Oslo in 24 Hours

Oslo, Norway’s Capital, has everything you could want in a city. It has the coast, fjords, city life, shopping, beautiful parks, museums, restaurants, and more! My boyfriend and I are traveling via train with a Eurail Pass and wanted to make a quick stop in Oslo before continuing on to Sweden, so after walking 12.4 miles, we experienced Oslo in about 24 hours! Now if you want to go in to every museum and try every restaurant, I would recommend staying longer than that. But for us, 24 hours to see this city was perfect! 

Food and Drink

Fuglen – To give us energy to see everything we wanted to, we obviously had to caffeinate ourselves beforehand. I had learned that Oslo is “the coffee city” as 2 out of 3 Norwegian adults drink coffee every day. Oslo has tons of independent coffee shops and professional coffee makers. I heard Fuglen was good, and let me tell you, it was delicous. I even got the black coffee (nothing fancy) and it was one of the best I’ve had! If I could, I would have had one of everything on their menu. This coffee shop also serves tea and is a cocktail bar. 

Wurst– Definitely not the worst! Since we have been on a quest to try a hot dog or sausage in every city we travel to, we had to stop here! We both got the “Completo” which was chorizo with avocado, onion, tomato, and chilimayo. It was very tasty and very filling! (and very messy) They also had indoor and outdoor seating with boardgames to play, along with a bar of course in case you want a drink to go along with your sausage. We both rated this sausage a 4/5! 

Taqueria – Since we were exploring Oslo in 24-hours we needed a quick lunch. Taqueria was the perfect spot. It was a beautiful day so we were able to sit outside and enjoy beautiful flowers and a water fountain in the city center. They had quick service and delicious tacos! We got the scampi and chorizo tacos. 

Amundsen Bryggeri and Spiseri- Our new goal is to try a beer in every country we visit so we stopped at Amundsen’s brewpub for a flight. Their beer was good! I even liked the dark beer, which is very unlike my taste. Amundsen Bryggeri and Spiseri is located right in the city center by City Hall. We once again sat outside and even though it was rainy, the outdoor seating was covered and had heat lamps…the best! They also serve food for those looking for a meal with your beer. 

Sights to See in Oslo

The Norwegian National Opera and Ballet (Den Norske Opera and Ballett) – this is Norway’s largest music and stage institution. We both thought the building resembles a sting ray. The building’s architecture is exquisite and you are able to walk up and on the roof for panoramic views over the city and harbor. The roof is a perfect resting spot to relax and take in the views. You are also able to walk in to the foyer and eat at one of the restaurants. 

Botanical Gardens (Botanisk hage) – The Botanical Gardens surrounds the Natural History Museum in Oslo. The gardens are beautiful and free to walk around. They have about 7,500 different plants. There are different types of gardens you can walk through such as the rock garden, viking garden, and herb garden. They even have a sensory garden for people with Dementia and being an Occupational Therapist, I thought that was awesome. This is definitely a must-do while in Oslo. 

Royal Palace (Det Kongelige Slott)- The Royal Palace is a must-see in Oslo. The palace was built in 1824-48. There are guards standing outside that are willing to take pictures with people who want them (which of course Zach wanted one, see below). The changing of the guards is every day at 1:30pm. The Royal Park was opened by King Oscar I in 1847 and ever since then the park has been opened to the public which is unique in Europe. The park is beautiful with lush green plants, flowers, ponds, and sculptures. The Royal Park even has bee keeping which is amazing considering bees are essential for our environment. The park is free to walk through, but there are guided tours of the palace that you can pay for if you want to go inside. 

Akershus Fortress – The Arkershus Fortress is one of Norway’s 15 national fortifications and a national cultural monument. The monument has various buildings ranging from structures from the Middle Ages to today. You definitely get a sense of Norway’s history as your walk along the walls, through tall towers, pass canons, and the castle. Presently, the fortress is used to host military schools and offices; cultural activities; and government entertaining. We were lucky and actually watched a military helicopter land and take off within the fortress grounds. The fortress admission is free. 

Parliament (Stortinget) – Parliament is Norway’s house of representatives and the building was inaugurated in 1866. The outside of the building is beautiful and there is a front lawn that is perfect to relax, read a book, or have a picnic. We did not go inside, but it is free admission..

National Library (Nasjonalbiblioteket) – It is free admission in to the library, but you can also take guided tours. The National Library was founded in 1989. We learned that the main task of the library is to preserve the past. Every public media or culture expression produced in Norway will be preserved and made available so that everyone can read, see, hear, or do research on the material. There are multiple rooms and halls to explore as you can make your way thorough collections of materials. 

The Mini Bottle Gallery – Unfortunately we only go to see the outside because this museum is only open  on Saturdays and Sundays. But this gallery is the world’s only mini-bottle museum and contains 53,000 bottles! They even have a slide down in to a horror chamber, but I guess I’ll have to travel back to Oslo on a weekend to experience that! 

Oslo Cathedral – The Oslo Cathedral is the main church for the Norway Diocese of Oslo. It is used for funerals and weddings by the Norwegian Royal Family and the Norwegian Government. We did not go in, but it was pretty to look at!

Harbor- the harbor that Oslo is located on is fabulous to walk along on a sunny, warm day. There are countless restuarants, ice cream shops, and a few museums along the harbor boardwalk. There are beautiful ships within the harbor. If you walk all the way to the end of the boardwalk, you get a  great view of the cityscape which contains the Akershus Fortress and City Hall. 

Oslo’s history, sights, location, and people are all reasons everyone should go visit Oslo!