King Harald Hardråda founded Oslo in 1048 and in the early 14th century King Håkon V created a military presence by building the Akershus Festning in the hope of deterring the Swedish threat from the east. In 1624 Oslo was destroyed by a massive fire but was rebuilt by King Christian IV, who renamed the city Christiana after himself. Oslo was rebuilt on the west side of the river, making it more defensible. Norway united with Sweden in 1814 and the unification contributed to Oslo's strong economic and political growth right up until the break with the Swedes in 1905. In 1925 the city reverted to its original name, Oslo. Despite Norway declaring itself neutral in WWII, Germany invaded in 1940. During the war the Norwegian government continued to represent an independent Norway in exile. Oslo benefited from postwar prosperity generated in large part by the discovery of oilfields in Norway's North Sea waters in the 1960s and 1970s

Akershus Slott Festning

This medieval castle and fortress were built in 1300 and reconstructed several times after many attacks, including one occurring during the 1563-70 War of the North. The visitor will find tiny rooms where outcast nobles were kept, in stark contrast to the far more elaborate dining halls and staterooms on the upper floors. The Akershus contains dungeons, plush upper floors with banquet halls and staterooms, and the chapel used for royal events. The chapel holds the crypts of King Haakon VII and King Olav V.

Akershus was one of the sturdiest castles in northern Europe. Its unique layout, as well as the difficult terrain where it sits overlooking the harbor, made it almost impregnable. In the early 17th Century, the fortress was modernized and remodeled under the reign of King Christian IV, and got the appearance of a renaissance castle. At the fortress one can see the changing of the guard each afternoon. Nowadays, the fortress grounds play host to concerts and theatre productions. The Norwegian Armed Forces museum and the Norwegian Resistance museum can be visited there. Standing on the walls and ramparts you will get truly great views of the Oslo fjord and the city.

Norsk Folkemuseum

This fascinating open-air, living museum contains around 150 buildings from different regions, mostly dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, including one of Norway's oldest structures, the Gol Stave Church, built early in the 13th century in Gol and moved to its present location in 1885.The visitor will wander past old banks, pharmacies, post offices, barns and farmhouses and see folk dancing and weaving and people dressed in festive costumes. The Old Town section reproduces an early 20th-century town and contains a petrol station and a general store, and the first thing you'll come across as you step through the main entrance is a huge display of old toys, costumes, tools and appliances from around the country. The old buildings here span Norway's history throughout the ages and regions. Indoors, there's a fascinating display of folk costumes. There are displays of richly embroidered, colorful bunader or national costumes from every region, including one set at a Telemark country wedding. The museum also has stunning dragon-style wood carvings from 1550 and some beautiful rosemaling. The traditional costumes of the Sámi or Lapp people of northern Norway are exhibited around one of their tents. If one is visiting in summer, inquire about Norwegian Evening, a summer program of folk dancing, guided tours, and food tastings. During Sundays in December, the museum holds Oslo's largest Christmas market.

Vigeland Park

Here one can spend hours wandering around and seeing 192 sculptures made by Gustav Vigeland. Sculptures of entwined lovers, tranquil elderly couples and downtrodden beggars dot this beautiful park. The park is situated in the middle of Frognerparken, a leafy, green park, perfect for lazing about on a sunny day.

The Monolith

The park's highest point, a 46ft monolith carved out of a single block of stone, consists of 121 writhing human figures. At the bottom there are seemingly inert bodies. Above them figures ascend in a spiral, the movement halting midway and then rising at a fast pace towards the summit which is covered by small children.

Around the Monolith

Surrounding the Monolith are 36 groups in granite depicting the cycle of life. Every sculpture includes at least two figures depicting Man in a variety of typical human situations and relationships. A man and woman sit facing one another with a little child between them. Children play, young men and women dream and embrace. Old age is represented in several groups.

The Fountain

The Fountain is the earliest sculpture unit in the park, made about 1907. In the center of the basin, six giants hold the large saucer-shaped vessel aloft and from it a curtain of water spills down around them. The men, representing different ages, may be interpreted as toiling with the burden of life and the effort expended in lifting the heavy vessel varies. Water, a universal symbol of fertility, is used within the fountain complex in a meaningful juxtaposition with the twenty "tree groups" on the surrounding parapet, the latter evidently symbolizing the "tree of life."

The Bridge

58 bronze sculptures on granite parapets stand on either side of the Bridge portraying people of widely differing ages, although there is less emphasis on old age than others in the park. Many characteristic representations of children are noticeable. Dominant motifs among the groups are the relationships between man and woman and between adults and children. In one sculpture you find a bronze wheel enclosing a man and woman linked together in a rotating movement.

The Wheel of Life

After finishing the 58 sculptures for the bridge in the early 1930s, Vigeland completed a small children's circle located at one end of the bridge next to the small lake. The large bronze "Wheel of Life," is composed of figures swirling in an eternal circle.

Vikingskipshuset

The Viking Ship Museum is the best place in the world to find out how the Vikings sailed around the world. This museum houses Viking ship discoveries from Gokstad, Oseburg, Tune and around the Oslo Fjord. Here one can see the world's two best preserved wooden Viking ships built in the 9th century. The ships were used as tombs for noble people and they were buried with everything they thought would be needed in the afterlife, including jewels, food, furniture and even servants. The ships are beautifully preserved, courtesy of the blue clay in which they were buried.

The Oseberg was found in 1903 and in its heyday required 30 oarsmen. It's magnificently decorated with dragon and serpent carvings and its burial chamber held the largest collection of Viking-age artifacts ever uncovered in Scandinavia. Experts have concluded that this ship was purely a pleasure vessel for sailing in peaceful waters because the wood used to build its mast was not as strong as in other ships. The impressive Gokstad was built around 890 AD and it's believed to have been a warship. Although not as elaborately decorated as the Oseberg, the Gokstad was sturdier and had several smaller boats measuring from 23ft to around 33ft in length. These were used for ferrying people ashore and for fishing. Only a few boards and fragments remain of the third ship, the Tune. The museum also displays the treasures excavated with each of the ships.

Visiting Oslo