The best museums Østlandet

There are only 3 boats in this very sober museum, but what wonders! They were found in Tune, Gokstad and Oseberg in the excavations of Tune, Gokstad and Oseberg. They transported Vikings banned in Iceland and Greenland, crossed the North Sea to America for a failed settlement attempt, entering the Mediterranean to Istanbul to trade or to carry out bloody raids. The Bateau boat, the largest and best preserved, was the tomb of a Viking queen. The objects exhumed are entirely unique, such as these terrifying heads of stylised dragon dragon, this astonishing seal adorned by a Buddha attesting to trade with Asian peoples and this richly carved trolley with a Gunnar representation in the snake pit, which is no other than Wagner's «Günther du Ring» (inspired by ancient Nordic legends).

Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) was a Norwegian sculptor known for his immense contribution to Oslo's artistic life. He was the creator of Frogner Park, or Parc Vigeland, where many of his sculptures are displayed. He remains a unique sculptor, and an eminent symbol of Norwegian art on the international scene. Vigeland Park is one of the country's most visited attractions, welcoming almost a million visitors a year. In summer, it's not uncommon to see city dwellers sunbathing in their bathing suits on one of the many lawns, wireless headphones in their ears. Since 1924, Vigeland Park has been collecting and exhibiting the granite and wrought-iron works of the Norwegian artist whose name it bears. 214 of the 650 statues and drawings the artist created for the park are on display today, and they are among Oslo's strongest symbols. It is the world's largest sculpture park dedicated to a single artist. The park is considered Vigeland's life's work: in fact, he devoted almost 20 years of his life to its creation! It's a must-see place that reflects the Norwegian philosophy of giving nature pride of place. The park is the result of a dispute between Vigeland and the city of Oslo: Vigeland was evicted from his home in 1921, but relocated by the city to the building that is now the Vigeland Museum. In exchange for his new premises, home and studio, he promised to donate all his works to the City of Oslo. These massive sculptures come in all sizes, according to several main themes: death, daily life, men and women, children. It's also a very pleasant, clean place to stroll, whatever the season. Local residents go jogging here. Among the most famous statues are the Angry Boy(Sinnataggen) and the Monolith(Monolitten), which dominates the park at a height of 17 metres, and the imposing bronze fountain which, with its 20 statues, represents the circle of life, the Wheel of Life(Livshjulet). The first section to be opened to the public, in 1940, was the famous bridge: 100 metres long and 15 metres wide, with almost 60 statues on display. A fun walk for the whole family, to feel a little at home in the middle of the city! All year round.

The Fram is the polar ship built in 1892 and which continues the main part of the museum. It's the strongest ship in the world, and the one that has gone the furthest north and the furthest south! It was used on the three great polar expeditions of Fridtjof Nansen in 1893-1896, Otto Sverdrup in 1898-1902 and Roald Amundsen in 1910-1912. The ship is surrounded by a number of exhibits on polar history, revealing a fascinating part of the country's history.

In this open-air museum, one of the largest in Europe, you will find information on all aspects of Norwegian and Saami folklore. We discover their very colorful costumes, their language, which is not at all related to Norwegian but to Finnish, and their shamanic sorcerers who remind us of the Amerindians. In the vast park, 140 old houses originating from different regions of Norway and rebuilt here. A museum to discover absolutely.

With a total surface area of 54,600^m2, the new national gallery will, from June 2022, house around 5,000 works, from classical paintings to modern art, architecture to contemporary art, design and objects from Antiquity to the present day. The^2nd floor is devoted to the visual arts from the ^15th century to the present day. Temporary exhibitions in the Light Hall, a 2,400^m2 space that will host artists not already exhibited in the museum. In this hall, a 7 m-high ceiling is provided for special installations, and the outer walls are made of a marble panel between two glass panels to give a particular and lasting effect. The museum's exhibits include Gustav Vigeland's bas-relief Helvetet(Hell), which shows Rodin's influence, P.-N. Arbo's romantic-kitsch paintings Åsgårdsreien (The Knights of the Apocalypse), the Romantic period (1820-1870) with J.-C. Dahl's Stalheim Landscape , more beautiful than life itself. Dahl's larger-than-life Stalheim landscape, the accuracy of which you can verify by following the route from Bergen to Flåm. Portrait painter Adolphe Tidemand and landscape artist Hans Gude sometimes combined their talents to paint landscapes with figures. Curiously avant-garde for his time, Peder Balke's dark, sepia-toned northern seascapes narrowly missed out on a fresco commission at the Château de Versailles. Erik Werenskiold's Peasant Burial is painted in the realist tradition of the 1880s. The neo-romanticism of the 1890s in the astonishing Vinternatt i Rondane, Winter Night in Rondane, which took Harald Solberg some fifteen years to complete in these icy mountains. In an impressionist mood, Kitty Kielland's Sommernatt fra Jaeren, Summer Night at Jaeren, expresses the exceptional light of this part of the south coast. And above all, a room devoted to some twenty paintings by Edvard Munch, including The Scream, Madonna and The Sick Child.

Take your time to visit this superb new gigantic museum (architects Kleihues + Schuwerk), and return several times rather than saturate! Also outdoor restaurant, café, wifi, events and workshops for all ages. Magnificent views over Oslo from the terrace at the top of this museum. A winning bet for the city of Oslo, which now boasts the largest art museum in Scandinavia. It's also an opportunity to see works that have never been shown before, due to lack of space.

Oslo's Natural History Museum is the most comprehensive in the country. Animal, plant and mineral specimens have been studied here for over 200 years. The Zoogeographic Hall shows animals in their natural habitats around the world. The Norwegian Hall takes us from the oceans to the country's highest mountains. The Systematic Hall traces Norwegian vertebrates, and finally, the last hall hosts temporary exhibitions.

The Kon-Tiki is the balsa raft used in 1947 by Thor Heyerdahl on one of his scientific expeditions to Easter Island in the Pacific. An expedition that made him famous the world over. The Ra II is also on display. This is a papyrus raft that enabled the explorer to cross the Atlantic from Morocco to Barbados in 1970. This small but interesting museum retraces the explorer's travels through photos, texts and films.

The stations of the 1994 Olympic Games have now been transformed into a large amusement park open all year round where you can discover the sensations usually reserved for competitors. The ski jump, the bobsleigh run, everything is open all year round and adapted to your wishes. Activities: toboggan, lift pass, helmet and goggles. It is also possible to sleep here, which is recommended to take advantage of the many activities offered!

Where Tjuvholmen meets the fjord, you'll find one of Oslo's main attractions: the privately-owned Astrup Fearnley Museum, designed by the great architect Renzo Piano, creator of the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Parco della Musica and the New York Times building, among others. The Astrup Fearnley Museum of Contemporary Art is certainly in one of the most advantageous positions, planted at the end of the new Tjuvholmen district with a view over the fjord and the feeling of being on a boat. This is the new district built as an extension to Aker Brygge. And what a district it is! Sleek, classy and grandiose. Tjuvholmen is nicknamed the arts district. The architecture of the peninsula and the Astrup Fearnley Museum, inspired by its maritime surroundings and composed of three pavilions under a glass roof in the shape of a sail, evokes the city's capacity for constant innovation. Inside the museum, one of Northern Europe's most important collections of modern and contemporary art complements the National Gallery. Today, it includes works by major American talents, as well as those from Europe, Brazil, Japan, China and India, with big names such as Bacon, Koons, Hirst and Kiefer. Permanent exhibitions are complemented by temporary exhibitions, workshops and the Tjuvholmen sculpture park outside the museum. The Astrup Fearnley Museum celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2023.

New premises for the Munch Museum, now located in Bjørvika (near the Opera House) since October 2021.

A building much maligned for its architecture (not without reason... just look at the sad recycled aluminum sheet cladding), designed by Spanish architect Juan Herreros, the new Munch Museum has the advantage of being able to present, in addition to the works in the old museum, some lesser-known pieces, such as photographs and sculptures, as well as a film and monumental paintings(The Sun, The Searchers). For the record, they are so large that they had to be brought in through a special opening provided for the purpose during the construction work, which was subsequently closed again. The new museum is five times larger than the old one, and now houses over 26,000 works, including 18,000 prints by the Norwegian artist. An entire room features versions of the famous Scream, but the painting is housed in the Nasjonal Galleriet.

It should be remembered that the famous Scream, as well as La Madonna, disappeared in a surprising manner in August 2004 (a theft in broad daylight) and were found in "fairly good condition" two years later. Countless other equally powerful and impressive paintings make a visit to this museum an invaluable experience. Edvard Munch (1863-1944), one of the pioneers of Expressionism, was born in Løten, but the following year his family moved to Kristiania (Oslo). Four years later, his mother died of tuberculosis. At the age of 15, her favorite sister succumbed to the same disease, the scourge of the age. She is depicted in his painting The Sick Child. Munch worked extensively in Germany, exhibiting in Berlin, the birthplace of Expressionism. After a serious depression in Copenhagen in 1908, he returned to Norway. Among the paintings exhibited Dances on the Beach at Midnight, Kiss on the Hair of a Woman, Jealousy, The Lonely Ones, The Harpy, The Vampire, Melancholy, The Kiss of Death, Winter at Kragerø. In short, all Munch's anxieties in one museum.

Take your time, return several times and stop for lunch in the surrounding area. All the more reason not to spend 6 hours in a row: this visit is included in the Oslo Pass!

Disabled access, free Internet connection. RestaurantTolvte on the ^12th floor (!) overlooking the fjord. Café MUNCH deli & café on the first floor with terrace and cocktail bar on the top floor.

With its 140 old log houses with peat roofs, it is one of the largest open-air museums in Europe. Bjørnstad Farm has 27 buildings. In total the museum has 4,000 objects and 185 houses. Guided tours are given every two hours to learn about the different rural cultures and life on the farm and on the mountain pastures. You can see spinning, weaving and carving on wood. Local specialities are served in the open-air café.

The archaeological museum presents objects from the Iron Age, the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. Built on and around the ruins of the medieval cathedral and the seat of the archbishop's palace (12th century), it is accompanied by a medicinal plant garden and a small open-air museum comprising some fifty ancient houses. The visit of the latter is free. Possibility of guided tours in English on different themes: medieval, musical, herbalist...

The Nobel Center boasts an exceptional location on Aker Brygge, facing the fjord on City Hall Square. The façade of this handsome building features the portrait of the current year's laureate(s). It presents the history of the Nobel Prize, its creator, Alfred Nobel, as well as current events and the winners of the title since 1901!

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist, industrialist and arms manufacturer, who held over 350 scientific patents during his lifetime, including that for dynamite, the invention that made his name. On his death, he left a colossal inheritance to finance the creation of an institution responsible for awarding prizes each year to people who had rendered great services to humanity, enabling considerable improvement or progress in the field of knowledge and culture in five different disciplines: peace or diplomacy, literature, chemistry, physiology or medicine and physics. The Nobel Prize for Economics was later introduced. The first award ceremony took place in 1901.

The Nobel Peace Prize was appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, at Alfred Nobel's request, unlike the other prizes, which were selected by the Swedish Academic Institution. In 1901, Sweden and Norway were under the same crown. When the two crowns separated in 1905, Norway inherited the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded annually on December 10 in Oslo (the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death).

The Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo houses a number of exhibitions on a variety of themes. The Historical Museum houses Norway's largest collection of objects from prehistory and the Middle Ages. There's also the permanent VÍKINGR exhibition, a collection from the Viking era, featuring ceremonial swords, gold jewelry and a rare Viking helmet. A fine preview of the Viking Ship Museum extension due to open in 2025-2026.

In this museum, which complements the other major museums on the island, there are some beautiful figureheads, numerous models of sailing ships, a beautiful view of the fjord and the Najaden restaurant on the first floor. A perfect activity to do with the family, with a space dedicated to children and many fun and instructive proposals. It is located on the Bygdøy peninsula, next to the Fram and Kon-Tiki museums. Very nice fjord café and nice shop.

In this studio, which the city of Oslo built for the artist, one can see the techniques that Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943) used to realize his crazy dream. Among the molds and other objects in the extensive collection is a plaster cast of a statue of the Viking Egil Skallagrimsson challenging his king with a nidstang (impaled horse's head). The work, a bronze statue, is located in Mandal, the artist's hometown on the southern coast of Norway.

The old foundries at Baerums Verk were established in 1610 by order of the Danish King Christian IV, when Norway was a mere Danish province. Restored in 1987, the inn (where the restaurant is located) is today under the protection of the Historic Monuments, as well as the museum including the large ovens, the workshops, the workers' houses and the bakery. An interesting visit which may be worth the detour if you are in the area.

This museum, unique in Europe, presents all the animals living in the Arctic. One can admire specimens of whales from Antarctica and the Arctic, including a life-size model of a very impressive blue whale. It also shows the techniques used for whaling, from the rudimentary weapons of the Sami to the formidable guns of modern times. In addition, the museum has several boats, including the Southern Actor, a whaler from the 1950s, and a copy of the drakkar "Gaia", which still sails every day.

Exhibiting interesting contemporary art paintings. The museum is housed in the former Naval University, a brick building constructed between 1918 and 1921 by architects Bjerke & Eliassen, in collaboration with sculptor Wilhelm Rasmussen. Year-round activities for young and old. Guided tours for babies, for example! A small souvenir store offers fun things to take home. Great postcards!

This museum houses various exhibitions on archaeology, traditional fishing, whaling and includes an open air museum composed of 13 buildings. Activities proposed for children all year long (see on their website), temporary exhibitions sometimes, guided tours including in English, in short, a museum that knows how to propose nice things for the happiness of the visitors! Also a small café (open only in summer) that offers small snacks. A souvenir shop that sells jewellery, books and costumes.