We have always wanted to visit Scandinavia. Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen are high on our list. Rowena found cheap tickets to Oslo and we decided to book a trip! Within two days we booked a flight + Airbnb and we already started our to-do list .
We had a super Airbnb stay at Ole’s in the new district Sørenga. It was situated next to the city center and only a short walk from the main railway station and all the public transport. It proved to be a very nice walk from the bus terminal, as we walked along the beautiful opera house and on a bridge overlooking the water and the fjords of Oslo.
Everything in Oslo you can do/reach by foot, with a good pair of walking shoes you can see and visit nearly everything in the city and you don’t need to take public transport. A nice neighborhood in Oslo is Grünerløkka, where you can find the best hotspots. Delicious lunch or dinner and not to mention the best coffees.
We have had the best espresso EVER (according to Ralph) at Tim Wendelboe, former World Champion Barista. In this bar you can only order coffee, no bread or biscuits and no crazy flavors in your coffee. Just pure coffee, cappuccino or latte macchiato. Super nicely served with water and beautiful tableware, anyway let the pictures speak for themselves.
Also the food halls of Oslo, the Mathallen are located in Grünerløkka . A bit quieter than we are used to in the Netherlands, but of course no less tasty food. We enjoyed the best fish in Vulkanfisk Sjomatbar. Because eating fish is something you have to do when in Norway.
The nice thing about Oslo is the variety of activities you can do in and around the city. You can visit trendy bars and restaurants, sniffing culture in the many museums or just enjoy the outdoors. Within no time you can visit the most beautiful nature and everyone, yes everyone, is really active. We figured this all out in advance and brought our ski equipment, just to be sure. In the days we were in Oslo it was snowing a lot, yessss, we could go snowboarding and korketrekkeren!
On sunday we rose bright and early and bought an Oslo Pass. This lets you use public transport and almost all museums free of charge. In the city center there wasn’t a lot of snow, but within half an hour by subway, you are surrounded by nature and snow! Of course we visited the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. You can get to the top and experience the feeling of a ski jumper. Or you could just go up there to enjoy the wonderful panoramic view of the city.
After we had seen enough, we went to have lunch at the typical Norwegian Frognerseteren restaurant, we had read on a blog this was a real must-visit. You can also sit outside in the sunshine to enjoy the views. We highly recommend the apple pie with whipped cream!!
Next to the restaurant you are able to rent a sled with helmet. They have one of the longest toboggan runs here! The slope is nearly 2 kilometers long and you will finish at a metrostation. We felt like two little kids haha.
The last day we went snowboarding in the winter park Tryvann. With a shuttle bus we were taken to the slopes. There are 18 slopes. So a reasonable range with heaps of fun parks and halfpipes. They were just getting ready for the X Games, which would start one day after our departure. Bummer! The slopes were very well maintained and very wide. We had until late in the evening as they have lit slopes during the week, and you can ski or snowboard until 22.00! Even late in the evening the runs were of superb quality. Oh, we were really surprised by the level/talent of everybody on skis or snowboards. You hardly see beginners. Norwegians apparently are born with skis on their feet!
Looking for a nice city to visit? Visit Oslo, this is really a must. It is one of the most expensive cities in the world, you’ll noticed this especially in the prices of food and alcohol! Furthermore, you can make it as expensive as you want yourself. What particularly struck us, was that the people there are very friendly and open. You’ll see, Oslo is a very clean and modern city! We will definitely come back, maybe even this summer!
More information: www.visitoslo.com
