This is a guest post from Jennifer Octavia.

Hello, I am from Zombie club, friend of Ayub and Sulaiman. I live in Oslo, Norway now and I would like to share about Oslo since it is the newest Scandinavian capital and also the top ten cities you must visit, according to Lonely Planet. So if you are planning to visit you can check this out and get ready to travel to visit Elsa, Anna, and Olaf!

Where is Oslo/Norway?

If you have no clue about Norway, I can give some hints, the Marvel characters Odin, Thor, and Loki are based from Norse Gods (people in the Viking era believed in Ragnarok). Many people here are named Thor! The famous ‘Frozen’ movie was inspired by Fjords in Bergen, Olaf the snowman is a very common name in Norway. If you are fan of Viking TV series or Last Kingdom, it might be another hint for you although the timeline in the story is not accurate.

Random facts about Norway:

• Norway is located at Northern Europe, almost near the Arctic circle
• The country is a Kingdom
• The current King is King Harald V
• Oslo, the capital means ‘the mouth of the Lo river’
• Norway’s Constitution day is 17 May

Norwegian food

Norwegians love to eat brown cheese, the cheese is sweet, you can say it tastes like peanut butter caramel cheese. They have various food in tubes, like caviar, mackerel, flavored cheese, the tube is like toothpaste tube.

They eat a lot of elk and reindeer meat. Despite the alcohol being very expensive, Norwegians loves to drink and eat burgers. There are plenty of burger restaurants around the city. You can say sausage/hot dog is kind of their national dish, you will see a lot of children eat sausage for their meal.

They have traditional food called fårikål only in Autumn, it is lamb and cabbage stew, it may be similar with sup kambing, but I think sup kambing has more flavor.

In Christmas time they eat pinnekjøt (lamb ribs cooked in wood) and ribbe (crispy pork) for Christmas. They have steak with brown sauce, it is similar like the sauce that you eat with The Swedish meatballs from IKEA, it is tastier.

When to visit Oslo/Norway?

After living here for almost two years. I like both winter and summer in Oslo. In summer, probably it is the best time to visit Scandinavian country in general because the long day time, it is crazy the sun almost never sets between June-August, the temperature is pleasant and you don’t need to pack a lot of cloths. Also it is the best time to visit Fjords, the famous Fjord opens only from 1 May to 30 September.

My favorite month is August where Oslo has a lot of activities to offers, almost every day there is festivals and concert. If you want to experience Norwegian Constitution day you can come to visit on 17 May, you will see many Norwegian wearing the traditional clothes called ‘Bunnad’ and eat traditional Norwegian breakfast with Champagne.

In winter time, it is the opposite where sun sets around 3 pm, if you go further North you can see the Northern Light and experience the Christmas. The Christmas market starts from mid-November till end of December, but do not come on the Christmas eve or Christmas day, it is public holidays so everything is close.

This is the midnight sun look like, taken in Lofoten Islands.

Where should I visit in Norway?

Oslo for sure since most of the flights will arrive here and you can use local flights to connect you to other cities in Norway or even in Europe. Norwegian Air is one of the best airlines in Europe and they have direct flights to Bangkok and many other destinations in Europe at a very cheap price.

Lofoten Islands, this island is best in summer to watch the midnight sun or in winter to hunt for beautiful Northern Lights. Bergen and fjords are must visit in summer.

What kind of cloths should I bring?

In summer the temperature here is around 23- 25 degrees Celsius during the day and it get colder in the evening (around 10-12 degrees Celcius), so a jacket and leggings are good. Comfortable walking shoes, as you might walk a lot, transportation here is expensive and it is always the best to explore the city by walking.

In winter you might need a proper winter jacket, down jacket is the best option, I do not suggest to get uniqlo ultra-light down, it is not for cold arctic weather. I also recommend Timberland shoes in winter, it is anti-slipped and waterproof, it is the best for the cold and wet weather.

What to see in Oslo?

1. Royal Palace and Park

Norwegians love their King and the Royal family is not so exposed or celebrity like the British Royals although they are still connected, the grandmother to the King Harald V, Queen Maud, was the great grand aunt to Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal Palace is the official residence of Norwegian monarch since 1905. The current King Harald V lives here with his wife Queen Sonja.

The Palace was built in 19^th century with Neoclassical style. There are 173 rooms inside the palace. In front of the Palace there is the famous statue of Karl Johan, the King of Norway during the union with Sweden in 1818. The main street Karl Johan Gate is named after him. The Royal Palace is open for visitors only in summer, everyone who visiting the castle must book the guided tour and there is changing guard ceremony starts at 13.00.

The Palace Park is my number one favorite park in Oslo. The park is beautiful and always full with different flowers every season, it is very well maintained. The 220 acres’ park surrounded the Royal Palace. It was built in 1840s and up to now there are approximately one thousand trees in the park, the park has been redeveloped ever since with more path for pedestrians. The Queen’s garden is located at the back of the Palace and only opens between May – October.

2. The Opera House

It is my favorite hangout place in summer. I love to sit at the foyer and looking up to the blue sky through the huge glass window. It is like watching the sky on huge TV screen. Oslo Opera House opened in 2008 and the building itself is very unique, it is looked like glacier rising from the edge of the Oslofjørd. There is some guided tour if you are interested.

3. The Harbour Area

Basically everyone hanging out here in summer to do the water activities like sailing, paddle board, kayaking or even swimming in the cold Oslofjørd water. It is very lively in summer and you feel the happy vibes of the city after the long cold harsh winter.

From here you can see the City Hall (the square building with two towers) which hold the Nobel Peace ceremony every year, the famous Astrup Fearnley museum which features very modern architecture and also Akershus Fortress. There are many seafood restaurants around the harbor that only opens in summer.

4. Damstredet and Telthusbakken

This is my favorite stroll when I am going to Grunnerløkka area. I love the colourful wooden houses from 17^th centuries. I never get bored to walk this street and I always find a new thing to snap through my lens.

5. Akershus Fortress

6. Vigeland Park

This is probably my second favorite park in Oslo. The history behind the sculpture are very interesting. You can’t miss the famous statue of Angry Boy here (Sinnatagen)

7. Grunnerlokka

This is the urban hipster area full with restaurants, bar and small cute little shop that sells Scandinavian product or independent brand. This area is very popular among locals. There is flea market every Sundays.

Which museums should I visit?

The Scream painting by Edvard Munch is now at National Gallery (it is free on Thursday). The Fram museum is voted as the best museum in Oslo, it exhibits the journey of Roald Amundsen the first human being who reached the South Pole, he sailed from Norway. The ship that he used is exhibit at the museum. There are many other interesting museums like Kontiki Museum, Folk Museum and Viking Ship Museum.

Where to stay?

Airbnb is the best option as the hotel could be very expensive. You can stay at my Airbnb if you want J Here link to my Airbnb if you decide to visit and you can use my code for first time user!

What is the must visit restaurant to try in Oslo?

I would say Lorry – it is one of the oldest restaurants in Oslo (from 1870s) and serves one of the best traditional Norwegian food and  Illegal Burger, it is a must for burger lovers, the best burger! Also Check out Mathallen (foodhall)/Vulkan too for various of delicious food. If you like seafood check Fiskeriet, Rorbua or Lofoten Fish restaurant.

How many days I need to spend in Oslo?

Normally you need a day to explore the city center and one day to visit museums. In winter you might need longer days if you want to do some winter activities like ski or sledging.

Is Norway expensive?

It is expensive, but there are many ways to save money for example get food from groceries store, although it is more expensive than other countries but it help. Average meal at the restaurant here from 8 Euro to 35 Euro. Shopping is very expensive here, so it is not the best place to shop.

Why Norway?

• If you like Frozen, Viking (TV Series) or the Last Kingdom series.
• If you like Scandinavian design.
• If you like Viking and Norse Mythology (Odin and Thor, they are not just Marvel comics character, they were the Norse Goddesses)
• If you want to see Midnight sun and witness the beautiful Northern Light
• If you love nature
• If you love salmon
• If you are coffee lover (some of the best coffee place are here)
• If you are curious how it feels to live in the ‘happiest’ country in the world
• There are many other reasons this is just few of it!

Want to share your story and journey? Email me a guest post at [email protected]!