HALLO!

OSLO is probably one of Europe’s best-kept secrets and I realised this when I recently visited Norway’s charming capital city with my sister. Surrounded by stunning mountains on three sides and crystal-clear water on the fourth, Oslo’s combination of urban living and natural beauty must be seen to be believed!

Oslo is located at the northernmost end of the Oslofjord (clever huh?! ☺), which is a fjord or a narrow inlet surrounded by steep cliffs created by a glacier. Within the city limits, there are 40 islands and 343 lakes! Oslo is so clean, green and peaceful that it is now one of my favourite holiday destinations. And when you visit Oslo, I’m sure you will see exactly why it was named the European Green Capital for 2019.

So, a week  ago, my younger sister and I were in Norway on a business trip (I love my job!!) and we were lucky to spend two whole days in Oslo.

Day 1

We arrived in Oslo from Mumbai  at around 12.00 pm local time.

From the airport, we took the flytoget shuttle train to Oslo City Central station about 45 km away. It took us barely 20 minutes to cover this distance. In my home city, it would have taken about 2 hours! ☺

We had booked a room at Hotel Thon Opera, which is just outside the Oslo central station. The hotel is bang opposite the Oslo Opera House (Operahuset), a gorgeous building that looks as if it’s rising from the water! It offers panoramic views of Oslo from the top and if you get up there, the images will stay with you forever.

Just outside the station there is huge most photographed statue. Well I had to click a pic 😉

Less than 3 min away is the buzzing Karl Johans Gate, the city’s main street that connects Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace (a must-see!

After a great brunch in the cathedral cafe, we walked to Karl Johans Street where we spent several happy hours window-shopping, people-watching, taking pictures and doing other touristy things. The street houses a number of Oslo’s main tourist attractions such as the Royal Palace, the Stortinget (Parliament), the National Theatre, the old University Buildings, the Palace Park as well as the Spikersuppa pond.

Day 2

On the second day, we finished breakfast early and then walked up to the roof of the Opera House. The early-morning views of Oslo from up top were mind-blowing.

After studying the map for a bit we decided to take tram # 12 from the main station in both directions for a comprehensive sight-seeing view of the city which we did, much to our delight

We also purchased two 24-hour tickets that are valid on all public transport within Oslo. With these, we were able to visit Vigeland Park and the neighbourhoods of Grunerlokka and Aker Brygge which has the Nobel Peace Centre.

While walking in Europe its common to come across such beautiful flower markets.

The next stop was Vigeland park – a park full of statues and we had some fun clicking photos 😉

Well there are many other attractions in Oslo you can visit if you have more time. There are many restaurants and cafes you can explore from budget fast food chains like Mcdonalds and subway to classy norwegian restaurant like Egon and also different cuisine restaurants like Indian, Thai, etc.Unfortunately we couldn’t cover it all due to lack of time. Its embarrassing to be in a city in Europe for 2 days only. Sigh! So, that was my short holiday in Oslo.

ADJø!