Pitstop in Oslo, Norway

Oslo is as you might know the capital of Norway, the neighbouring country of Sweden. It's also the most expensive country out of the nordics, and famous for their success in retrieving oil. Even if it's actually quite close to my hometown Örebro, I've only been there once before, and that was just a quick transfer to get the bus to Gothenburg. In December 2019 me and my two friends had Oslo as a pit-stop on our way to Northern Ireland, and I got to see more of the snowy capital!

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We arrived in the days between Christmas and New Years, and took the bus from Örebro. It is an about five hours journey by bus, with a few stops to pick up more people along the way. The positives is that the views when getting closer to Oslo is lovely, and you get to see a lot when on a bus.

I would however love to drive over, as it will be amazing to be able to have a few stops along the way to enjoy the views and go for a few strolls. It is for sure on the bucketlist! You also have the option to go by train, which would be a bit more expensive, but indeed quicker.

One thing to remember is that Norway is a very expensive country to visit. Even for us, as swedes, it will feel like a punch in the face when you see how much you have to pay for example a pint, a pizza or a train-ticket. So if you decide to visit, I would advise to make sure to have a good amount of pocket-money, so that you are able to treat yourself!

"I would advise to have a good amount of pocket-money, so that you are able to treat yourself!"

As we only stayed for one day, we didn't have a lot of time for sightseeing. We also arrived on a very snowy day, so being outside was not super enjoyable... If you decide to visit during the winter-months, be sure to bring proper winter-clothing to keep warm!

One of my friends used to live in Oslo, so we did a pitstop outside her old house. We also went to the Opera-house to enjoy the view of the roof (yes, you are able to walk on top of the building), and also to go inside for a quick look. Oslo is quite big, and you will have options to enjoy the capitals many sides with both restaurants, nightlife but also parks and nature. It's a beautiful country worth a visit for sure.

Let's end with a few fun facts about Norway:

• Norway is not a member of the EU, but a member of NATO.

• Alfred Nobel picked Norway as the country where the Nobel Peace Prize should be handed out. It is not clear why.

• Modern and ancient skiing was invented in Norway.

• Norway's real name for the country is actually Norge, and Norway is only the English version of the countrys name.

• Norway supplies London with their Christmas tree every year.

• Norwegian, Swedish and Danish all have very similar languages, and a big amount of each population is able to understand each others languages.

~ linnity