Oslo

Oslo is the capital of Norway, its largest city and the central location of the eponymous district. Oslo is located on the incredibly beautiful and diverse coast of Norway. The south end of Oslo is in the North Sea and the north of the capital is surrounded by a picturesque landscape of green hills and mountains. Oslo is located in the southern part of the country and stands right on the northern bank of the arched Oslofjord. The Fjord almost halves the Nesoden Peninsula. To the south, through the narrow parts of Oslofjord, the city liaises with the Skagerrak Strait and the North Sea.

This world is one of a diverse coast, in the territory of Oslo are 40 small islands. The largest of them is named Malmoja. All of Oslo extends over a total area of 454 square kilometers, which automatically makes it one of the largest capitals not only in Europe but also worldwide. The population of the Norwegian capital rises with a furious pace permanently. The number of inhabitants of Oslo each year jumps by more than 1, 500 people, making it one of the fastest growing cities in this respect on the continent.

Currently in Oslo are about 600 000 people, but the agglomeration “Big Oslo” which includes the suburbs of the capital, the number of people is close to a million. The central part of Oslo is situated at the end of the Bay Oslofjord and growth in this part of town has caused the U-shaped area. The old name of Oslo was Christiania, or Kristiania. It is assumed that the name of the town comes from Old Norwegian and once it was the name of a farm, built in the area.

In the Middle Ages the city was called "Ásló" and later "Ósló". A more romantic view of the origin of the name Oslo give some historians who believe that the city's founder was King Harald Hardrode (1015-1066). The name given to Oslo was from him, as a gift to his women. They are Oslava - mistress of the Hungarian king, Elizabeth Yaroslaw, who was daughter of a Russian prince Yaroslav the Wise, and for some time the wife of King Harald and Miroslava (known as Oslava) – a Bulgarian princess, great love of the young Harald and known as the Greek Princess Oslova.

Oslo is beautifully divided by the river Akerselva. On its coastline is one of the biggest attractions of Oslo, namely the ancient Akershus fortress and castle. Today this interesting medieval castle is turned into a museum. Also remarkable with its magnificent architecture is the Royal Palace in Oslo. This palace was built during the first half of the 19th century as the residence of Norwegian and Swedish King Charles III and is used as the official residence of the present King of Norway.

The Palace in Oslo was designed by the Denmark-born architect Hans Linstov (1787-1851) and the building was completed in 1849, when on the throne was Oscar I. During the reign of King Olav V from 1957 to 1991 on the Royal Palace are not made any repairs and the building was neglected. When today's monarch of Norway - King Harald V started a project to repair, he was stopped because of lack of the resources that were needed to allow the palace to come to a satisfactory condition.

Do not forget also to explore the buildings of the Norwegian Parliament and the old university, which is particularly impressive with its dark facade, built of dark granite. The building of the National Theatre is one of the architectural landmarks in Oslo. In front of the theater can see the monuments of prominent Norwegian playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Bernson.

An obligatory stop in Oslo is the National Museum of Oslo, where you will see the famous raft Kon-Tiki and the Ra II reed boat of the famous scientist and explorer Hayerdal Tur.

In the Fram museum, you can see the ship of the same name, with which Amundsen reached the coast of Antarctica. Be sure to walk in Vigeland Park in Oslo, where there are 212 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron and the Norwegian Museum of History and Culture. Here you will look at traditional houses from all over Norway. One of the most fun sights of Oslo is the Oslo Museum of Magic, where there are different aspects of Norwegian magicians.