Bus from the Oslo Comfort Hotel Grand Central was the method we selected for transport, required approximately 20 minutes.

Holmenkollbakken Troll

Not sure if you can see it or not, but the troll's daughter is sitting on his lap. Statue was created by the famous Norwegian sculptor Nils Aas. The statue is 6.7 metres (approximately 22 feet) in height made entirely of concrete.

View of Oslo from Holmenkollbakken

You can see Oslo Harbor in the distance, approximately 12 kilometers away. This entire area, situated in the hills above Oslo, was so pretty that we really began to wonder why the Vikings would ever want to sail away from here?

Getting to the Ski Jump is straight forward, just catch the train from downtown! Trains depart approximately every 15 minutes from Jernbanetorget station and require a 30 minute ride.

We were impressed with Oslo in the short time that we had there. It is architecturally interesting and a beautifully scenic and clean city. There are numerous museums and it is easy to get around - very walkable and the public transportation system is very good.
Click here to view an article about average temperatures in Oslo, Norway.