Off Beaten Path Attractions in Oslo
Many visitors to Oslo come ready to see the major sights: Frogner Park, Oslo Opera House, the museums of Bygdøy, Aker Brygge, the hills of Oslomarka. And they are all great. But we do encourage you to get off the beaten path. Check out these local favourites, yet not on the main tourist radar.
Ekeberg Hill offers great hiking, steep biking, swimming and sunbathing, a kid-friendly riding school and petting zoo and Stone Age rock carvings. The premier attraction at the Natural History Museum, is Ida, the world's oldest primate fossil. Surrounding the museum is the tranquil Botanical Gardens.
Out in the Oslo fjord, lie several islands, very popular bathing spots with the locals, but relatively undiscovered by visitors. Hovedøya (meaning Main Island) also has medieval monastery ruins to run around in. A natural follow-up is the ruin park Medieval Oslo, site of the 1000-year-old Viking city.
A stroll on the paths along Akerselva River takes you past factories and mills, remnants of Oslo's industrial past, and various artisans' workshops and quaint little shops. Don't forget the colourful, wooden houses of the once working class neighbourhood Kampen.
If you're interested in sailing and tall ships races, you can join the Christian Radich as a deck hand during a leg of the annual Tall Ships' Race. Finally, Henie Onstad Art Centre in the neighbouring Bærum district, offers contemporary art exhibits - as well as all the medals and trophies awarded to figure skating champion Sonja Henie.
Ekeberg Hill offers great hiking, steep biking, swimming and sunbathing, a kid-friendly riding school and petting zoo and Stone Age rock carvings. The premier attraction at the Natural History Museum, is Ida, the world's oldest primate fossil. Surrounding the museum is the tranquil Botanical Gardens.
Out in the Oslo fjord, lie several islands, very popular bathing spots with the locals, but relatively undiscovered by visitors. Hovedøya (meaning Main Island) also has medieval monastery ruins to run around in. A natural follow-up is the ruin park Medieval Oslo, site of the 1000-year-old Viking city.
A stroll on the paths along Akerselva River takes you past factories and mills, remnants of Oslo's industrial past, and various artisans' workshops and quaint little shops. Don't forget the colourful, wooden houses of the once working class neighbourhood Kampen.
If you're interested in sailing and tall ships races, you can join the Christian Radich as a deck hand during a leg of the annual Tall Ships' Race. Finally, Henie Onstad Art Centre in the neighbouring Bærum district, offers contemporary art exhibits - as well as all the medals and trophies awarded to figure skating champion Sonja Henie.
Natural History Museum
Sars Gate 1
Sarsgt. 1
Collection of natural history museums in Art Nouveau surroundings...
Henie Onstad Art Centre
Sonja Henies vei 31
Høkvikodden
Figure-skating star Sonia Henie's extensive art collection...
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