City Information

Around 1000, Oslo was founded at the very head of Viken, as Oslo Fjord was known at that time. One thousand years later, Oslo's great anniversary coincided with the millennium festival that was celebrated around the world.

Oslo, the capital of Norway, is situated at the head of Oslo Fjord surrounded by forested ridges and is both a municipality and a county.

Oslo is the seat of the Norwegian Government and Parliament, and the Royal Palace is situated at the end of Karl Johan Street - the main street of Oslo.

The city's many astonishing features are unusual for a European capital. The city limits encompass wilderness areas as well as an array of restaurants almost unparalleled in Scandinavia. In winter, the city has an artificial skating rink only a stone's throw from the National Theatre and the University. Oslo City Hall is located in the city centre only a few hundred metres from the city's main street and overlooks Oslo Fjord filled with moored pleasure craft, shrimp trawlers, cruise ships, charter boats and ferries to all the islands.

Oslo abounds with sights of interest, such as museums, parks, urban districts with listed buildings and a well-developed array of shops. As most sights are within walking distance of each other, you can leave your car behind.

Oslo is considered to be one of the most leading shipping cities in the world. During peak season, many cruise ships dock at the quays that are still within walking distance of the city centre. It is only a ten-minute drive from these same quays to splendid bathing beaches with clean water.

Oslo is filled with paradoxes. For this reason, visitors perceive Norway's capital as an interesting city with an abundance of things to see and do - regardless if the visitor's purpose is shopping, tourism, business meetings or conferences. Many options are always available, regardless of whether you want to enjoy a sumptuous dinner at a restaurant rated in the Michelin Guide or a brisk, refreshing winter experience on dog sleds through Oslo's wilderness.

Oslo also has hundreds of kilometres of well-prepared cross country ski runs and eight alpine slopes within its city limits. This was the same alpine environment in which Kjetil Andre Aamodt skied down his first slopes.

The Oslo winter landscape was also where polar researcher Fridtjor Nansen trained for his long, fatiguing ski treks more than a century ago. In 1888, he and Otto Sverdrup were the first to cross Greenland on skis.

Sonja Henie is the world's leading figure skater through the ages. She developed her talents at Frogner Stadium in Oslo, which eventually led to three Olympic gold medals and ten gold medals at the World Championships - in succession!

But Oslo is also more than just a winter city. The All-Norway Soccer Team has also won big victories at Ullevål Stadium, and many world records in track and field have also been set at Bislett Stadium.

However, you do not have to be a top athlete to be pleased with the wide range of offers for sporting enthusiasts. Every year, usually in late July or early August, the world's largest football tournament is held for young athletes at Ekebergsletta. For more than twenty-five years, Norway Cup has gathered more than 20,000 eager, dribbling artists in the mini-footballer category.

Norwegians are interested in sports and are proud of their athletes and sports facilities. Oslo has produced many sports heroes, and many of the sports facilities are internationally renowned.

The legendary Holmenkollen Ski Jump is only a trolley ride away from the city centre. The ski jump is the core of extensive sports facilities adapted for ski jumping competition, cross country competition and biathlon events. Ever since the early 1900s, the best athletes in the world have competed for gold and glory in and around the ski jump, which has also been the site of the Winter Olympics and the World Ski Championships.

Oslo hosted the 1952 Winter Olympics, a faultless event that was considered to be the most spectacular Winter Olympics of that time. The fact that virtually all disciplines took place within the city limits was quite a sensation.

Since then, Oslo has organised the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1966 and 1982. The Biathlon World Championship was the big event in 2000. The annual Holmenkollen Ski Festival finishes off the winter season and is frequently combined with World Cup finals in several disciplines. The event takes place in March and draws crowds of fifty to seventy thousand spectators.