Oslo - the capital of Norway

The city of Oslo is one of the oldest in Scandinavia. The capital of Norway was founded by King Harald III Surov around 1048. This settlement had a rather stormy history, there was a great fire, an epidemic of plague passed, authorities were replaced, the main religion and even the name of the city changed. All this had its undoubted influence on its architecture and specific atmosphere.

With its incomparable beauty, the capital of Norway is different from other European capitals. A special charm gives it the location in the depths of the huge one hundred-kilometer Oslo-fjord. In winter, the surrounding hills are dressed in snow caps, this gives a mysterious and fabulous look. In summer, all the slopes are simply buried in greenery and contrasted with a blue background of the bay. If you climb one of the hills, you can see the whole unusual panorama of Oslo.

The most famous street is not only in the capital, but in all of Norway - Karl-Johans-gat. In this picturesque street, huge buildings are buried in greenery, and shops and cafes are located directly on the road leading to the Royal Palace, standing on a hill. The Royal Palace of Slottet arose thanks to the Norwegian king Charles XIV Juhan, in his honor the street leading to the palace is named. On this street parades are held during the holidays, including during the most important - the Constitution Day. On this pedestrian street there are popular shops in Oslo. In addition to the world's leading brands (H & M, Zara and Benetton), there are large department stores and shopping centers. Near the street Akersgata is the design house Moods of Norway, very popular in Norway.

Today the royal residence has a large collection of various works of art. This summer collection is available for tourists. On the same street with the Royal Palace are also the University and the National Theater. Traditionally, for European capitals in the winter on the main street filled with ice rink. You do not even need to take skates with you, you can rent them here. The capital of Norway has many attractions, but one of the most remarkable buildings of the capital is far from the city center.

This is the building of the City Hall. Its construction took a very long time, and was completed only in 1950, when the 900th anniversary of Oslo was celebrated. The uncommon project of this building causes mixed feelings among city dwellers. Geometrically, an absolutely simple form captures the attention of all visitors. In the ceremonial hall of the City Hall, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually.

The capital of Norway has its own historical center - the Old Town. In his heart is the fortress of Akershus. This fortress, located on a hill, protected the city from attacks by the enemy from the sea in the old days. The fortress was built in 1299, it was rebuilt and modernized many times before the 18th century. Only then did it get its final look. Today in this fortress there is a museum and sometimes solemn ceremonies are held there. Another tourist attraction is the Museum of Contemporary Art, located in the historic building of the Bank of Norway.

Oslo burned several times in fires. In 1624, almost the whole city turned fire into ashes, and then King Christian IV founded an entirely new city at the foot of the Akershus fortress. He was given the name Christiania. Today, this city has become one of the quarters of Oslo and is called Kvadraturen. The guests of the city are especially interested in visiting the amazing sculptural park in Oslo - Vigelandsparken. It is famous for its 212 sculptures. All the year round Oslo hosts a wide variety of opera and theater performances, concerts, festivals, performances of folk ensembles, as well as the music festival "Norwegian Forest".