Day 10 and 11 of 56, Jul 28 -29, 2022

Our ship’s next port of call was an overnight stay at Oslo, the capital of Norway. I think of Oslo as that far-away country where the Oslo Peace Accord was signed, where famous ski jumping happens and where Nobel prizes are awarded. Our visit presented all of those things and more, and like any other big port or city it has a lot of places to go and attractions to see. Of course we couldn’t do all of them, but be ready – this post has lots of pictures of what we were able to accomplish!

As our Viking Star glided along the Oslofjord, the approaching harbor provided an interesting juxtaposition of past and present. This was evident in its modern – but at the same time medieval – architecture, prominently on display along the fjord:

After docking we joined Viking’s included Panorama City Tour, then later took a complimentary walking tour at Akershus Castle. The next morning Steve did a city tour by bike while I enjoyed some solitary meandering (which happened by accident – no pun intended, stay tuned!).

PanoramA City Bus Tour

Every Viking cruise port of call offers an included tour, plus several other optional ones for an extra fee. We always join the included tours, unless they conflict time-wise with another activity we want to do. The 3-hour included narrated bus tour gave us a glimpse of the eclectic blend of contemporary flair, rich history and spectacular natural views of the area. We drove past the medieval Akershus Castle, City Hall, the Royal Palace, Parliament and the National Theater. We also made two stops where we got off the bus to explore further.

First we stopped at the Holmenkollen National Ski Jump Arena, the largest steel ski jump in the world. It consists of 1,000 tons of steel and sits about 1,394′ above sea level. Since we were here in the summer, instead of ski jumpers we saw folks using the zip-line down the jump for a bit of an adrenaline rush. Steve really wanted to do it, but alas the bus would not wait 😦

Walking Tour

Later that evening we joined a complimentary walking tour that began at the Akershus Castle/Fortress (right across from the ship), then went to the pedestrianized city area, City Hall and finally back to the port. At this point I’ve forgotten most of what our local guide narrated so I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Solitary Meandering

I started walking around the port and found myself following a path leading to the Bjørvika neighborhood, a revitalized port container yard.

Bjørvika is a treasure trove of striking architecture ready to be discovered. While I didn’t get a chance to go inside these buildings, the exteriors themselves were notable:

As I strolled in the promenade, the Opera House instantly caught my attention. Thoroughly modern, its iceberg-inspired design seems to rise from the water. I was huffing and puffing while walking up its striking sloping roof covered in white marble and granite. While there I had panoramic views of the city and the fjord:

That evening we exchanged pictures and experiences while enjoying a beautiful sunset over the city from our balcony.

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Next up: Denmark!