What to do in one week in Oslo/Norway
 

In spite of what the title says I don't need to know what to do in Oslo for a week, since I spend about 50 of them each year here anyway :) BUT we do get a couple from the US, that are friends of us (me and my SO) over next may. And as such I'm curious for ideas of what to do when they get here.
They will be here from 12th to 19th of May and we will of course make sure they are in Oslo on the 17th and we know of all the usual museums and sites. So my question is rather has any non-Norwegian visitors any good ideas for things to do or daytrips to take that are not obvious ? I'm especially curious about things that were interesting/fun/special because they were not something you as a non-Norwegian wasn't used to doing, which of course for us Norwegians wont be something we'll suggest since we do it everyday or don't make anything out of it...
Hmmm I hope that question actually made some sense (it all seemed a lot clearer inside my head :)

Sindre

Oslo is great but the fjords are truly memorable and not something we have in the USA (except for Alaska). The train ride from Oslo to Bergen was beautiful, as was the norway in a nutshell trip. When we come to Norway again we want to see fjords!

OK, I'll write this up as one vote for the nutshell trip... anything else actually within Oslo ? :)

Sindre

I really enjoyed the Underground Museum and the Kon Tiki and adjacent museum. I also just enjoyed walking some beautiful residential neighborhoods [not all were terribly expensive] and simply riding city busses. Harbor tour is a winner. Maybe I am weird, but I'd be interested in local fresh markets, seafood markets, and maybe having an opportunity to join in the preparation of traditional Norge dishes. I agree re the train to Bergen. Could one spend a day by going to the halfway point and then catching the train back to Oslo? Work in a couple of daytrips to the fjords and the forests and you've got a winner. Incidentally, I accidentally ended up in Trondheim on Natioanl Day and it remains one of my fondest travel memories. The parades, traditional dress, etc were truly special!

I like views. I enjoyed the metro ride out to Holmenkollen ski jump for the view. The ski museum was interesting too. I took the metro line out further and went to the top of the telecom tower for another beautiful view. I enjoyed the view from the rooftop bar of a restaurant hotel right in the center of town though the drink was expensive.

I liked the Folk Museum on Bygdoy that has a lot of old buildings and examples of how people lived over a hundred years ago. It has a beautiful stave church that is a must-see. Between the Kontiki museum and the Folk Museum is an ex-church that has three Viking longboats in it. The combination of the building history and its current contents was very interesting to me.

I liked the Munch museum to see the twisted side of Impressionist painting. "The Murderer" fascinates me. I found it eerie to see his painting "The Sickroom" with his sister dying, then go downstairs to see the actual chair his sister died in. There are several versions of his famous "Scream" painting too. It's not all dark art, but it is interesting. I believe this is the museum that recently had a "Scream" stolen.

Don't forget to visit Vigeland Sculpture Park. Here's a website of stuff to see in Oslo.

http://www.visitoslo.com/Oslo-Pass-advantages/ ((b))

The Vigeland Sculpture park will blow you away. Ditto for the recommendation. It is a unique experience. You can get right up to the sculptures and they are beautiful and show such humanity.

Thanks to everyone for replying!

We will certainly take our friends to see all the typically "touristy" sites, but what we are really looking for are those things that the guidebooks don't tell you.

Not the little "off-the-beaten-track" nooks and crannies - being native Oslo residents we know about all of those things.

No, what we want to know is what kind of experiences you - as American tourists - had in Norway that you totally did not expect? Anything from little things like how ATMs work, to what buildings look like, how people act, customs, etc. We always enjoy these cultural difference when abroad, but of course, it's hard to identify them in our own culture.

So, any thoughts?

Our family of four spent a week in Norway with our Norwegian niece and her American husband. THE highlight for us was that they hosted a barbeque for us in their home the evening we arrived; it was so wonderful to have a chance to be with so many Norwegians (some Danes too) and we're so grateful they spoke English! They also had Norweigian teenagers there who our teens greatly enjoyed. We like doing "ordinary" things: grocery shopping, stopping by the "truck" thing to get fresh salmon. I loved the art museum downtown. We did a lot of walking and public transportation, which we don't do as much of here in the US. But the very BEST thing was the barbeque. Such interesting conversations.

I spent both a summer and fall semester in Norway as an exchange student (small town outside of Oslo and in Oslo itself), and I've done all of the touristy things. However, what I found to be most memorable/enjoyable were the trips to a nearby lake with my host family and friends, where we went for rides in a rowboat and barbequed under the midnight sun. Is May too early for something like that? I also enjoyed eating the typical Norsk breakfast (open faced sandwiches with geitost, meats or liver spread). Like Peggi, I enjoyed doing the "ordinary" things (going to the mall, the grocery store, etc) and observing now the Norwegian people live. Have fun hosting your friends!

Concurrence from an older tourist guy...Vigeland, Bygdoy, Nat'l Art Museusm, Nutshell to Bergen, Resistance Museum and of course the Castle itself (they have good guides for walking tours),and just strolling Karl Johann Gate. How about just sitting and relaxing at Engbret Cafe or Bacchus or Politiker'n? What's the latest on any recovery of The Scream?

Bill in Missouri [email protected]

I agree with the previous posters especially with regard to the Vigelund statues (a truly amazing places and a real highlight of Oslo). And I loved the National Art Museum - not world famous, but a great museum (especially the Munchs!). Another favorite that I don't think has been mentioned is the city hall. It's a very cool (and unusual!) building and I found the tour to be quite enjoyable. And another vote for the Viking museum.

There are lots of opportunities to cycle through the Norwegian scenery at your own pace. In our opinion, it’s a lot better than sitting in a train or car. It provides you with better views and a feeling of freedom.
There are thousands of km of trails in Nordmarka. Cycle hire is at Tomm Murstad, Voksenkollen.
Overnight in a hytta. Contact DNT.