Oslo

Set aside the fact that its not the most economical city break you could take yourself, and instead concentrate on the fact that Oslo is a compact, fun and friendly city. Oh and its only around an hour and a half flight away too. Perfect for a weekend away then.

Apparently Norway’s capital is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, so obviously someone isn’t put off by the slightly astronomical cost of living here. And I can see why, I was quietly impressed with Edvard Much’s home town.

On this trip I was joined by my big sister; the first trip we have ever taken by ourselves if I’m not mistaken bar the regular trip to see Grandparents some years back. It wasn’t a riotous affair but it was lovely being able to spend some time together, and to catch up on one another’s busy lives without interruption.

Earth Major Minor in Yellow and Green Mural by the British artist, Chris Ofilis

Stockfleth’s Coffee House

And to be honest, I felt that the pace of Oslo suited that kind of break. It was less of a frantic sightseeing break, and more a case of go for a wander, find a nice coffee shop (plenty to choose from) and explore the neighbourhood.  Don’t get me wrong there are a list of ‘must-see’ sights but nothing like the extent you’d be trying to visit in the likes of Barca, Paris, or Rome.

I kicked off our weekend away with a running tour of the city. This was a great way to combine two of my passions – travel and running – and it was a fantastic way to orientate myself with the city and to meet one of its residents. My 10k loop took me past the city’s main sights, some of which I then dragged my sister along to:

• The Royal Palace which is a bit of an oddity in that you can pretty much walk up to the front door and ring the bell. A far cry from Buckingham Palace.
• The Grand Hotel, famous as being the place where the Nobel Peace Prize winner beds down for the night.
• The Nobel Peace Centre and Peace Wall which I would thoroughly recommend. We were lucky enough to gain free entry as our visit coincided with the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner – Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. It also houses Stockfleth’s Coffee House which is a thing of beauty.
• Akershus Fortress
• Ayer Brugge (the modernised harbour area) where you will find the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Contemporary Art and can also watch the fishermen bring in their catch
• The National Theatre
• The Government buildings destroyed in the 2011 terrorist attack
• Opera House, a stunningly modern building right on the water and you can walk across its roof – do it!
• Radhus or City Hall, with its 1950s functionalism architectural style
• Karl Johans Gate, Oslo’s main shopping street

On the advice of a friendly barista, we also headed off (by foot) to Grunerlokka along the river walkway which I think was called Akerselva. Its a beautiful walk taking you past old mills which have been converted into trendy flats or galleries.  I can liken it to London’s Shoreditch but without the pretentious hipsters.

Not only is it a lovely walk by the river, but you’ll find old, previously abandoned buildings, taken over by artists or turned into exhibition spaces or hip coffee spots. It is also where you will find Mathallen, an upmarket food hall, where we had a nice and fairly affordable lunch of mussels and chips in Vulkanfisk.

More generally the area is where you’ll find loads of independent shops, coffee stops, bars and restaurants.  A couple of our favourites were Granit on Thorvald Meyersgate (actually a Swedish company selling affordable home ware) and Nokken for a bite to eat.  We also looked but didn’t dare having a coffee at the famous Tim Wendelboe, which is frequently cited as one of the world’s best coffee shops.

Many of the guidebooks also recommend a trip on the fjord to Bygdøy, an area boasting many of the city’s museums including the Viking Ship Museum, Fram Museum and Kon Tiki Museum.  Needless-to-say, we chose not to and instead opted for a relaxing roundtrip on the Fjord’s public ferry (costing around £3)  marvelling at the various islands, some of which looks almost deserted.

All in all, a perfect little city break destination – you can easily see the sights and soak up the atmosphere in a 48 hr trip. Yes, it is on the pricey side but we saved a bit of cash by booking a hotel (Saga Hotel Oslo Central – £120 for two nights in a twin room) which included breakfast and taking some Prosecco bought in Duty Free. But don’t fret about the cost of a coffee, savour it instead, ideally with a nice Norwegian waffle with local berries.