Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest
Norways bustling capital is also its largest city and main port, as well as a treasure chest of Nordic history and scenic beauty. Located at the head of Oslo Fjord in the southeastern portion of the country, Oslo has much to offer, especially for history and art enthusiasts.
Norwegian Folk Museum
To get a glimpse of Norways culture and heritage, visit the Norwegian Folk Museum. This open air museum park features 150 authentic buildings from various regions throughout the country, including a stave church built around 1200. Indoor exhibits showcase Norwegian folk art, folk dress, living environments, and antique toys. Throughout the summer months, folk dancing exhibits are scheduled every Sunday.
Viking Ship Museum
Who can think of Norway without envisioning its Viking ships? The Viking Ship Museum (an easy 15-minute walk from the Norwegian Folk Museum) displays three Viking burial vessels dating from AD 800-900. These three ships are among the best-preserved Viking ships in the world. The Oseburg, the largest of the ships at 65 feet long, is a royal ship with a dragon-shaped keel. The museum also houses a collection of household utensils, tools and ceremonial sleighs. Breathe deeply enough in this museum and you can smell the salt air of the ancient sea.
Holmenkollen Ski Jump
Located high above the city at the edge of the Nordmaka wilderness area, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump was the very heart of the 1952 Winter Olympic Games hosted by Oslo. The site offers an amazing view of the city and fjord, and the Ski Museum offers up 4000 years of Norwegian ski history. Dont be surprised if you start to tremble a bit when you gaze down the nose of the 196-foot jump!
The Munch Museum
Best known for his painting titled The Scream, (stolen in broad daylight during the summer of 2004 C and not for the first time) Edvard Munch is Norways most famous painter. Fittingly, the Munch Museum contains a collection of over 1000 paintings, some 4500 drawings, and 18,000 prints, as well as sculptures and related documentary material. The museum regularly screens films about the life and works of Edvard Munch. Dont miss the screen-printed Scream cakes in the caf!
Barnekunst Museum
The Barnekunst Musuem (International Childrens Art Museum) is a treat for both children and adults. A huge collection of childrens paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, and handcrafts from all over the world is on display and children can get take part in artistic workshops.
The Kon-Tiki Musuem
History buffs will recall that Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdalh used a balsa-log raft in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to the Polynesian Islands. The raft, along with artifacts from the voyage (such as lava statues from Easter Island), are on display at the museum, as is the papyrus boat Ra II that Heyerdahl used in his 1970 trip from North Africa to Barbados. To guide your learning experience, interactive touch screens are located throughout the museum.
Sculpture
More than 150 works of sculptor Gustav Vigeland can be found in the dramatic beauty of Frogner Park. The sculptures depict the range of human emotions and show people at every stage of the cycle of life. The focal point of the park, an enormous 46 foot tall monolith, is made up of 121 figures struggling to climb to the top. Dont miss the bronze sculptures on either side of the bridge on the far end of the park C especially the comical angry little boy who pouts and stamps his foot.
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