The small capital of Scandinavia

Oslo is the smallest of the capitals of Scandinavia, which you also feel quiet fast if you have had the pleasure of visiting Stockholm and Copenhagen. However that does not mean that Oslo do not have anything to show.

Whenever I have visited Oslo I have a little route which take you around the city in a day. You can by pram go to Holmekollen in the outskirts of the city. Holmekollen is an old olympic ski ressort for ski jumping. Besides from the big jump you have a chance to by a cup of coffee and a sandwich (to overprices) and enjoy the view of Oslo and it's beautiful fjord.

Back in Oslo city you then go to the royal castle, which most of all just reminds me of a big yellow brick, but hosts the royal family, which decent directly from Denmark. From the royal castle you can stroll down to the shopping area and do some window shopping and maybe grap another coffee and a piece of cake. If you take this route by an nice and easy pace you have filled up 5 hours or so.

However, I find that Oslo lack life. Not much seem to be going on and there are only a limited amount of tourist attracktions. A few times I have combined my visits in Oslo with 3-5 days treks in the mountains not far away from the city. The nature is wild and beautiful - and if you trek in the right way you will camp in you tent somewhere up the mountain, do you dishes in the river and shower in the waterfalls. This way you have an opportunity to combine the best of a vacation including both nature and city life.

Please note that Oslo like the other Scandinavian countries seem very expensive to most people.