Iceberg, penguins, and Oslo?

[English version below] 

We set off from Bergen early in the morning heading towards the Norwegian capital. The train journey between Bergen and Oslo is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, with breathtaking nature on either side! Norway is known as one of the most beautiful countries in the world for good reason.

But now we wanted to leave nature behind and dive into Norwegian city life. Our accommodation, Anker Apartments, was not centrally located this time either, but it could be reached by train in 15 minutes from the main train station. Anker Apartments is a huge hostel, and the rooms feel like they can fit at least 20 beds each. Don't forget your earplugs! However, it must be said that despite its size, everything was kept quite clean.

There wasn't much of the day left, but we had enough time for a first stroll through the city. Of course, we had to visit Oslo's world-famous opera. It was opened in 2008 and stands on the waterfront in Oslo, shaped like a huge iceberg emerging from the water. You can climb the opera and anyone walking on it is said to look like waddling penguins from a distance. We probably looked like good penguins too ;) Definitely a very beautiful opera!

We spent the evening at Peppes Pizza, a restaurant chain specializing in American pizza that seems to be very popular in Norway. Despite the very oily pizza, we had a nice first evening in Oslo!

No Free Walking Tour without us! We couldn't miss the Free Walking Tour Oslo, we were there :) By the way, we can highly recommend the Free Walking Tour (we actually liked it better than the one in Copenhagen). The stops were well chosen and our tour guide made the tour very interesting and exciting. The stops included the opera, Akershus Fortress, and the City Hall, which we also went inside. From the outside, the City Hall reminds you of Düsseldorf Central Station (so not very beautiful), but inside it surprises you with a beautiful hall adorned with huge, beautiful paintings that are supposed to represent the values of Norwegian identity. Admission is free, so be sure to include it in your visit to Oslo!

After the walking tour, we explored the city center a bit more on our own and tried a Norwegian specialty at Deli de Luca: brown cheese with waffles. It may sound a bit strange at first, but it can taste quite delicious if you like this brown cheese. Norwegians say that you either love this caramel-flavored cheese or you hate it, there is no middle ground. Give it a try!

Another highlight of Oslo is located about 30 minutes away from the city center: the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. In winter, people ski here, and in summer, as a visitor, you can enjoy the fantastic view of Oslo and the surrounding area from its peak. We only know these ski jumps from television, and in person, they look even bigger. It's hard to believe that people actually go down and jump with skis here. It's definitely worth a visit, you won't get a view like this from anywhere else! Additionally, you can also visit a small museum, try a ski jumping simulator, or experience the thrill of riding down from the peak on a cable car.

We highly recommend visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Park, not only because of the famous 'Angry Boy'. By the way, at first, we couldn't find it because due to its fame, we expected a spectacular and large figure. So we didn't initially look behind the pillars. That's where he hides.. Despite the disappointing Angry Boy, we really liked the park with its many sculptures!

Before continuing our journey to Stockholm in the late afternoon, we planned to take a small day trip to the surrounding area. We got a tip from the tourist office. In the end, we learned: don't always trust the people at the tourist office! Our destination, Drøbak, an hour south of Oslo, was really boring.. It's a small town located directly by the water, very idyllic actually, but it has nothing to offer except a small Christmas shop and a 'City Centre' that you can walk through in 5 minutes...

Nevertheless, we had a nice time and, overall, a great time in Oslo. The city has definitely become one of our favorites on this trip!

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Oslo - the capital of Norway - is known worldwide for its opera, which is shaped like an iceberg. You can climb and walk on the roof, and from there, you can get a beautiful view over Oslo. People walking on the roof are supposed to look like little penguins from a distance, and with a little imagination, you'll see an iceberg full of penguins! Just sit on top of the opera and enjoy the city for a while. But we can assure you that Oslo has much more to offer.

We arrived in Oslo in the late afternoon. We spent our evening just strolling around the city and eating some pizza. :)

Is there a Free Walking Tour in Oslo? Of course! Did we attend this Free Walking Tour? Of course! Once over, the walking tour was really entertaining and interesting. We learned something about the famous opera, the harbor, Akershus Fortress, the City Hall, and the parliament. The City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, is not very beautiful from the outside, but it is from the inside. Every wall is painted with colorful pictures that contain many symbols and tell different Norwegian stories.

You should definitely go inside - it's free.

Another sight worth seeing in the suburban area of Oslo is the Holmenkollen Ski Museum & Jump Tower. It is a 30-minute ride from the central station by metro. You should visit the tower's highest point, where you get a perfect view of Oslo.

We can also recommend visiting the Vigeland Sculpture Park. There, the most famous sculpture is the Angry Boy. Due to its popularity, we expected a spectacular and big sculpture. But don't get confused if you cannot find it at first. It is smaller than the other figures and hidden behind a pillar.

What is typical to eat in Norway? Brown cheese! It is a cheese with a caramel flavor. It is traditionally eaten with waffles. You will either love it or hate it - give it a try!

We found another culinary tip in Oslo coincidentally. Our favorite bakery 'BIT' is located directly in the shopping center next to the central station. You should try the vanilla buns!! We love them!

We also did a day trip to Drøbak, a small city near Oslo. Actually, we didn't like the city very much because it is really, really small and doesn't have much to offer. You can walk around the whole city center in about 15 minutes, and that's it. Still, you can enjoy the sea there when the sun is shining.

Oslo is a really vibrant and beautiful place. There is so much to explore and see - not just the opera! ;)