Our First Taste of Christmas in Oslo
After an uneventful yet extremely comfortable flight from Reykjavik (thanks, Norwegian Air!), we were back on the European continent in the beautiful city of Oslo. We were so ready for more snow and all the activities it brings, especially cross-country skiing, sledding, tubing, and snowball fighting. So, imagine our surprise when we finally got there and realized there wasn’t enough snow yet to do most of those things.
But, that meant our time was free to explore the other gems of the city, like the Nobel Peace Center, the Vigeland Sculpture Park, and the Christmas Market. Plus, it was impossible to be disappointed when this was our hotel:
This was our morning view:
And this was right next door:
That is the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, which makes this Olympic stadium #2 of our trip! Oslo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1952, and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump was one of the centerpieces of those games. Because our hotel was just a few hundred feet away, we got to visit twice: once at night for a perfect view from the stands and once during the day for a stunning (and very windy) view from the top.
Before we took the funicular up to the top of the ski jump, we weaved our way through their fantastic Ski Museum where we learned about the origins of skiing and dog sledding, Norwegian influence on the sport, and got to experience a downhill ski run and a ski jump in their simulator. Let’s just say we have so much more respect for those athletes now!
On the days when we weren’t hanging around near our hotel, which was actually above Oslo, we took the train down to explore the city. The vibe felt similar to San Francisco but on a much smaller scale. It was easy to walk around, but we were a little surprised that it didn’t have more of an old-world feel. It definitely had its charms, though. On our first day in the city, we stumbled upon our first Christmas Market, and it was everything we had imagined and more! The sidewalks were lined with craft booths, the smell of grilled sausages and pretzels filled the air, and the Christmas cheer was palpable. Since it was the middle of the day, it wasn’t too crowded, which we were thankful for. So we got cups of warm glühwein and hot chocolate and slowly made our way around the ice rink in the center of it all.
It had booth after booth of knitted goods, handmade ornaments, candies, wooden home decor, and on and on. There were even a Ferris wheel and a mini version of Santa’s workshop. But the quirkiest part was the pair of animatronic reindeer heads hung on opposite sides of the walkway that were programmed to talk and sing to each other. Obviously, we were all about it! During the course of our stay, we walked through this market 3 times, and it never got old — just progressively more crowded. If there’s one reason to come to Europe in the winter, though, it’s to experience these Christmas markets. The energy and sense of joy are impossible to describe but are oh-so-good for the soul.
Aside from the Christmas market, the stand-out experience in Oslo was visiting the Nobel Peace Center. Through a guided tour, we got to hear the story of Alfred Nobel, the origins of the Peace Prize, and learn about the Peace Prize laureates and their work through the decades. The best part was the Nobel Field, which is an indoor garden made up of hundreds of LED lights and plaques for each laureate that “came to life” when you stood in front of them. I’ve never seen anything like it, and we were both truly awe-struck walking through it. If you’re looking to restore your faith in humanity, visit this center and read the stories in the Nobel Field. This world has been blessed with some truly remarkable souls.
Our last major stop in Oslo was the Vigeland Sculpture Park. This park houses 200 sculptures created by Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland, mostly set in 5 main areas: the Main Gate, the Bridge with the Children’s Playground, the Fountain, the Monolith Plateau, and the Wheel of Life. The sculptures are a mix of bronze, granite, and wrought iron and are a captivating representation of Vigeland’s perspective on life and human connection. The park itself also made for a perfect afternoon walk to enjoy the crisp Oslo weather.
Although our time in Oslo wasn’t exactly what we expected, we felt like we saw the best of this historic city and left with our first twinkle of Christmas spirit! Next up: Stockholm, where we plan to stoke that Christmas spirit fire, explore the islands, party at the ABBA museum/hotel, and hopefully get to enjoy more snow!
xo,
Jules