36 Hours
36 Hours in Oslo
Has a city ever remade itself so quickly, or so thoroughly? The Norwegian capital had embarked on a plan to refashion itself as a major cultural destination well before the pandemic struck, but it is only now that the full impact of the initiative is being felt. In the last few years, Oslo has opened two major museums and a stunning public library. Striking neighborhoods have sprung up along the city’s iconic fjord, united by a harborside promenade and dotted with new restaurants and bars. Yet for all the transformation, Oslo retains its most distinguishing feature: its celebration of the outdoors. This is a city that, even in frigid winter, incorporates the natural world into urban life.
Recommendations
- National Museum, the city’s newest major museum, has some 6,500 objects, from ancient Greek sculptures to works by Edvard Munch and the Sami artist Máret Ánne Sara.
- Savage, one of Oslo’s newest upscale restaurants, keeps the focus on the food, which includes Nordic ingredients like lumpfish roe and scallops with global flourishes.
- Nordmarka forest, just outside the city, is where to go for a taste of the snowy outdoors.
- SALT is a combination public sauna and entertainment center, where you can sweat it out, then listen to music or relax at the outdoor bar.
- Sukkerbiten offers saunas alongside the freezing waters of Oslofjord, where you can take a dip before warming up.
- Holzweiler sells sleek clothing, while Norwegian Rain specializes in lightweight rain gear, Devold in woolen garments and Dapper in Scandinavian men’s wear brands.
- Annis Oslobukta is an upscale butcher in Oslobukta that sells local cheeses, preserved fruits and other delicious items.
- Spikersuppa is an outdoor skating rink in the middle of the city, where people of all ages take to the ice.
- Korketrekkeren is a free, more-than-mile-long tobogganing track in the Nordmarka forest.
- The Munch Museum is where to get your Edvard Munch fix.
- Deichman Bjørvika is Oslo’s new main library, with plenty of work spaces, a children’s section and an installation called “Future Library.”
- Holzweiler Platz offers sandwiches and salads and dips, but go there for the sleek space by the Norwegian starchitect firm Snøhetta.
- Åpent, a well-regarded bakery, has a branch in the Oslobukta neighborhood, where sandwiches and cakes are a budget lunch option.
- Bar Amour turns out stellar dishes with minimal ado in an atmospheric bar setting.
- Becco draws a relaxed crowd who sip natural wine and listen to D.J.s and the occasional band.
- The Vandelay is a perfect weekend brunch spot: Griddled pancakes, and ricotta and lavender honey on toast are among the menu items.
- Frognerseteren, housed in a 19th-century chalet in the Nordmarka recreational area, offers coffee, cocoa and homemade sweets.
- Oslo is well connected by bus and tram. The easiest way to travel on them is to download the Ruter app and buy digital tickets (starting at 39 nok, about $4). The Oslo Pass (also an app) includes all public transport, including ferries, as well as admission to museums for 24 to 72 hours; prices for adults start at 495 nok. There is Uber in Oslo, but both it and taxis are expensive.
- Sommerro, in the elegant Frogner neighborhood, is one of Oslo’s newest hotels, housed in the former Art Deco headquarters of an electrical company. All velvet upholstery and curved polished wood, the hotel has a wonderful pool; doubles star at 3,900 nok, or about $393.
- Amerikalinjen, across from the train station, occupies the former headquarters of the passenger line that once took Norwegian immigrants to New York. Rates cover a terrific breakfast that, in a nod to its New York connections, includes decent bagels. (Doubles from 1,900 nok.)
- K7, near the water in the old part of town, is both a hotel and hostel, with tasteful private rooms and group accommodations, complete with kitchen, laundry and TV room. A bed in a 12-bed dorm room starts at 345 nok; private doubles start at around 900 nok.
- With its street art, cafes and vintage clothing shops, Grünerløkka is a good choice for finding a short-term rental. Efficient public transportation means it's only a 25-minute tram ride to the new developments along the fjord.
Itinerary
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