NORSE COURSE
Oslo is super cool, but be a Viking and venture beyond, too
How do you reinvent a 1,000-year-old city? Visit Oslo, Norway, to find out. In recent years the fastest-growing capital in Europe — home to a third of the Scandinavian country’s 5 million people — has undergone a thrilling transformation, situating itself as a hub of dazzling art and architecture and embracing trendy new neighborhoods.
It’s hardly tossed out the old for the new, though. All through this reinvention, the city retains its charming, small village feel and storied legacy, stretching back to the Viking era.
Begin exploring hip new Oslo in Tjuvholmen, a breathtakingly beautiful mixed-use neighborhood constructed in 2012 from a former dockland area, bringing the city nearer to the fjord.
Tjuvholmen is an art- and design-lovers’ wonderland with, fittingly, a museum at its heart: In two glass-roofed buildings, the Astrup Fearnley Museet, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, showcases contemporary pieces by the likes of Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons.
There’s also a waterfront sculpture garden, futuristic buildings, the city’s only beach — a major local draw in summer months — and chic eateries like Tjuvholmen Sjomagasin, serving delectably fresh, innovative seafood dishes that are, in the tradition of globally touted “neo-Nordic cuisine,” primarily locally sourced. The crown jewel of Tjuvholmen is The Thief, the country’s most modish new hotel. A majestic blend of ice blue, slate gray and sleek lines, the buzzedabout property — Jay Z and Rihanna have already been guests here — features floor-to-ceiling windows, an art curator for every room and one of Oslo’s most popular new eateries, Fru K, which showcases regional, seasonal cuisine. Also a hit with locals is The Thief’s otherworldly spa, blending treatments from Turkey, Morocco and Finland — think mud, salt, peppermint oil and steam rooms that leave visitors refreshed and, during icy winters, happily defrosted.
Oslo is easy to navigate by
foot, city bike, electric tram or bus. Make your way past the massive construction sites — a new National Gallery museum and library are in the works — to visit the city’s prominent architectural debuts. The glacier-like Oslo Opera House, designed by Norwegian architects Snøhetta and opened in 2008, is the world’s first to let visitors walk on its roof, sloping dramatically into the sea.
From there, ogle Oslo Barcode: a postmodern-looking row of high-rise buildings slated for completion in 2016. For a city whose first skyscraper opened in the ’80s, these delightfully funky structures — rising like barcode stripes on the waterfront — make quite the statement.
For the Norwegian hipster experience, go east, where newly gentrified neighborhoods have cropped up in onetime working-class, industrial areas. In Vulkan, innovative, sustainable architecture abounds, and so does local energy: 300-meter-deep geothermal wells provide heat in the winter and cooling during summer. Bring an appetite to Mathallen, a dazzling new food hall that’s more than just a place to eat. This collection of Norwegian small-scale producers, specialty shops and cafés — you’ll find everything from a specialized butcher to Asian tapas and a high-end wine bar — is a food culture capital, hosting conferences, courses, fairs and competitions throughout the year.
Neighboring Vulkan is Grünerløkka — consider it Norway’s version of Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Design shops, bric-a-brac markets and vintage stores abound; trendy bars and clubs turn the area into a nightlife hub after dark. And microbreweries and alehouses — like cozy Schouskjelleren Mikrobryggeri, in the cellar of a 19th-century brewery — make drinking Heineken so very passé.
Never mind the cold climate. In Oslo, walking in the park is a must. The Vigeland Park is the city’s most famous place to do so — it’s the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, and is as majestic and sprawling as New York’s Central Park.
But these days, Ekebergparken, the site of 10,000-year-old settlements, is the hottest new place for a stroll. Nestled in the hills southeast of the city center, it was restored in 2013 to include walking paths, a sculpture garden, art by Rodin, Renoir and Dalì and a history and nature center. End a day there by indulging in dinner at the onsite restaurant, serving fine dining with a magical view: Behold the whole of Oslo.
With all the focus on new and improved, there’s still plenty of old and traditional to enjoy. Akershus Fortress, the 14th-century medieval castle, looms over downtown Oslo; ornate City Hall, adorned by wood reliefs telling old Nordic tales, is where the Nobel Peace Prizes are given out each year. It’s worth learning more about the prize at the nearby Nobel Peace Center, featuring interactive educational exhibits, and visiting the cities feted art and history museums.
At the National Gallery, lay eyes on Norway’s most iconic painting — Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” — and learn more about Munch at the museum in his old residence. The Norwegian Folk Museum, meanwhile, showcases 155 traditional houses, while the Viking Ship Museum is home to the world’s best-preserved 9th century wooden Viking ships.
One can’t properly experience Norway, though, without getting out of town. The easy way to do this is hopping the metro up north. A 20-minute ride lands you stunning views of pine forests, ski trails and quaint wooden restaurants serving up moose pizza — yes, moose pizza. The nearby Holmenkollen Ski Museum & Jump Tower beckons with shops, a café and a ski simulator, not to mention panoramic views of the city.
But it’s worth the day trip to get really out of town. Norway in a Nutshell coordinates what might as well be arctic safaris, with tours combining rail, bus and boat travel. The company will bring you into a magical landscape of glorious fjords, enchanting forests and Norwegian wood — and land you in Norway’s second city, Bergen. It’s historical and charming enough, with its cobblestone streets and Hanseatic architecture, but the real draw is, of course, something new: Lysverket restaurant, Bergen’s hottest hangout and the pinnacle of neo-Nordic cuisine. The restaurant is overseen by Per Se alum Christopher Haatuft, who also had a gig cooking for the Norwegian ambassador to Paris.
A tasting menu will leave you in sheer bliss and awe: Every single delectable ingredient on your plate, from the homemade mackerel butter to the charcoalroasted king crab, has been sourced from the neighboring wild or a local farm.
It’s the consummate marriage of tradition and innovation — the essence of your whole Norway experience.