Book a Flight to Oslo from €62

Akershus Castle: a city landmark and national symbol of Norway, this is the fortress that King Haakon V began to build in 1299 to defend the city. The home of Norwegian kings and the centre of power, Akershus Castle stands imposingly above Oslo's main pier. Free tours are available to the public during the summer months, offering a magnificent view of the fjord from the battlements.  
Address: Akershus festning 0015, 0047 23093917, www.forsvarsbygg.no/ 
 
City Hall: a landmark constructed in 1950, City Hall draws everyone's attention each year, as it is where the Nobel Peace Price is presented. You can take a tour of the interior and admire representative works of Norwegian art from the first half of the 20th century. Set your watch by the 49 bells that strike on the hour every hour.
Address: Fridtjof Nansens plass, 0047 23461200, www.oslo.kommune.no/

Vigeland Park: an outdoor museum dedicated to the most important Norwegian sculptor of the 20th century. Scattered among the beautiful gardens with the geometric flower beds are 227 allegorical sculptures created by Rodin's student, Gustav Vigeland, impressively illuminated at night. The Monolith, a granite pillar rising to 17 metres with 121 tightly embraced human figures carved into it, is most distinctive and symbolises life's struggles.
 Address: Frognerparken 0268 
 
Oslo Opera House: an impressive structure of white marble and glass, right at the harbour and designed to look as if it is rising out of the waters of the fjord. The massive transparent walls of the Opera House allow you to see the musicians rehearsing, even if you are standing on the banks outside. Admire the interior wall clad in oak and attend an opera performance in the auditorium shaped like a horseshoe, or walk along the roof, which is built like an inclining ramp. 
Address: walking from Christian Frederiks Plass, 0047 21422121, http://operaen.no/ 

National Gallery: visit the elegant pink building of the Nasjonalgalleriet and view the large collection of works by Norwegian artists and French Impressionists like Cézanne, Renoir and Monet. The crown jewel of the Gallery is the famous painting by Edvard Munch, "The Scream". Copies of the painting on post cards and other souvenirs are available in the gift shop. 
Address: Universitetsgata 13, 0047 21982000, www.nasjonalmuseet.no
 
Cruise the fjords: board one of the ferries or small boats moored at the docks for a waterway tour through the 80 km-long Oslo fjord that will take you past the vibrantly coloured hytte - the summer homes of the city's residents. In the summer months, you can take the same tour on the wooden deck of a sail boat, to the sounds of jazz music and a meal of fish and Norwegian specialities.

Bygdøy Peninsula About a quarter of an hour by boat from the harbour, you can visit the peninsula with the museums devoted to the intrepid Norwegian explorers. The Kon-Tiki Museum relates the incredible story of Thor Heyerdahl, who in 1947 travelled on the Kon-Tiki raft from Peru to French Polynesia, traversing a distance of 8,000 km across the Pacific Ocean and powered only by the wind. At the nearby Fram Museum, you can see the boat of the same name on which explorer Fridtjof Nansen sailed into the polar ice to the north; and learn about the adventures of the leader of the first mission to the Antarctic in 1910, Roald Amundsen.
Address: by boat from dock 3 behind City Hall.

Viking Ship Museum The legends of the fearsome warriors of Scandinavia come alive in this Oslo museum, which is a major attraction especially for children. In its galleries you can see the two best-preserved wooden ships in the world from the 9th century, with intricately carved savage forms, along with sledges, weapons, tools and cooking utensils that make the hardships of these mariners come to life.
Address: Huk Aveny 35, 0047 22851900, http://www.khm.uio.no

Down at the harbour, you will find the old Aker Brygge shipyards which have been modernised and now house 30 shops and designer restaurants, bars and cafés along the charming esplanade. Enjoy shopping at the alternative shops in the old working class district of Grünerløkka, on the east side of Oslo, and take a look at the gleaming windows of the boutiques along the commercial roads of Hegdehaugsveien and Bogstadveien. Continue your fashion shopping at the elegant Eger building, with 300 ready-to-wear designer labels and brand-name cosmetics. Head out for a shopping safari at the five-storey Oslo City shopping centre in the heart of the city. 

You will find unique souvenirs at the Nobel Peace Centre gift shop at Brynjulf Bulls plass 1, as well as handmade candles, ceramics and silver made before your very eyes by artists of the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History (Museumsveien 10) in their traditional workshops.

In green Oslo, even the delicacies of the local cuisine are environmentally friendly. Faithful followers of the "zero mile" trend in nutrition, the chefs at the high-end restaurants in the city boast of the zero distance separating their kitchens from the raw materials they use. Fresh fish and seafood from the fjord waters fill the fishermen's stands at the docks every day so they can end up on your plate just a few hours later. Visit the city's fish market at dawn to take in the unique atmosphere, and enjoy a breakfast with freshly cooked shrimp sold by the bag. 

Get a taste of the creative dishes of Norwegian nouvelle cuisine, such as crayfish fricassee, lobster ravioli and salmon tartare at the chic restaurants in Aker Brygge, but also sample some of Oslo's street food. Atlantic wolffish and grilled crab are served wrapped in paper so you can eat on the go along with a glass of cold local beer. Try a matpakke, a sandwich on whole wheat bread filled with brunost goat cheese, and don't forget to try the local kjottkaker meatballs. For serious clubbing, head for the alternative hang-outs of the old working-class district of Grünerløkka, where Norwegian jazz meets rock and electronic music in its purest form.

The calendar of the Norwegian capital is full of events suited to the cultural background of the city and its natural setting.

• Christmas The atmosphere in Oslo is magical during the holiday season, which begins 25 November. Homes, shop windows and streets are lit up with candles, and the Christmas Market in front of City Hall is a major attraction for young and old. Wooden houses and stands with decorated trees, handmade ornaments, woollen jumpers and scarves, traditional sweets and gløgg - warm red wine with rum, help make the biting cold more bearable.
• 17 May National Holiday The Norwegians celebrate the anniversary of the signing of their country's constitution in 1814 with a student parade before the royal palace, along the Karl Johans gate pedestrian walkway and by strolling around Oslo wearing the traditional bunad costume.
• Oslo Jazz Festival Norway is very proud of its own brand of jazz, with top artists like saxophonist Jan Garbarek. This musical extravaganza features six days of music in August, with venues throughout the city offering jazz, blues, gospel and Latin. 
• Oslo Crime Writing Festival The misty fjords and noir atmosphere create the ideal setting for this themed festival in a country that boasts many best-selling authors of this genre, including Jo Nesbo and Gunnar Staalesen. More than 60 Norwegian and foreign writers save the date for crime stories every March.

Transport from the airport

Aegean Airlines lands at Gardermoen International Airport, located 35 km north-east of Oslo. The airport offers a large variety of cafés and restaurants, from seafood bars and Italian classics to sushi, fashion stores, electronics, books, accessories, banks, foreign exchange desks and a post office. Wi-Fi is free for two hours. 

The Flytoget express train directly connects Gardermoen Airport with the city centre in 20 minutes. The Airport Express Bus (SAS Flybussen) departs every 20 minutes from the airport for Oslo, stopping at various central locations in the city.