Top Destination
Vigeland Sculpture Park
The iconic Vigeland Sculpture Park, which sits inside Oslo’s famous Frogner Park, is one of Norway’s most famous tourist attractions. Open year-round, this unique sculpture park is Gustav Vigeland’s lifework and contains 650 of his dynamic sculptures in bronze, granite, and wrought iron. The majority of the sculptures are in five themed groups along a 853-meter-long axis. The oldest is the fountain group, depicting the cycle of human life, beyond which can be seen the 16-meter-high Monolith, comprising 121 intertwined human bodies
Akershus Fortress
Rising above the Oslofjord on the promontory of Akernes sits the majestic Akershus Fortress, built by Håkon V at the end of the 13th Century. Take your time to wander the grounds and ramparts with their wonderful harbor views before exploring the quaint chapel with its tomb of Håkon VII (1872-1957) and the remains of the original medieval castle. Also located in the grounds is the Museum of the Norwegian Resistance. Be prepared to spend a few hours here learning about the German occupation of 1940-45.
Viking Ship Museum
No trip to Norway would be complete without visiting at least one of the many museums and exhibits dedicated to the country’s Viking past. One of the best is the Viking Ships Museum, home to three historic 9th-century vessels, the best-preserved being the 21-meter-long Oseberg Ship. The largest surviving pre-Christian artifact in Scandinavia, this impressively decorated vessel was built around AD 800 and was used for the burial of a chieftain’s wife and two other women.
