Sitting at the head of a fjord, encircled by forested mountains, blessed with
classical and cutting-edge architecture and cool clean Scandinavian ai,r it's no
wonder that Oslo is regularly voted as one of the best cities in the world in
which to live. Oslo is an art lover's paradise, unfortunately though I only have
one day on this short visit as it's a stopover, just enough time for a
few highlights!
Sydney Australia might have a more famous Opera House, but can you walk on
the roof?
This is all Oslo's iconic City Hall. Now, with its modernist almost brutalist
approach, it's one of those pieces of architecture that's divided opinion ever
since it was constructed in the 1950s. I've tried to like it but it is a bit
George Orwell 1984 Ministry of Truth; maybe you disagree? The walls are adorned
with frescoes about Norse mythology. This one is The Warning of Ragnarok.
Time for a cafe recommendation, turn left out of the city hall and you'll find the
Fragrance of the Heart Vegetarian Cafe.
This is the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art and I think it says something
about the vitality of Oslo that they would allow such a striking extravagant
piece of architecture in such a prominent location on the waterfront. I'm
really excited to see what's insid.e Sometimes the building is more
impressive than the artwork - happily not the case here!
If you're a fan of the sculptor Gustav Vigeland
then you have to come here! In fact if you've never heard of Gustav Vigeland
you still have to come here! This amazing place is the largest sculpture garden
anywhere in the world devoted to the work of one artist. Vigeland dealt with
the human figure, and there's everything here from simple playful joyful images
to sculptures that are far more esoteric allegorical and frankly down right scary!
...and this is the centerpiece of the park, The Monolith. One piece of granite, 14
years of work, and over a hundred figures scrambling over each other to get to the
top!
So, no time for the Edvard Munch Museum, the National Museum, the Viking Museum
the Kon-Tiki Museum...