Holmenkollen Ski Jump Tower, Ski Museum & Magic Activity Centre for kids

The famous statue of the late King Olav V is at Holmenkollen which has been the site for more than a century of skiing competitions. Inside the Ski Jump is the Holmenkollen Ski Museum, the oldest of its kind in the world. The museum presents over 4,000 years of skiing history, Norwegian polar exploration artifacts and an exhibition on snowboarding and modern skiing. Recently a new activity centre has been added for children. Because the big events at Holmenkollen are sometimes “attacked” by fog, children can now meet the Blue gnomes and trolls who make fog – and also dispel it. There are caves and slides to enjoy and of course the magical characters to meet. The Blåkollen (Blue Kollen) centre is open from 10.00 to 16.00 every day.

The observation deck on top of the jump tower offers panoramic views of Oslo. It is possible at certain times of the year, and in suitable weather conditions to buy a ticket to take the zip-line from the top to a platform at the bottom of the jump. I have taken the zip-line myself – it was tremendous fun! The only danger is that you might want to try it several times and thus spend all your holiday money!
The ski jump simulator next to the Jump gives a great thrill to those who dare to try that!

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When you are up at Holmenkollen to visit the ski-jump or museum, you should take the opportunity to visit the famous Frognersæteren Restaurant just 5 minutes further up the road. This restaurant is in the best Norwegian tradition for excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere – and view! Prices are reasonable – some examples are (in NOK): soup of the day 105,- ; homemade fishcakes with vegetables and potatoes 148,- ; warm moose meat-cake with onions 105,- ; coffee and cake from 75,-

You can take the tram from Oslo to Frognerseteren station. From here you can either walk on up to the Oslo Winter/Summer Park or walk five minutes back down to the restaurant.

Astrup Fearnley Museum at Tjuvholmen

Astrup Fearnley Museet is a private museum of contemporary art, and has since its opening in 1993 been one of the most important art institutions in Oslo. The museum moved to Tjuvholmen in 2012, beautifully located in Oslo centre by the Oslo Fjord in a building designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano. The museum presents temporary exhibitions of international art, and houses the Astrup Fearnley Collection, one of Norway’s most important and most extensive private collections of contemporary art, with iconic works by artists such as Damien Hirst, Anselm Kiefer and Jeff Koons.

Opening hours: Monday closed; Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 12-17; Thursday 12-19; Saturday and Sunday 11-17. Ticket sales ends half an hour before closing time. Click here for opening hours on public holidays

Admission: Adults: 120,- Students: 80,- Children under 18 free; Oslo pass free.

Michael Jackson and Bubbles by Jeff Koons

From 31st January 2020 until 17th May 2020, the museum is showing an exhibition of Contemporary African Art – Alpha Crucis. This is an absolutely great exhibition and unreservedly recommended when you are in Oslo. The pictures on the right below are from that exhibition while the others illustrate the quality and fascination of many of this art centre’s displays.

Looking in wonder at works by Damien Hirst

Miss Dakar: sculpture by Romuald Hazoumè, 2011 one of the jerry can masks exhibited

Above is one of the fascinating installations at the Alpha Crucis exhibition of Contemporary African Art.

Below: the photograph is taken in early February, as we are walking along Akerbrygge ((Aker Wharf where the boat from Vollen arrives in Oslo) towards the Astrup Fearnley Museum. The tall square towers in the background are Oslo City Hall.

The Royal Palace in Oslo and Oscarshall at Bygdøy

The Royal Palace in Oslo is open to the public during the summer. All visitors must follow a guided tour. The season lasts from mid June – mid August. Tickets are usually available from early in March. During the season, guided tours in Norwegian are given every day at the following times:
Monday – Thursday: 11:00-17:00; Friday: 12:00-17:00 Saturday – Sunday: 10.00 – 17.00
But consult the website for exact information

The tours last about one hour and begin every 20 minutes.

During the season, guided tours in English are given: All days at 12:00, 14:00, 14:20 and 16:00

Oscarshall

We also recommend a visit to Oscarshall, the Royal “Summer Palace” This is a small, beautifully maintained palace on the peninsula of Bygdøy in Oslo. During opening hours you are welcome to wander in the grounds, from the palace right down to the sea and you will find lunch or a snack at the Queen Josephine café. However joining a guided tour is a very special experience for the palace transports visitors back to the mid 1800’s.

Oscarshall is open from 1st June to 30th August, from Wednesday to Sunday. From 31st August to 9th September the palace is only open at weekends Friday – Sunday.
Opening hours are from 11:00 – 17:00.

The Bear Park (Bjørneparken) – the place to get close to bears, moose, lynx, reptiles as well as farm animals.

At the Bear Park at Flå, the animals are housed in large natural enclosures. You can watch the animals up close and learn about them from the park presenters. In March of 2016, the park opened the largest crocodile exhibition in Norway, with 30 crocodiles, snakes and tortoises.
There is a lot for kids to explore and do in the play areas, such as an obstacle course, zip-line, outdoor and indoor playgrounds. There are also several restaurants.

The park is open every day from Easter to the middle of October:
From March 19th 10 – 16:00; from May 1st 10 – 18:00 and from August 15th 10 – 17:00 Tickets can be purchased at the entrance and the park advises early as possible arrival. Adult ticket NOK 290,-, child 240,-

Bear Park 3539 Flå, Norway Latitude: 60.434673 | Longitude: 9.445649 Altitude: 203 meters

Henie Onstad Kunstsenter / Art Exhibition Centre

The Henie Onstad Kunstsenter (HOK) is located in the beautiful park and recreation area of Høvikodden on the Oslo fjord peninsula, surrounded by public trails, wharfs and shorelines. The statues outdoors in the park are well worth looking at. The exhibitions change several times a year. For example from 3rd January to 3rd May the Henie Onstad Centre is hosting an absolutely fascinating exhibition of Picasso’s Suite 347 which consists of 347 erotic etchings and engravings. The suite of works has only been presented in its entirety once before. In addition the exhibition presents Picasso’s work in the Government Quarter in Oslo.
From 3rd January to 23rd August 2020 there is a mini exhibition of Claude Monet’s motifs from Norway. These paintings are really beautiful and a treat for those who love Impressionist work.

The museum ticket is NOK 120,-, students NOK 70,- with free entrance for children and youths below 18 years.
Opening hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 – 17:00 but open until 22.00 on Thursdays
The centre is closed on 1st, 17th and 30th May; 21st December – 26th December and on December 31st and January 1st.

The photos shown below are from the permanent Yayoi Kusama installation – Hymn of Life (on the upper left hand side), the Picasso Exhibition and the Monet exhibition (on the lower right side)

Sonja Henie was one of Norway’s most famous women, winning three Olympic gold medals, six European Championships and ten World Championships in figure skating and, after 1936, becoming a very successful film actress in Hollywood. Sonja and her husband Niels Onstad donated all her awards, films and documentation as well as their art collection to the Exhibition Centre at Høvik in Bærum.
Today the Henie Onstad Art Centre is well known for its modern art exhibitions, sculpture park and events.

Henie Onstad kunstsenter Sonja Henies vei 31, 1311 Høvikodden, Norway

Tanum Middle Ages Church / Tanum kirke i Bærum

Tanum church which is a 23 minute drive from Vollen, dates from the 12th century and has sculptures from the Medieval Age. Around the church are several burial mounds from the Iron Age. The oldest graves are from the 17th century. Inside the church you can see unique 14th century lime paintings and artifacts from the 17th and 18th centuries.

On a fine day you might like to enjoy a walk along the path behind the churchyard as there are magnificent views of the Inner Oslo fjord and the islands.