Yes i do think #23 has hit the nail on the head there in talking about common scense, and Oslo is like all capital cities you will undoubtly find what you are looking for.
I was mainly looking for history, culture, interesting area's, things to do & places to go, perhaps i did have something of a blikered view, but i did find them an enjoyed my times there.
Hi There!
Me and my best friend are planning a long weekend holiday in Oslo. We are planning to go there in August. Buf after reading these comments I started to questioning that idea.
We found a flat in city centre / main station, but according to the previous comments it will not be safe :(
could you please give us more information.
We like modern art museums, art galleries and local designer stores.
Except from these we prefer to hang around with locals like locals. We loved to drink and we love the nightlife.
So we appreciate you related comments.
Cheers from Istanbul!
cey
We found a flat in city centre / main station, but according to the previous comments it will not be safe :(
It will most likely be very safe unless you behave like a complete twat (for example get blind drunk) or get very unlucky (as you can anywhere)...
For modern art, go to the Astrup Fearnley Museum (http://afmuseet.no/en/blogg). I don't know about art galleries since I don't care about that kind of thing. You can find interesting shops in Grünerløkka (Markveien specifically).
During the ten years I have lived and worked in Oslo, I have never felt unsafe walking home by myself at night. That being said, our presence of beggars, prostitutes and drug dealers is beyond sad!
Fortunately, Oslo has some nice sights too. The Vigeland park and Grünerløkka have been mentioned. If you want to see more of "green Oslo", the walkway along Akerselva is worth checking out. If you want a great view of the city, go to Grefsenkollen (east) or Holmenkollen (west). If you happen to have sunny and nice weather while you are in Oslo, some nice islands (Hovedøya, Gressholmen, Langøyene) can be reached easily by boat from the pier near Akershus fort. The area around Akershus fort is also quite nice to check out.
Oslo (and the rest of Norway) is expensive. There are some decent and cheap Asian restaurants east of Youngstorvet ("Hai" and "Far East" are two of them). The cheapest drinks you can get are in the supermarket: On nice summer days, people bring drinks and food and hang out in the parks. Not a bad way to enjoy long summer evenings...
Have a good trip!
As an Oslo native, I would recommend you to stay off the central station/lower Karl Johan area, not because it's dangerous but it's simply not very interesting and yes, it's less pleasant at night. I never hang out in this part of the centre, except when travelling in and out - and to visit the opera (to walk on the roof and sit in the sun).
In addition to the Viking Ships, I personally like Folkemuseet in the same area (Bygdøy) on a sunny day (old buildings, folklore, see how apartments were furnished in 1920s etc). In summer you're able to take a boat to Bygdøy (to the Kon - Tiki - Museum)
In summer, a boatride out to the islands, for a picnic is a must - at least for people living in Oslo. The metro/bus pass is valid, and you could even go "island hopping"
If you go to the Vigelandspark, and it starts raining or something, you could visit the city museum- Bymuseet which is right there and is free and somehow cute.
There's also a "Pop Centre" http://www.popsenteret.no/ArticleDetails.aspx?ArtId=111&mid=226 which currently features an exibition of Norwegian metal...
In terms of neighbourhoods, I enjoy strolling around the more multicultural Grønland in addition to Grünerløkka; the former has cheaper food and drinks and the latter has all the designer shops and coffee shops etc.
You could visit the cemetary where national poets etc are buried, "Vår frelsers gravlund", and walk through the old quirky back street Damstredet with colorful wooden houses.
I slso recommend walking along the river - Akerselva, like us locals, e.g. up from Grønland right beside the metro stop - and up to the neighbourhood Sagene - the former industrial centre.
For modern art, in addition to Astrup Fernley, there's the Museum for Samtidiskunst, and Henie Onstad gallery outside of the city center. Also, for art and cultural events, you could check www.underskog.no</strong> - the daily calendar offers some of what's on the more or less underground scene, and many things free.
Nightlife is (yes expensive) good around Youngstorget (Mono, Internasjonalen, Bonanza, Hells Kitchen, Tilt etc, in addition to concert venues such as Rockefeller and Sentrum Scene.) and Grünerløkka (Ryes, Parkteateret, Schouskjelleren, Bar Boca, Blå - fun and free concerts on Sundays etc) Grønland, - and more upscale around Bogstadveien/ Solli plass. In summer, bbq and drinking in the parks is equally fun - and cheaper.
I visited Oslo a few weeks ago and can understand why people have mixed feelings about the city. It does have some areas which don't seem as nice and have a few dodgy looking characters, although I wouldn't say it feels any more unsafe than other cities. I think the reason people comment on it more is that these areas are more obvious in Oslo than other places because they're in the centre and it's where people arrive. It's also perhaps something you wouldn't expect from Oslo because it's known as such a wealthy place, so maybe it shocks people a bit.
However I enjoyed walking round Oslo in the day time and would recommend visiting. As mentioned in the previous posts there are some great museums to visit and I also enjoyed looking round the national gallery. The waterfront is being redeveloped and has a nice atmosphere in the evening time. It is an expensive place but i guess you go expecting that. I wouldn't spend more than a few days there for that reason and because the city isn't huge. Some of the prices for drinks seem ridiculous which puts a bit of a dampner on the night life in my view, although maybe i'm just a bit tight with my cash! It probably also didn't help that i'd been paying so little in Poland and Lithuania a few days earlier. But if you're willing to part with you're money then there are plenty of places to go.
PrincessOfPenguins , Settledrunner and juliemagnhild thank you for your comments and recommendations :)
I need another favor... Could you please help me to find out the places on the movie : "Oslo, August 31st", if you watched that movie?
the cafe that Anders sit alone / The park that he felt asleep / / the bar and the club that they wnet and finally The pool which will be emptied on September 1st...
Thank you in advance!
cheers
cey
Edited by: bambee
I am a Brit who has lived in Oslo now for almost 5 years. Its a great city to visit, small, compact, easy to WALK around everywhere, has tons of parks, gorgeous islands and sea just in the heart of the city, nice museums, good festivals in the summer, lots of great bars and clubs.
Negatives. The obvious. Its bloody expensive. And there are lots of beggars, drug dealers and prostitiutes, but you can avoid them pretty easily and they dont pose any real threat.
Have a great time and be sure to go to Youngstorget for a good night out. Lots of great bars like Revolver, Mono, Hells Kitchen, Villa, Bonanza, Internationalen, Tilt, Robinet and Nomaden. Something to suit everyones taste!