Oslo

Karl Johans Gate runs through the heart of Oslo, uniting the many aspects of the city. At one end lies the Royal Palace and, at the other, the main railway station and commercial district. In between are the imposing old university, the National Theatre (Johanne Dybwads Plass 1, +47 22 00 14 00, www.nationaltheatret.no) and the 17th-century cathedral (Karl Johans Gate 11, +47 23 31 46 00). Nearby, the National Gallery (Kristian Augusts Gate 23, +47 21 98 20 00, www.nasjonalgalleriet.no) has on display an excellent collection of Norwegian art.

Many head for the Edvard Munch Museum (Tøyengata 53, +47 23 49 35 00, www.munch.museum.no), with thousands of works by Norway’s most renowned artist. In a fine example of locking doors behind bolting horses, the security has been beefed up; The Scream, stolen in 2004, remains missing. The Vigeland Sculpture Park (main entrance on Kirkeveien, www.museumsnett.no/vigelandmuseet) remains one of the city’s greatest draws, while the thought-provoking Nobel Peace Centre (Brynjulf Bulls Plass 1, +47 48 30 10 00, www.nobelpeaceceter.org) is one of the newest and most significant attractions.

The best museums are found on the Bygdøy Peninsula, reached by bus (No 30 from the station) or by ferry from the jetty behind the Rådhus (Town Hall). Here the superb Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset, Huk Aveny 35, +47 22 13 52 80, www.khm.uio.no) has, as you might expect, the world’s finest collection of Viking boats, with three magnificent originals on display. In nearby Bygdøynesveien, the maritime theme continues at the Kon-Tiki Museum (+47 23 08 67 67, www.kon-tiki.no) and the Fram Museum (+47 23 28 29 50, www.fram.museum.no), which relate to two of Norway’s great seafarers Thor Heyerdahl and Roald Amundsen. The peninsula also contains the excellent Folk Museum (+47 22 12 37 00, www.norskfolkemuseum.no), with its displays of traditional buildings, crafts and costumes.

Local history

Oslo was once the centre of a thriving Viking culture that 1,000 years ago reached far beyond the boundaries of the Oslofjord. Rather than just barbarians, the Vikings were traders, politicians, artists and innovators. These qualities have succeeded since independence from Sweden in 1905 in building a very prosperous city – although what the Vikings would have made of the Nobel Peace Center is anyone’s guess.

Local politics

Norway is a constitutional monarchy lead by King Harald V, with the Storting, or parliament, tracing its roots back to the Viking assemblies. Norway is a very tolerant and stable society, largely reflected in its politics which have a strong emphasis on using the country’s considerable oil wealth to foster equality and social justice. Very high taxes pay for some of the best social services in the world.