Oslo

If you’re ever going to be doing a bike tour with a lot of people here’s a handy tip – get there early to avoid being given the last one available.

It was far too big for me and had me dreading each time we had to stop for the pure fact it would take me a good 2 minutes to try and get started again since I had to lean the bike about 45 degrees to even touch the ground.

Besides the technical difficulties (which my friends laughably enjoyed but put up with in a good nature as I was so far behind everyone else!) the Viking Biking tour offered in Oslo is a lot of fun and a great way to see some of the city.

Our guide was very informative and in addition to a few of the main sites included the Viking Ship Museum and riding through the green hills of the Royal Estate area, owned by the King of Norway.

The real highlight though was Bygdoy Peninsula.

Up until Bygdoy I honestly didn’t think much of the city itself, finding it rather dull having just come from the more colourful Copenhagen but the beauty of Oslo truly lies in the natural scenery so close in proximity to this capital.

It was a sunny day and there were people lying around enjoying the views and with cute rowboats lining up along the calm waters, it’s easy to spend a few hours here chilling out.

We came back later in the day after our tour to visit the Fram Museum which is located nearby.

You can easily reach it by ferry from the main part of the city and there’s actually quite a few museums in this area.

The Fram is a ship which was used in 1893 for an Arctic expedition – not bad for a wooden boat!

It’s extremely well preserved and you can even walk through it, a pretty cool experience (mind the pun).

A visit to Vigeland Park is a must do when in Oslo.

I’ve never seen a public park before with so many interesting statues, there are over 200 of them.

The statues are by Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) and span his life’s work.

One of the most famous, is the ‘Angry Boy’ who’s hand has been polished with over 1 million people visiting the site each year and rubbing it for good luck.

If you happen to be there on a day with good weather definitely consider bringing a picnic lunch and hanging around here for awhile.

The National Opera and Ballet building has an amazing design which allows people to easily walk a slope and be on the roof in a minute!

You’ll find this is a gathering place and being right near the city centre, a very easy location to visit.

Oslo Cathedral is also worth a look into. Although quite plain from the outside in appearance, its ceilings are exquisitely painted.

Another building which doesn’t look like much from the exterior is Oslo City Hall however it is one of the city’s most significant places due to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony being held here each year.

When in Norway, the heart of this country lies in its fjords and natural offerings but a day or two in Oslo is still worth a visit!