Aker Brygge and the Opera House in Oslo

Because I haven’t started traveling outside of Oslo yet, I still get to spend my free time exploring the sights of the city. Each day I learn a new neighborhood or new way to get from one point to another. For example, today I took the tram for the first time, which was super easy and comfortable. As someone from the U.S., the public transportation system here is simply amazing.

The app gives you the exact times and locations of where to make transfers to get to your destination. I had previously walked to the top of the Opera House on an evening I was already downtown by the central station.

The Opera House is gorgeous, but tickets to shows are out of my price range. However, from the top I got a great view of the new Munch Museum. This is definitely a place where I need to spend a few days visiting. There was some type of DJ or outdoor concert on a big screen right outside, so I stood and listened to some music for a bit.

Aker Brygge

A beautiful area to walk along the water in Oslo is at Aker Brygge. I had not had the chance to explore this area, but walked along just around sunset time. I saw the outline of the buildings a few weeks ago when I took a ferry ride. The area is hustling and bustling with people. There are a lot of restaurants of various price ranges. You can find affordable dinners up to expensive meals in much fancier restaurants.

As the weather gets colder, people still eat outside and the restaurants are set up to accommodate this. Heat lamps are placed outside with blankets and fire pits. It’s kind of cool how Norwegians are so in touch with nature that they have found ways to still enjoy the fresh air even in winter.

At the end of the pier in Aker Brygge, there is a diving board to jump into the water. I saw a couple of people swimming there while I was bundled up in my jacket. Apparently, people will swim all year no matter how cold it is.

There are many events free to public in this area, such as the festival of light art. I can’t wait to check them out throughout this year!