My 2019 Europe trip began with the Norway capital city, Oslo. I arrived at Oslo around 2pm and I still had some time to explore the city. Since I'm using Oslo Pass on the next day, I went to those attractions which has free admission or didn't require me to use the pass such as Oslo Cathedral, Stortinget, National Theater, Royal Palace and Opera House.
After arriving at Oslo Central Station and storing my luggage in the lockers inside the station, I began to explore the city on foot.
Interior of Oslo Central Station.
The tiger statue outside the Oslo Central Station is a popular meeting point for people.
Oslo Cathedral is located in the heart of Oslo city centre, just a 5-minute walk from the Oslo Central Station.
It is the main church for the Church of Norway Diocese of Oslo. It is also used for weddings and funerals by Norwegian Royal Family and the Norwegian Government.
Oslo Cathedral is open from 10am - 4pm everyday except for Fridays from 4pm to Saturday 6am.
Interior of Oslo Cathedral.
The city's main boulevard, Karl Johans Gate, cuts from the Oslo Central Station through the city centre to the Royal Palace. This street is lined with the city's landmarks such as Stortinget (Parliament), National Theater and Royal Palace.
The Storting is the Norwegian Parliament. One can join its free guided tour every Saturday from 21 Sept to 30 Nov at 10am or 11.30am (in English) during autumn. There is no guided tour from 1 Aug to 20 Sept. So during my visit on 13 Sept, there is no guided tour. During summer, the guided tour is also available from Monday to Friday at 10am.
Please note that the tour only allows maximum 30 people on a first-come-first-served basis. No bookings available.
For more information, visit the official website: https://www.stortinget.no/en/In-English/
Can you guess what are these booths for?
That's right. They are toilets.
Further down the Karl Johans Gate street is the National Theater. The National Theater had its first performance in 1899. In front of the National Theater's main entrance, you can find the statues of great Norwegian writers, Henrik Ibsen and Bjornstjerne Bjornson.
There are also other statues at the side of the National Theater.
The Royal Palace is open to the public during summer (guided tours only). So during my visit in September, there is no guided tour.
Guided tours in English is available at 12pm, 2.20pm and 4pm daily during summer. Admission ticket is NOK 135 for adult and NOK 105 for children, students or seniors. Child below 3 is free admission.
You can see the changing of guards everyday at 1.30pm.
Next, I walked towards the National Gallery.
It's just my luck that the National Gallery is temporarily closed from January 2019 to facilitate the move to the new National Museum opening in 2021. So I had zero chance to view the famous painting 'The Scream' by Edvard Munch during my visit (sob, sob).
Looking at some sculptures and posters outside the National Gallery would have to suffice for now.
Last but not least, I went to the Oslo Opera House. Official website: https://operaen.no/en
Opened since 2008, the iconic building is easily recognized by its angled exterior surfaces which is shaped like a mountain.
What makes it unique is that people are free to walk on the roof which is covered with white marble and granite.
Of course, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to walk on its roof. It is even possible to push baby stroller up the roof which I did.
Waterfront view of the city from the Opera House's roof.
New Deichman Library (on the left in picture above) is due to open on 28 March next year.
In contrast to its cold white exterior, its interior surfaces are covered in oak. There is also a cafe inside where you can sip coffee and enjoy the view.
Afterwards, I let my son had some fun at the small children playground outside Oslo Central Station.
For dinner, I found a restaurant nearby Oslo Cathedral.
Stay tuned for my next posting on how I used Oslo Pass to visit other attractions in Oslo city.
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