Oslo, Norway:

Oslo Opera House

We reached Oslo in the late evening after the wonderful Norway in a Nutshell Tour.

In the following two days, we explored Norway’s capital and some of its museums, churches, and palaces. One of Norway’s most famous artist is Edvard Munch and we started our tour at the museum dedicated to his work. From there, we ventured into the city centre with the beautiful Oslo Cathedral and the impressive Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle from which Oslo was once controlled. In the afternoon, we visited the National Gallery, which exhibits a series of impressive masterpieces including Munch’s most famous painting, the ‘Scream’. We finished our walk at the Royal Palace before heading for dinner. On the following day, we took a short boat tour to the Bygdøy Peninsula where you can find a whole series of interesting museums. In my opinion, a must-see for every visitor coming to Oslo is the Fram Museum dedicated to the famous polar exploration vessel Fram, which has been used in expeditions by Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, and Roald Amundsen. Close-by is the Kon-Tiki Museum which features the balsa wood raft used by Thor Heyerdahl during his journey from Peru to Polynesia in 1947. Even older vessels can be seen in the Viking Ship Museum exhibiting the best-preserved boats of the Viking Era in the world. The Norsk Folkemuseum includes a series of buildings from different time intervals in Norway’s history – a good way to imagine how people lived throughout the centuries. Our second day came to a close at the most recent architectural masterpiece of Oslo: the opera house at the harbour front with its modern design resembling a floating iceberg.

entrance to the Munch Museum

‘Adam and Eve’ by Edvard Munch (1909?)

‘The Sun’ by Edvard Munch (1910-13)

‘Under the Stars’ by Edvard Munch (1900-05)

‘Beneath the Red Apples’ by Edvard Munch (1913-15)

inside the Munch Museum

‘Model by the Wicker Chair’ by Edvard Munch (1919-21)

inside the Munch Museum

‘Andreas Schwarz’ by Edvard Munch (1906)

‘Self-portrait’ by Edvard Munch (1888?)

Oslo Cathedral

Oslo Cathedral

Oslo Cathedral

Oslo Cathedral

interior ceiling of Oslo Cathedral

Akershus Fortress

Akershus Fortress

West Wing

Dungeon

Royal Mausoleum

Castle Church

Daredevil Tower

East Wing

Hall of Christian IV

tapestry from the mid 17th century

tapestry from the mid 17th century

Romerike Hall

Akershus Fortress

cruise ship in the harbour

harbour

City Hall

City Hall

parliament building

statue of Henrik Wergeland

National Theatre

University of Oslo

University of Oslo

Bust of Fridtjof Nansen

National Gallery

‘Inger in Black and Violet’ by Edvard Munch (1892)

‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch (1893)

‘Madonna’ by Edvard Munch (1894-95)

detail of ‘Madonna’ by Edvard Munch (1894-95)

inside the National Gallery

‘Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery’ by Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1531)

detail of ‘Christ and the Woman taken in Adultery’ by Follower of Lucas Cranach the Elder (1531)

inside the National Gallery

‘Jesus Christ stripped of his garments’ by El Greco (1541-1614)

‘Greifswald in moonlight’ by Caspar David Friedrich (1817)

‘The Grindelwaldgletscher’ by Thomas Fearnley (1838)

in Oslo city centre

Royal Palace

statue of Charles John of Norway and Sweden

Royal Palace

guard on duty

National Theatre

Nobel Peace Center

City Hall

Akershus Fortress

Fram Museum

the Fram

bow of the Fram

lifeboats

dishes used on the explorations

model of the Fram stuck in ice

inside the Fram

kitchen inside the Fram

cabin inside the Fram

the Fram

retractable rudder and propeller

the Gjøa – first ship to sail through the Northwest Passage (1903-1906)

in the Kon-Tiki Museum

the Kon-Tiki, the balsa wood raft used by Thor Heyerdahl

the Kon-Tiki, the balsa wood raft used by Thor Heyerdahl

the Ra II built from reeds such as in Ancient Egypt

the Ra II built from reeds such as in Ancient Egypt

Viking Ship Museum

Oseberg Ship

Oseberg Ship

Oseberg Ship

detail from the Oseberg Ship

detail from the Oseberg Ship

ornaments in the Viking Ship Museum

animal-head sculpture

animal-head sculpture

Gol Stave Church in the Norsk Folkemuseum

Gol Stave Church in the Norsk Folkemuseum

paintings inside the church

ornaments at the church

historic buildings within the Norsk Folkemuseum

historic buildings within the Norsk Folkemuseum

gas station of 1928 in the museum

a teenager’s room in the 60s

apartment of a Pakistani family in 2002

Old Aker Church

Old Aker Church

Telthusbakken

Telthusbakken

Telthusbakken

Oslo Opera House

view from the roof of the Oslo Opera House

European Herring Gull

European Herring Gull

view from the roof of the Oslo Opera House

view from the roof of the Oslo Opera House

Oslo Opera House

Oslo Opera House

inside the Oslo Opera House

inside the Oslo Opera House

inside the Oslo Opera House

inside the Oslo Opera House

Eventually our holiday came to an end and we returned home to Germany via the MS Color Fantasy, an overnight ferry to Kiel.