The proud spirit of the Norwegian people shines in every dimension of their capital city — from its once-fearsome Viking ships to its sleek new Opera House, from tales of World War II heroism to the constant festival of its thriving harborfront. Connecting with the culture, we enjoy art — from Vigeland's statues to Monch's scream — and cap things off by joining local friends for a sail on their fjord.
Akershus Fortress Complex
This park-like complex of sights scattered over Oslo's fortified old center is still a military base. You'll see the castle, a prison, war memorials, the Norwegian Resistance Museum, the Armed Forces Museum, and cannon-strewn ramparts affording fine harbor views and picnic perches. The Fortress Visitors Center is located immediately inside the gate (tel. 23 09 39 17, www.mil.no/felles/ak).
City Hall
Oslo's harborfront City Hall is full of great art and is worth touring. The mayor has his office here and this building is where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented. For the best exterior art, circle the courtyard clockwise, studying the colorful woodcuts in the arcade. Inside, the huge murals take you on a voyage through the collective psyche of Norway, from its simple rural beginnings through the scar tissue of the Nazi occupation and beyond (enter on Karl Johans Gate side, tel. 23 46 12 00).
Viking Ship Museum
The impressive Viking Ship Museum on Oslo's Bygdøy peninsula holds two majestic oak Viking ships dating from the 9th and 10th centuries, along with remarkable artifacts that may cause you to consider these notorious raiders in a different light. Highlights are the cart and sleighs, ornately carved with scenes from Viking sagas (Huk Aveny 35, tel. 22 13 52 80, www.khm.uio.no).
Fram Museum
The Fram museum holds the 125-foot, steam- and sail-powered ship that took modern-day Vikings Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen far into the Arctic and Antarctic. Read the ground-floor displays, check out the videos below the bow of the ship, then climb the steps to the third-floor gangway to explore the Fram's claustrophobic but fascinating interior (Bygdøynesveien 36, tel. 23 28 29 50, www.fram.museum.no).
Kon-Tiki Museum
The Kon-Tiki Museum holds the Kon-Tiki, the bamboo-and-balsa boat built and sailed by from Peru to Polynesia by Thor Heyerdahl to show that early South Americans could have settled Polynesia. Also on display is Heyerdahl's Ra II, which made a similar 3,000-mile journey from Morocco to Barbados to prove that Africans could have populated America (Bygdøynesveien 36, tel. 23 08 67 67, www.kon-tiki.no).
Norwegian Folk Museum
The Norwegian Folk Museum is a 35-acre park on the Bygdøy peninsula, scattered with traditional buildings from across Norway. There's also a recreated old town and a folk-art museum. In peak season, the park is lively, with craftspeople doing their traditional things and costumed guides all around (tel. 22 12 37 00, www.norskfolkemuseum.no).
Opera House
Oslo's striking new Opera House (opened in 2008) is the talk of the town and a huge hit. The Opera House rises from the water on the city's eastern harbor, across the highway from the train station. Its boxy, low-slung, glass center holds a state-of-the-art, 1,400-seat main theater. In summer, the Opera House offers guided tours of the auditorium and backstage area and foyer concerts (just a short walk via a sky-bridge from train station, tel. 21 42 21 00, www.operaen.no).
National Gallery
A thoughtful visit to the National Gallery in Oslo gives those heading into the mountains and fjord country a chance to pack along a little of Norway's cultural soul. The gallery also has several Picassos, a noteworthy Impressionist collection, and some Vigeland statues. Its many examples of Edvard Munch's work, including one of his famous Scream paintings, make a trip to the Munch Museum unnecessary for most (Universitets Gata 13, tel. 22 20 04 04, www.nationalmuseum.no).
