First of all, if you haven't read day 1 yet, then go ahead and click here. Now that you're all caught up, let's jump into day 2. I had to be at Oslo Central Station by 3pm to catch my shuttle to the airport, so I had planned a day featuring a long walk and a few more must-sees for an overall low key day. I hope you enjoy this very picture-heavy post featuring Akerselva, Akershus Castle, and the Oslo Fjord!
The Oslo Fjord.
My day began at Vaterlandsparken near the bottom of Akerselva (Aker River), just a short walk from Oslo Central Station. A walk along Akerselva is another activity that came highly recommended on Trip Advisor, as it takes you through the district Grünerløkka with waterfalls, bridges, churches, and cute Norwegian streets to detour through.
This is where the cityscape began to taper off into smaller squares and bright buildings.
Grünerløkka is known for it's graffiti-covered buildings.
I stopped a little longer in the square of Paulus' plass to appreciate the yellow strips of buildings, gazebo, and Paulus Church.
Paulus Church
Åmodt bro is a pedestrian suspension bridge over the Aker River that was built in 1851. There was a man-made waterfall to the left, but the main attraction is still to come.
I finally made it to the waterfall at Mølla, next to the very popular Hønse-Lovisas hus café. Unfortunately I made to to the waterfall around 10am and Hønse-Lovisas hus doesn't open until 11am; so I had to pass on the Trip-Advisor-recommended waffles with jam and sour cream. Maybe next time, guys, maybe next time.
You can see the little red Hønse-Lovisas hus peeking through on the right.
Waterfall at Mølla.
A closer look at Hønse-Lovisas hus.
On this end of the Aker River are two picturesque streets and Old Aker Church, which was where I headed to next. Below is Telthusbakken, a steep street lined with brightly coloured houses that leads right up to Old Aker Church.
Old Aker Church (or Gamle Aker kirke) is Oslo's oldest remaining building and the only remaining church from the Middle Ages. It is assumed to have been built around the year 1150 and is made of stone. The tower was built later on in 1861 and the oldest part of the surrounding churchyard dates back to the 12th century. I was hoping to go for a nice walk around the churchyard, but turns out it's a pretty eerie graveyard...so I decided to let the ghosties chill out in private and headed for picturesque street number two.
View from the top of Telthusbakken near Old Aker Church.
The next street coming up is definitely my favourite of the two. It's narrow, cobblestone, and so classically Norwegian. If I were to ever live in Oslo this street would be on the top of my "where to live" list.
Every time I read this street name it comes out as "damn straight" in my head. And I'm still just rolling with that.
Following my Grünerløkka excursion I headed back to central Oslo to revisit the Oslo Cathedral (or Oslo domkirke). I had passed the cathedral on day one, but it was closed to the public for a private function; so, I made a mental note to return if I had the time during day two. Luckily my walking plan took way less time than I had anticipated, so I was able to visit three main attractions I had missed the day before: Oslo Cathedral, Akershus Castle, and the Fjord.
Oslo Cathedral
Oslo Cathedral was consecrated in 1697; then, in 1950, it was restored back to its original baroque interior. The pulpit, altar piece, and organ front with carvings are all originals. The ceiling murals were painted in the mid 1900s by Hugo Lous Mohr. The Cathedral is active and used as the parish church for downtown Oslo. The Norwegian Royal Family and Government even use it for many events - fancy Nancy.
Akershus Castle is located within the Akershus Fortress, which I visited on day one, and was open to the public on Saturday afternoon. Everyone is welcome to walk into the courtyard for free, but entrance into the castle itself requires a ticket. I had bought a 24hr Oslo Pass on Friday, which gave me free museum entrance to almost every museum in the city and free public transport, so I could just waltz on in.
Akershus castle was originally built as a medieval castle around 1300. Its primary function was to defend Oslo. During the reign of Danish-Norwegian King Christian IV (early 17th ce.), the castle was rebuilt in Renaissance style and surrounded by a smaller fortress. The castle began to sort of "fall apart" in the 18th and 19th ce.'s, and has since been restored. Today, its primary function is to house the representation rooms of the Norwegian Government.
First stop, the dungeon.
This part of the castle was made into four prison cells early in the 17th ce. Written sources say that one of the cells was known as "the witch's pit". Yikes.
The Royal Mausoleum, still underground, was next.
In the white marble below is King Haakon VII (1872-1991) and Queen Maud (1869-1938). In the green bronze coffin (tomb? sarcophagus?) is King Olav V (1903-1991) and crown princess Martha (1901-1954). On the opposite side of the crypt (so, to the left in the above photo) are three members of the medieval royal family.
Haakon, Maud, Olav, and Martha just hangin' out. Hopefully in peace.
Just a hallway, but a very pretty hallway.
Next stop, the castle church. This part of the castle has been used for religious purposes since the early 16th ce. It has nearly fallen apart on numerous occasions, but been restored and refurnished.
The church is in continuous use and acts as the head church of the Norwegian military.
This altar piece is from 1750.
This next room is called "the Daredevil". The areas on the wall made of grey stone are remains from the central tower of the medieval castle known as the Daredevil tower. The tapestries seen hanging in this room are 17th ce. Norwegian bridal tapestries, originally made to decorate the bed on wedding night.
Night in shining armour.
The East Wing, below, was built much more recently in the 1930s and includes the remains of much older walls.
One of my favourite rooms in the castle was The Hall of Christian IV. In the 1600s it was divided into smaller rooms used as private apartments for Danish-Norwegian kings and queens. This room is named after the most famous of them, King Christian IV, as he was particularly interested in Norway and visited often. This floor was later made into one large hall. There are three tapestries in this hall, woven in Brussels in the mid 17th ce., which are among the most valuable items in the castle.
The Hall of Christian IV.
A view of the Fjord from a castle window - casual.
The Prince's Chamber and the Green Chamber, respectively pictured, were originally part of the royal apartments. Today these rooms are furnished to suit their primary function as Government representation rooms - so that explains the lack of bedroom furniture. Most of the items here are 16th and 17th ce.
The Prince's Chamber.
The Green Chamber.
The Romerike Hall's name derives from the peasants who repaired this wing following a fire in 1527. There are some ghost stories and paranormal experiences that come from this wing; some people have said that the peasants still haunt this place. In the 17th ce. the hall was used by the Governor of Norway and is used today for hosting different functions as it can seat up to 180 people.
Next, the Margrethe Hall, which is the oldest part of the castle, was the primary living room for members of the court in the middle ages. It is named after the Danish born Queen Margrethe I, who lived at the castle in the mid 1300s. She was married to King Hakon VI of Norway.
Last stop, the Hall of Olav V. This was presumably the location of the great hall of the medieval castle. The present room is a result of the restoration during the 1900s, with interior elements inspired by English and Norwegian originals from the 1300s. The Hall is occasionally used for concerts, theatre performances, and state dinners.
And that concludes our tour of the Akershus Castle. Please don't forget to visit the gift shop on your way out (and feel free to tip the guide).
"Oh hey, didn't see you there."
(Yes, yes this was shot using self-timer)
My farewell stop on this trip was a walk around Aker Brygge and Tjuvholmen, two streets among newer developments by the Oslo Fjord. I really enjoyed this area of Oslo because every single building is beautifully built and complements the boats and harbour in such an interesting way. A nice change from all of the colourful, wooden Norwegian homes outside of the centre.
One does not just go to the Fjord and not take a panorama.
Shoutout to the British tourist who took this for me. You're the real MVP.
And so we have reached the end of my two-day solo adventure in Oslo, Norway. I feel so lucky to have been able to visit a place where my family is from and share it on here with my dad especially. I hope you enjoyed my tour of the city and the many many pictures. I definitely hope to be back some day (when it's greener) and 100% recommend a trip over here - Oslo holds a special place in my heart.
- Alexandra (aka sappy pants)
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