Snowy Oslo Escapade: Exploring Royal Palace, Fjords, and Museums

Intro

Hey there, fellow travelers! ✈️🌍 Just wrapped up the final leg of my New Year’s trip in the beautiful, snowy city of Oslo, Norway, before heading back to New York. This was my first time in Oslo, and it didn’t disappoint!

From arriving at Oslo International Airport Train Station to staying at Citybox Oslo Hotel, I dove right into exploring the Sentrum. 🌅❄️ The sunrise over the snowy landscapes and the majestic Royal Palace in Slottsparken were breathtaking. 👑

I visited the Nobel Peace Center, hopped on trams, and soaked in history at the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum. The Oslo Opera House, by the frozen Inner Oslo Fjord backdrop, was a definite highlight. 🎭🧊

Stay tuned for more on my Oslo adventures, including the floating sauna, vibrant Østbanehallen Shopping Mall, and tasty bites at Los Tacos. 🌮🇳🇴✨ Catch you in the next post for more snowy escapades in this winter wonderland! ☃️💖

Getting to Oslo

It was my first time in Norway, my country #72, and I had just left London after a New Years celebration that went crazy. You can read more of my UK adventures here:

Full Guide to Edinburgh, Scotland: Iconic Sights and Festive Delights! 🌍✨

Exploring London: Iconic Landmarks, Hidden Gems, and New Year Celebrations!

From NYC to London: A New Year’s Odyssey of Sunset Views and Iconic Adventures

From the Oslo International Airport I took the metro system into the Oslo Central Station. One thing I love from European cities is how the main train stations are just in the middle of the city, and close to everything.

Was it too crazy to visit Oslo literally the first days of the year? Super dark early and cold, although it was not that bad to be honest. Kind of reminded me of winter in New York City.

I walked to my hotel after grabbing some food, and I decided to stay in Citybox Oslo Hotel, a hotel with smaller rooms to make it cheaper for solo travelers.

Exploring Oslo

Woke up early to go grab some coffee and breakfast. The temperature was around 14 F, and the streets were a little too quiet for my liking, but hey I was in Norway, one of the safest countries on this side of the world.

The sunrise was around 10.30 am and the sunset around 3.30 pm, a little time I had to explore this city, or at least the Centrum. I did not want to take Ubers too much, since they were too expensive, so I started walking and got into one of the trams for my next destination.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace was my goal to see, and I had to literally go through a lot of snow and ice. I was wearing my best winter boots and even with them I almost fell a couple of times, until I finally fell. Thankfully it was not that bad lol. The beautiful sunrise colors were showing off against the snow. I were still to find out that the sun does not really go all the way up this time of the year.

The Royal Palace was very cute, but it was closed during these days. I was able to walk around it and contemplate it before I left for my next destination.

I definitely did not miss the snow from New York City but I was getting ready to see a lot at least on the floor during my trip to Norway at the beginning of January.

Around the bay

With all this cold weather and snow, I still managed to walk around and visit multiple places, like the Nobel Peace Center, by the internal bay of Oslo.

This orange color was going to be permanent during the day, until sunset, since the sun was always going to be that high in the sky.

After falling on the snow one more time, I managed to walked on the rocky sidewalks that I suppose are this way to prevent snow from crystalize and freeze.

Armed Forces Museum

After a little walk I made it to the Armed Forces Museum, which showcases Norway’s military history with exhibits spanning from medieval times to modern conflicts. Located in the Akershus Fortress, it displays weapons, uniforms, and artifacts, offering insight into the nation’s defense heritage. Interactive displays and historic documents enrich the visitor experience, highlighting Norway’s military evolution.

The exhibition was nice and the views from the top part were amazing. But I was more excited to pay for a hot chocolate to be honest lol. My hands were frozen after all this walking in the snow.

Inner Oslo Fjord

The Inner Oslo Fjord is a picturesque inlet extending into Norway’s capital city. Surrounded by scenic hills and forests, it offers breathtaking views and recreational activities such as boating and swimming. The fjord is dotted with islands, including Hovedøya and Bygdøy, adding to its charm and allure for locals and tourists alike.

The fjord was almost frozen when I arrived and the views were stunning. The architecture of the buildings around it was amazing.

And I also was in shock seeing people getting into the cold water from the floating saunas on the fjord.

The sunset was almost here, and the shortest day ever for me was almost over.

The Sentrum

After a long walk around the city, I decided to go get some lunch at the Østbanehallen Shopping Mall.

And then continued with the exploring by coming to the Oslo Cathedral.

It is always nice going inside a building during winter but the the interior of this church was magnificent.

As the sun was going down, I continued exploring, and seeing more of this beautiful city. My hours for this trip were counted, and I had to start planning my return.

On the way to the airport

24 hours were not enough to get to know this city and this country, I definitely had to come back to the land of Frozen.

But before, I grabbed some burrito bowls from the Central Station, and then got in the train back to the Oslo International Airport.

The weather conditions were horrible, but I was waiting for my Norse flight back to JFK International Airport in New York.

I was saying bye to my trip to this area of Europe, but I was excited to come back into this continent soon.