august-2011

NORWAY Population 4,691,849 Currency Norwegian Krone (NOK) GDP
OSLO
† €38,585 Dialling code +47
Airport code OSL Flight frequency Three times daily Average temp (Aug) 16°C
Oslo is at its liveliest in
August: with the sun
staying up late, locals
stroll Karl Johans Gate
and enjoy picnics in the
park well into the night.
But should the fi ckle
Scandinavian weather
not cooperate, there’s
plenty to do indoors.
Ian MacDougall is our
city guide
CENTRE
Walk down Karl Johans Gate from
the Parliament building to the
Royal Palace, stopping along the
way to shop, admire the fin de
siècle architecture of the National
Theatre or take coffee at a café.
SLEEP The Hotel Continental (24-26
Stortingsgaten, tel. 2282 4000,
hotelcontinental.no, rooms from €217/
NOK 1,690) is a century-old hotel – it’s
not cheap, but it’s worth paying a little
extra for luxury in the heart of town.
EAT Dovrehallen (22 Storgata, tel. 2217
2101) serves salted meat, boiled fish
and potatoes in brown sauce – authentic
Norwegian food.
CULTURE The Akershus Fortress is
a sprawling medieval castle that sits just
off Rådhusgata, on the harbour, and
houses the Norwegian Resistance
Museum with an array of artefacts.
SHOP Aker Brygge (3 Stranden) is Oslo’s
premier shopping area. For fashion,
check out Bik Bok – a trendy Norwegian
fashion house for women – and head to
Carlings for menswear.
TIP Hike up the sloping exterior of the
waterfront Oslo Opera House to enjoy
one of the best fjord vistas in the city.
ST HANSHAUGEN
Sitting just north of the centre,
St Hanshaugen is an often
overlooked but vibrant district
of Oslo – a neighbourhood of
80 Brussels Airlines b.there! magazine August 2011
IMAGE TERJE BAKKE PETTERSEN
With a plethora of shops and
restaurants, the harbour area of
Aker Brygge draws the crowds
INFO
Gardermoen
Airport is 45km
from the centre.
Train The airport
express train,
Flytoget, costs
€22/NOK 170 and
takes around 20
minutes, while the
NSB is slower but
still convenient
and costs just €14/
NOK 110. Once in
the centre, head to
the tourist offi ce
(see below) and
ask about the
various options for
public transport
day passes.
Taxi A cab ride
costs €87/NOK 690
each way before
5pm and €113/
NOK 890 after
5pm, according
to Oslo Taxi.
Tourist Offi ce
The main offi ce
is by the central
train station (1
Jernbanetorget,
tel. 8153 0555,
visitoslo.com)
inviting city parks and quirky
bars and restaurants.
SLEEP Gjestehuset Lovisenberg (15a
Lovisenberggaten, tel. 2235 8300,
gjestehuset.lovisenberg.no, doubles
from €89/NOK 700) offers affordable
accommodation in a quieter part of town.
EAT Underwater Pub (4 Dalsbergstien,
tel. 2246 0526) is the place to go if
you’re looking for simple and inexpensive
fare in a unique setting. Besides the
elaborate maritime décor and opera
singers (Tuesday and Thursday
evenings), it also serves very good pizza.
LATER At St Hanshaugen Parkservering
(28 Ullevålsveien) you can join the
Norwegians in embracing utepils
(outdoor beer) during August’s long days.
An outdoor bar with an extensive and
reasonably priced beer list, it’s in the
middle of leafy St Hanshaugen Park.
GRØNLAND
A former mill district, Grønland is
Oslo’s hippest neighbourhood,
home to artists, musicians and
an ethnically diverse populace.
EAT Teaterplassen, a plaza just off
Mandalls Gate and Tøyenbekken, is the
place to taste Grønland’s ethnic mix –
from Indian to Mexican – at various
take-away and dine-in restaurants.
CULTURE Øya (oyafestivalen.com) is
Oslo’s biggest music festival, from 9-13
August in Middelalderparken – this
year sees US rapper Kanye West and UK
indie-pop band Pulp headline. If you miss
Øya, you can catch live music at venues
like Gloria Flames (18 Grønland) and
Dattera til Hagen (10 Grønland).
LATER Oslo Mekaniske Verksted (34
Tøyenbekken) offers outside seating
and an excellent drinks menu.
VESTKANTEN
From the chic Majorstua
neighbourhood to the museums
and beaches of Bygdøy, west Oslo
(aka Vestkanten) is crammed with
destinations for summer.
EAT United Bakeries (9 Valkyriegata,
tel. 4177 5833) is an Oslo original,
serving homemade bread, baked goods,
quick snacks or sit-down lunches.
CULTURE The Viking Ship Museum
(35 Huk Aveny) on the Bygdøy Peninsula
is home to three of the world’s bestpreserved
Viking ships – catch the
30 bus or 91 ferry. Visit the nearby
Kon-Tiki Museum (36 Bygdøynesveien)
to relive the adventures of Norwegian
explorer Thor Heyerdahl.
SHOP Vestkanttorget market (corner of
Professor Dahls Gate and Neuberggata)
is among the best open-air antiques
markets in Oslo. Only on Saturdays,
get there early to bag the good stuff.
LATER Hammertson (5 Bygdøy Alle) is
one of Vestkanten’s many classy venues,
combining a bar, restaurant and club.
TIP If the sun is shining you can take
a dip in the surprisingly warm waters of
the Oslo fjord, or just relax on the sand
at Huk beach on the western side of
the Bygdøy Peninsula.
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