Beautiful Oslo. Photo courtesy of S-F / Shutterstock.com.
Looking to explore Oslo, Norway, like a local? Epicure & Culture caught up with Curtis Rojak, a local businessman in Oslo.
1. For a lesser-known attraction, Oslo has beautiful coastline and unusually warm water that is in 20s Celsius (~68 Fahrenheit) throughout much of the summer. Locals take ferries to the various islands, hopping from one to another, using these public transport boats that make discovering the Oslo Fjord affordable and fun.
Each island has a different feel: while one may have a 12th century abbey, on another you’ll find a nature preserve. On a third is a collection of brightly painted wooden homes. In total, there are seven islands that can be reached with the ferries. Starting in 2015, the ferry port will be in the heart of downtown, right by City Hall.
Photo courtesy of Furtseff via Shutterstock.
2. For those wanting to experience local culture, I read recently that Oslo has more concerts per inhabitant than any other European capital. This is a town with a great live music scene, and each month the guide What’s On In Oslo gives a good overview. Norway has a surprisingly strong Jazz scene and I recommend checking out something in that genre, perhaps at the centrally located Victoria National Jazz Scene.
3. To savor the local culinary culture, go to the indoor food market, called “Mathallen“. It opened a couple of years ago and offers everything under one beautiful roof. Part of an old industrial area along the Akerselva river and situated near some impressive waterfalls, the Mathallen is an amazing blend of old industrial architecture with new glass and modern twists. And the food is amazing, offering dozens of options, communal seating, and a variety of both traditional and modern foods. I love the reindeer sausage, the incredible Norwegian seafood and some unknown cheeses from the Norwegian west coast.
4. For a truly local travel souvenir, exotic food is always fun, and Norway has plenty of options. In most every supermarket, you can find elk and reindeer dried meats. Avoid the pricey tourist shops and just go to any downtown supermarket like a Rimi, Kiwi or Rema 1000.
5. Looking for a spectacular view? Oslo has some of the best viewpoints of any city I have been to, thanks to the huge elevation difference within. While the downtown is relatively flat, it starts climbing fast. And the best way to climb is on Metro Line 1, heading westbound toward the end stop of “Frognerseteren.” At about 450 meters (1,476 feet) above the city, this area is an old farm with amazing wooden architecture. But that is not the reason people visit this site: it is for the views; not only from the top, but all along the metro ride — above ground almost the entire way. Frognerseteren is where the city stops and the forest begins, so sweeping views extend over the fjord, above the city, past lakes and thousands of hectares of preserved wilderness. It is unlike any other view of a city I have ever seen.
Karl Johans Gate makes for a scenic stroll, but can be pricey for going out. Photo courtesy of Matthew Wilkinson
via flickr.
6. Getting tipsy in Oslo is expensive, but enjoying a few drinks is feasible. The neighborhood of Grunerlokka is the best known for going out, and offers dozens of options around and near the main square of Olaf Reyes Plass. I would avoid going out much around the main street, Karl Johans Gate, as that is often over-priced compared to what you can find in other neighborhoods. And beer is king in Norway. I like my beer strong and dark, so I order a variety called “Bayer,” which guarantees a strong brew.
7. Some interesting locals you’ll definitely want to meet are the fishermen who bring in their fresh catches of the day to the docks by the city hall, called “Rådhusbrygge.” It’s where locals go to buy local seafood. The guys on the boats are what you expect: not much chit-chat, straight-forward and mostly interested in fish. The boiled shrimp, ready-to-eat, are the most popular, but look out for some more unusual offerings too, like the Atlantic wolffish!
8. There is a lively local art and music, in my opinion in part due to the fact that the weather is not ideal for a good number of months. That means indoor activities like art and music play an important role in the Oslo scene. DogA is pretty cool — the Norwegian design and architecture center. Located in a part of the world known for its minimalist interior design and bold modern architecture, DogA is a place that gives a visitor of good overview, while in an amazing building along the Akerselva River, set right on a waterfall.
A nice view on the trail from Sognsvann to Ullevaalseter. Photo courtesy of Kroholdt via Shutterstock.
9. Oslo is one of the world’s most natural cities. About half of the city is protected nature, basically a wilderness. The Oslo forest is called the marka, and will take your breath away. Take a metro 15 minutes, and you leave the city to enter the forest. I live near a great lake called Sognsvann, which is perfect for swimming in summer and skiing in winter. You’ll feel hours from the city, yet you are only six kilometers (four miles) from downtown. Nature is the number one reason the residents of Oslo love this city, and it is the heart and soul of the Oslo experience.
10. If I had one free day in Oslo: I’d spend my free day biking. I used to do long-distance bike tours a couple of times per year, but now with young children, that hobby is on hold. But if I had one free day, I would hop on my bike, discover new villages, find some hidden restaurants, enjoy some local food and make sure to never follow a map. I would go wherever my bike leads me. I once biked from Switzerland to the Spanish/French border without a map, so that is my kind of journey!
Curtis Rojak doing what he does best — biking!
Contributed by Curtis Rojak.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
