A weekend in Oslo
You’ll come to learn that when I lived in London, I was a sucker for a quick weekend trip. I found many of the cities I wanted to visit didn’t need long trips and could easily be done by flying out the Friday night and then coming back late Sunday evening.
It did mean I would have to plan quite a bit as most European cities shut down on a Sunday but this also meant whilst the weekend was busy, I could relax a bit. Oslo was a perfect example of this – I crammed A LOT in on my Saturday there but then Sunday I basically did nothing but wander around a little bit and then sit by the water.
Friday even I landed quite late, so I checked into my accommodation and basically fell asleep. Unfortunately the hostel I stayed at seems to be permanently closed now but they do have a hotel right next door called “Anker Hotel”. If not, just above this area is Grünnerløka which is super trendy with cute cafes and restaurants. It intersects with river Akerselva which is worth a walk along. I ran along it on my Saturday morning to get to The Royal Palace gardens, and it was very peaceful.
After the run, I got ready for the day, and my first stop was Oslo Cathedral. Compared to other European cathedrals, it is a bit unassuming from the outside, however when you walk in this does change. The ceiling is beautiful and extremely colourful. It wasn’t a large cathedral, but it did have quite a big organ and when I was there, it was being played which added to the vibe.
One of the main reasons I wanted to visit Oslo (aside from the top reason which I will explain later) was to catch a ferry across to the islands. I visited Oslo at the end of August which meant it was still sunny but it definitely wasn’t as warm as your typical European summer destination so I did have to hype myself up to get into the water.
There are a few different islands you can visit, however I chose Hovedøya as I did want to try and swim and it is the closest island to Oslo. The ferry across was very easy, you just need to make sure that you make the last ferry back to Oslo as they don’t have any other transportation for you to use.
When you disembark at Hovedøya, there is a path that you can walk which takes you to the main beaches. The whole island is very walkable which meant I was able to explore quite quickly and check out the main beaches. You also walk past a little café, some Cistercian monastery ruins. Although the beach was well structured, I wanted something even more secluded so I hopped back on the ferry and travelled to Gressholmen - Rambergøya for a swim on a very secluded part. It’s not large by any means, so you have to make do with rocks and a tiny bit of pebbled beach if you want to lie down. I didn’t stay too long but that isn’t because of any negative reasons – I needed to be back in the city for the main reason I came to Oslo.
If you have read my post about Malaga, you will know I have read the Seven Sisters and been influenced to visit a few places mentioned in the books. Oslo was another destination for the Opera. You can check out what is showing for when you visit using the Oslo Opera House (Operahuset) official website. It was a great piece of architecture and you can walk on the roof!! So even if you don’t go inside and watch a show, I recommend you at least walk across the roof.
The weekend I visited Cinderella was showing so the crowd was quite a mix between children to older adults. The staff were very friendly and helpful in where to go and sit. I did have some kids near me that made a bit of noise which made it a bit harder to concentrate, but overall the show was great with an intermission in between. This worked well with the sunsetting too
After the show, I was quite hungry, so I made my way to the food hall which was quite busy but had such a fun vibe. There was a good variety in stalls but I had a craving for nachos so I went for some Mexican. It was quite expensive, but the food was tasty so I would say it was worth it. After a jam-packed day, went straight back to the hostel for a much-needed sleep.
As I said, my Saturday need to be quite busy as many things are shut in Oslo on a Sunday. This includes supermarkets and shops but some cafes and restaurants remain open. Therefore, my Sunday morning was very chilled out and called for pastry time. I stayed in the area of Grünnerløka and tried Brauð Toast Bar. I sat inside and had a hot chocolate whilst I read my kindle. It wasn’t too busy when I went but I was there basically as it opened so the rest of the city seemed to still be sleeping.
It is right next door to Godt Brød Grünnerløka which is also meant to be really good, however wasn’t open at the time. I would highly recommend checking opening times before you go with a slight suspicion of Apple maps opening times. To head back into the city I walked along the river again.
My afternoon plans didn’t consist of much, but the day was sunny again so I headed to the swimming spot of the city and set up shop for a few hours. Although I did have my bikini with me, my biggest fear is open water that isn’t clear and whilst the view was very pretty, the water was basically black so there was no chance of me getting in. There were a few people who were jumping in so if you’re not scared like me it’s definitely a fun swimming spot.
After a couple of hours reading here, I was quite hungry (shock horror) so I walked around the port again to Salt which is an outdoor setting on the water. It had a few little food pop-ups and was a very eccentric aesthetic. It would be a lot of fun to be there at sunset or for a few drinks if you fancied.
After chilling out here for a little bit and eating my pizza, it was time to make my way to the airport for my flight home. I definitely made the most of the weekend, and whilst I enjoyed it as a whole. It probably wouldn’t be a destination I would rush back to just yet as I think I managed to tick off quite a bit when I was there.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy your weekend to Oslo xx