The best attractions to see in Oslo

Oslo happens to be Norway’s capital and also its largest city, but these are not the only things it is known for. Oslo’s museums and parks are definitely world-class and always worth seeing. 

The Akershus Castle, in particular, stands as a landmark in Oslo. You shouldn’t miss it for anything. The castle used to serve as a prison during the second world war, but now it plays host to the Resistance Museum depicting the occupation of the Germans in Norway. Take time to visit the dark dungeons, banquet halls and staterooms that are housed within the castle – you will be awed, for sure. Come summertime, the castle grounds are used for many outdoor events.

Experience true Norweigan heritage at the Norweigan Folk Museum. Set amidst sight-captivating surroundings, the Museum features many things that characterize Norweigan culture and heritage. Here you’ll find the wooden stave church dating as far back as the 11th century as well.

The Kon-Tiki Museum is worth seeing, too, if only to see the balsa-log raft used by Scientist Thor Heyerdahl during his voyage from Peru Polynesia. But there’s plenty to experience in the museum, as well – artifacts from East Polynesia, Peru, and Galapagos, and lava statues from the Easter Island, among others. Make use of the interactive touch screen guide to help you get around.

Other notable museums to see in Oslo are the Viking Ship Museum which contains the world’s three best-preserved Viking ships, the Munch Museum featuring the many artworks of Munch, including his best work, The Scream, and the Barnekunst Museum also known as the International Children’s Art Museum.

Done with Museum hopping? Visit Radhuset, Oslo’s City Hall, referred to by many as Norway’s pride. Not every one thinks that way, though, so see for yourself what you make out of the murals, frescoes, sculptures, and wood carvings.

Spend time to see Slottsparken, too. Slottsparken is a park surrounding the Royal Palace. Witness the changing of the guard at 1:30 pm, and see why it is always such a big deal.

If you happen to visit Oslo during summertime, don’t fail to see Vigeland Sculpture Park which features granite, bronze and iron sculptures of the cycle of life as envisioned by Adolf Gustav Vineland.

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Cheap Travel to Europe Another Season

Another "high season" is coming up in the Travel to Europe Universe. Yes, not only do the winter snows stop and melt away and the rains begin and the flowers bloom and the gardens grow, but the prospect of TRAVEL begins to take on a new glow! We could actually pack lighter and stay warmer if we traveled to Europe in the summer, right? So the search for cheap travel to Europe begins anew in earnest for those of us born to wander. (If you are just starting out, please check out my blog about gateway cities for a primer on one of the basics of finding cheap travel to Europe).

So what else will be new in the wacky world of travel to Europe? A friend of mine recently had an experience that proves that "truf is stranger than diction" or something like that. He bought a ticket mere hours before he flew from Central Europe to the West Coast of the US and got one of the best deals he has ever gotten in his life! And this person is no stranger to travel and knows how to find a good deal. So what does it prove? Not much other than "you never know." Do I recommend waiting until the day of to book your flights? Not usually. If there is any principle that we can find for cheap travel to Europe , I guess it would be that there are three things we need to have: Flexibility, Flexibility and.... gumby-ness. It is economics 101 that flexibility will allow you to find the cheapest flights to the cheapest locations with the cheapest connections and when you don't have any options, you will pay what they want you to pay when they want you to pay it. I have recently read at least one place that waiting until close to the date will work well IF you will go where-ever. Now if you have a specific place and dates you have to stick with, I wouldn't recommend waiting too long. If you can get your tickets on cheaper airlines within Europe, I would definitely recommend buying those ahead, because the law of supply and demand will make them get more expensive as time goes by and more people fill up the flight. Even having said that, some carriers will drop the price once the flight is 7 days out and still very empty to get some people into the seats. So see how you do. Set your limits and look for something that suits you. I will soon be flying to London with tickets that I bought a couple months ago just because I couldn't pass up the deal to get away for super cheap.

There will be some people paying more for travel to Europe this summer and some people paying significantly LESS. My hope is to be among the latter group and that you will be too. I hope you have all the luck finding cheap travel to Europe this year and once you get there, to have cheap travel in Europe. After all, it is worth it to save some of the money getting there so that you can spend it on things that will make your time in Europe memorable and enjoyable.