Oslo is a notoriously expensive city, appearing every year near the top of the world's most expensive city list. Here are some suggestions for the best free things to do.
- Nasjonalgalleriet, the National Gallery is Norway’s biggest and best art gallery holding a collection of Norwegian art from mostly the 19th century to 1950 by the likes of Johan Christian Dahl, Thomas Fearnley, Gerhard Munthe, and Theodor Kittelsen. Most familiar to foreign visitors is sure to be the museum’s Munch collection, including the famous The Scream.
- Operaen, The Norwegian Opera House was completed only in 2008 with a staggering 500 million Euro budget—so much that Oslo residents demanded that it be used for ballet and a variety of musical genres in addition to opera. If you haven’t the funds to take in a performance, the roof is open for all. The ingenious architectural design allows people to walk up a slanted slope (the building’s roof) on the outside of the building which leads to the top of the structure. On the way up, take a peek inside and at the top enjoy the panorama of the city and harbor.
- Vigelandsparken, or Vigeland Sculpture Park, a part of the larger, Frogner Park, contains an extraordinary series of statues by Gustav Vigeland, who lived from 1869 to 1943. The open-air park contains more than 200 nude sculptures in bronze, granite, and cast iron. Be sure to find Sinnataggen, “The Angry Child”. The climax, however, is the 20 meter high obelisk which depicts humanity playing, fighting, teaching, loving, eating, sleeping, and climbing over each other to get to the top. Vigelandsparken is the must-see attraction of Oslo.
- Outdoor sports—One of the great advantages of Oslo is it’s proximity to wilderness. Access from the suburban train line allows the city's many hikers and skiers to simply step off the train in the midst of the great outdoors. There are hundreds of signposted trails in the regions north of the city. A great place to start for a hike, mountain bike ride, or ski is at Frognerseteren station, located at the end of T-bane line #1 in literally the middle of the forest. There are great views of Oslo and Oslofjord from here as well. Alternatively, try Sognsvannet, located at the end T-bane #3 for an easy walk around the lake or a trail connecting to Frognerseteren.
- Holmenkollen—The most popular attraction in all of Norway, Holmenkollen was the site of the 1952 Winter Olympics. The centerpiece of the site is a huge ski jump and its terrifyingly steep landing platform. The Ski Museum is also located on the premises. The site offers fantastic views of the city and the islands of Oslofjord.
- Visit one of the many other museums with free entry, which include the Museet for Samtidskunst (Contemporary Art Museum), Astrup Feanley Museet for Moderne Kunst (Modern Art Museum), Arkitekturmuseet (Museum of Architecture), the Kunstindustrimuseet (Museaum of Applied Art), Forsvarsmuseet (Armed Forces Museum), Akershus Fortress Information Center, the Historical Museum (University of Oslo), The Film Museum, The Oslo City Museum, and the Stortinget, Norway’s Parliament.
The copyright of the article Free Things to do in Oslo, Norway in Norway Travel is owned by Stephen Bugno. Permission to republish Free Things to do in Oslo, Norway in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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