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I’ve been to the Norwegian city of Oslo twice now. Both times I attended a conference; one of them was the MyHeritage conference. Yes, I’m a genealogy nerd and even travel for this. The clean city and the openness of the Nordic people helped me to feel secure and comfortable, nowhere did I find the Nordic coolness.
From the airport into the city
From Gardermoen airport I took the fast train into the center of Oslo, a quick 20-minute ride. While I was waiting for my suitcase to arrive at the baggage claim I was able to book my ticket easily with the Flytoget-app. Easy as that!
The main train station is central, so it’s a good start from there to your daily city explorer trips. During my first visit I enjoyed the coffee culture in Oslo and the Nobel Prize Museum. There is a long list of museums for you to enjoy or you can explore the Karl Johans Gate, the main shopping mile starting from the main station. It ends directly in front of the castle. Unfortunately, I didn’t spend a night in there.
Another food stop
Only a 10-minute bus ride away, the Mathallen (market halls) of Oslo are a stop I’d recommend you add to your trip. I loved hopping around the different kitchens and tastings, getting three courses from three different cooks. Allow yourself enough time in here, because the busyness of the locals and tourists may keep you here longer than planned.
Big variety
After checking in and registering for the conference I drove back into the city and found Alexis Fashion. They had a lot of clothes up to size 54: from casual to a nicer dinner date dress, they had pretty much everything. Only a few minutes away the shopping mall was inviting me in. Kappahl definitely spoke my language. This store offered a wide range up to 3XL (size 56) and their plus size area was way bigger than the one I know at H&M. Even the changing room encouraged me. Oslo was for sure a curvy friendly destination so if possible, I’d recommend you add some extra space in your luggage.
In between clothing stores there are plenty of cafés and restaurants to try out. The one I liked the most was Taqueria, located at Karl Johans Gate, because of their Margaritas and Tacos.
Did you know that the locals pronounce Oslo more like “Uslu”?
Be careful because of the price level. A short taxi ride could easily cost you 30€ and the food was as expensive as back home in Zurich. For sure it’s not a cheap stay. But on the plus side, the public transportation runs on time and often. Consider buying a travel card for a desired time. Beside buses and street cars there is also an underground line.
3 things you need to do while in Oslo:
- There are plenty of cafés, but I can recommend taking a coffee break at the Oslo Opera house. This futuristic building, completed in 2007, is a beautiful conference center that also makes a perfect place to take pictures. If it’s too cold outside of this glass and marble building, you can take pictures inside of the wooden parts of the building that are there for acoustic reasons.
- Only a 5 minute ferry from Oslo to Hovedoya and you’re on an island. You can discover a typical fjord with beach, forest and monastery ruins. The ferry is connected to the local public transportation and at no extra cost if you are a lucky owner of a travel card.
- Even summer offers partly cloudy weather but if it’s sunny, take a walk in the park. The Ekebergparken Sculpture Park or the Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park are truly entertaining.
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Show off your wanderlust, at home or on the road, while you dream of your next triumph: discovering an amazing little pastry shop… finding the perfect travel T-shirt (the kind you really miss on laundry day!)… fitting everything into your travel bag on the first try. Whatever journey you can dream up next, you know it will be good. Because an adventure always awaits, just around the corner.