Family-friendly Oslo - on a budget

Description:

Author: Anne-Sophie Redisch

Day 1 - Oslo

Take a tram, bus or metro to Frognerparken, a favourite among visitors and locals alike, and amble among Gustav Vigeland's famous statues. Kids enjoy imitating Little Angry Boy, following along the 10,000-ft-long labyrinth and climbing on the statues. On warm summer days, toddlers often run around naked. (No entrance fee.) If you want to know more about the sculptor, the Vigeland Museum is nearby. So is Frognerbadet, if you prefer a nice, refreshing swim in Scandinavia's most beautiful outdoor pools. (Entrance fee for the museum: NOK 50/25 for adults/under 16s; for Frognerbadet: NOK 75/55/36 for adults/students/under 16s.) Have lunch in the park (at one of the cafees or picnic), before strolling back to the city center through Bogstadveien, a lively shopping street, and the Palace Park. By the Royal Palace your kids (and you) can poke fun at the guards who aren't allowed to poke back. Stop at the National Gallery where your kids will love seeing - and imitating - The Scream by local painter Edvard Munch. (No entrance fee.) At Karl Johan, Oslo's vibrant main street, have a look at the huge mural inside Grand Cafe, depicting the Christiania Bohemians, a band of artists who used to hang out here in the late 1800s. Famous playwright Henrik Ibsen was a Grand Cafe regular. Carry on past Parliament to medieval Akershus Fortress. Sit down under a tree and watch your kids playing in the castle grounds. (No entrance fee.) For even more running around, continue to the fantastic new Oslo Opera House. It's a opera house for the people; anyone can walk, run and sunbathe on the sloping white marble roof - or just enjoy great fjord-views.


1

Frogner Park

Location:

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Kirkeveien
0268 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 49 37 00


2

Vigelands-museet

Location:

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63 Bygdøy Allé
0273 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 2349 3700


3

Frognerbadet

Location:

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Middelthunsgate 28
Majorstua
0262 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 27 5450


4

The Royal Palace and Park

Location:

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Inkognitogata 26
0010 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 04 89 25


5

The National Gallery

Location:

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Universitetsgaten 13
0162 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 21 98 20 00


7

Karl Johansgate

Location:

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Karl Johans gate
0154 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 81 53 05 55 (Tourist information)


8

Grand Café

Location:

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Karl Johansgate 31
Grand Hotel
0159 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 21 20 00


10

Stortinget (Norwegian Parliament)

Location:

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Karl Johans Gate 22
0026 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 31 30 50


14

Akershus Fortress and Castle (Akershus festning)

Location:

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Akershus festning
0150 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 09 31 50


16

Oslo Opera House

Location:

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Kirsten Flagstads plass
Plass 1
0150 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 21 42 21 00 / +47 815 444 88

Day 2 - Oslo

Spend the day at Bygdøy, Oslo's museum peninsula, exploring Norway's maritime history from the Vikings to the Polar pioneers and Thor Heyerdahl. From City Hall take a bus, or better, a boat across the fjord. Start at the Kon-Tiki Museum, where you can see the original raft used by Thor Heyerdahl to cross from South America to Polynesia. (Admission: NOK 60/40/25 for adults/students/under 16s). Cross the street to the Fram Museum and take a walk through the ship that took Roald Amundsen to Antarctica for the 1911 race to the South Pole - which he won. (Admission: NOK 50/20/20 for adults/students/under 16s) Going further back in time, the Viking Ship Museum magnificently displays original Viking Ships. The Oseberg is especially well preserved. (Admission: NOK 20/35/30 for adult/student/under 16s,) Lunch could be a picnic or, if the weather is good, take a ferry over to quaint little Lille Herber'n (better make a reservation to avoid disappointment - ph: + 47 67 10 99 70). Spend the afternoon outdoors at Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History - admission: NOK 70/50/25 for adults/students/under 16s) - or at the beach. On the way back to the city center, stop at Aker Brygge for some ice cream in the evening sunshine.


1

Bygdøy

Location:

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Off Sjølystveien (E18)
0374 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 815 30 555


2

The Kon-Tiki Museum

Location:

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Bygdøynesveien 36
0286 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 08 67 67


3

The Fram Museum

Location:

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Bygdøynesveien 36
Bygdøynesveien
0286 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 23 28 29 50


4

The Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset)

Location:

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Huk Aveny 35
0287 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 13 52 80


5

Cultural History Museum (Norsk folkemuseum)

Location:

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Museumsveien 10
0287 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 12 37 00


8

Aker brygge

Location:

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Stranden 3
Aker Brygge
0350 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 83 26 80

Day 3 - Oslo

From Stortorvet Market Square, walk down lively Torggata across the Fairy-Tale Bridge to the colourful Grünerløkka neighbourhood, where you can browse odd little shops, play in the park and have coffee at one of many charming cafees. Continue to the Botanical Gardens (admission free) and the Natural History Museum. Norwegian kids love Ida, the most complete primate fossil ever found. 47 million years old, she's our oldest ancestor. (Adminssion is NOK 50/25 for adults/under 16s.) Have lunch in the cosy open-air cafe in the musuem grounds. For a full day, head to Ekeberg hills in the afternoon - either by bus or tram or a vigorous walk, taking in stone age rock carvings on the way. On top, kids will love the petting zoo or horsebackriding at E.K.T.


1

Stortorvet

Location:

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Stortorvet
0178 Oslo, Norway


2

Youngstorget and Torggata

Location:

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Youngstorget
0184 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 81 53 05 55 (Turisten beskjed)


3

Grünerløkka

Location:

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Markveien
0552 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 815 30555 (Turisten beskjed)


4

Botanical Gardens (Botanisk hage)

Location:

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Sarsgate 1
0565 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 85 16 30


5

Natural History Museum

Location:

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Sars Gate 1
Sarsgt. 1
0562 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 85 16 30


10

Ekeberg hills (Ekebergåsen)

Location:

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Ekebergåsen
0658 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 815 30 555 (Turisten beskjed)


11

EKT Riding School and Petting Zoo (EKT rideskole og husdyrpark)

Location:

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Ekebergvn 99
0654 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 22 19 97 86

Day 4 - Oslo

On your last day, get out of town. Less than 30 minutes from the city center is Henie Onstad Art Center, exhibiting modern art - as well as Sonja Henie's figure skating trophies. Kids enjoy playing among the sculptures in the grounds or at the beach. (Admission: NOK 80/50/30 for adults/students/under 16s; free for all on Wednesdays.) Bølgen & Moi in the art centre is one of Norway's most famous restaurants and a bit pricey, but worth the splurge, especially the fantastic fish chowder. The Sunday buffet is good value. After lunch, head to Kalvøya (Calf Island) for a swim and more outdoor fun. (Entrance is free.)


2

Henie Onstad Art Centre

Location:

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Sonja Henies vei 31
Høkvikodden
1311 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 67 80 48 80


3

Kalvøya

Location:

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13.5 Kilometers South West Of Oslo
1300 Oslo, Norway

Phone:

+47 6752 2300 (Tourist Information Centre)

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