If You Only Have Three Days in Oslo

Legendary Underwater Pub has a cozy atmosphere, where punters can get something good to eat and drink in maritime surroundings, good enough for a mention in Lonely Planet and the New York Times. Not to be missed, they hold opera nights every Tuesday and Thursday, where students from the Norwegian Opera hold casual concerts.

Any Jo Nesbø fans out there? If you fancy running into Nesbø’s antihero Harry Hole, Restaurant Schrøder is the place for you! One of the few ‘brown’ restaurants left in Oslo (brown as in old-fashioned, dark wood paneling, smoke-stained walls), Restaurant Schrøder attracts both local and nonlocal clientele. Named after Hans Schrøder who ran the place in 1925, it seems like little has changed since then. Schrøder is decorated with local art from the 20s, featuring scenes from all over Oslo.

This museum is dedicated to Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002), who gained worldwide fame when he crossed the Pacific Ocean on Kon-Tiki (a raft made from balsa wood) in 1947. After his return, Heyerdahl worked on a documentary of the journey, which won an Academy Award in 1951 (this movie is screened every day at the museum). The museum also houses several permanent exhibitions on his other journeys, including the expeditions on the reed boats Ra and Tigris, as well as his excavations on Easter Island and Fatu-Hiva. The archives of Thor Heyerdahl have now been included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register. The museum is located on Bygdøy, an area ripe with museums and interesting highlights.

The Nobel Peace Center was opened in 2005 and is absolutely fascinating…and very humbling. It was established by Alfred Nobel (who was Swedish) in his will. He gave no reason for this but some feel it was to assuage his guilt over being the inventor of dynamite. The Nobel Peace Center is divided into 3 main areas (main exhibits; current Nobel Peace Prize winners; former Nobel Peace Prize winners) with various other smaller exhibits. You can find the Nobel Peace Center at Brynjulf Bulls Plass 1 in Oslo, Norway (situated in the old train station, in the heart of Oslo between Oslo City Hall and the shopping areas at Aker Brygge).

Brunost (brown cheese) is a staple of Norwegian kitchens, usually cut thin with a cheese slicer to top buttered toast or warm waffles. Despite the name, brunost isn’t technically cheese; it’s the whey of goat’s milk, boiled for hours until caramelized. This imparts a distinctive brown color, a salty taste, and a texture like goat-cheese fudge. The specialty food store Fenaknoken carries brunost from a range of brands, including the ubiquitous Ski Queen and the more traditional Synnøve Finden. Tordenskioldsgate 12, 47/2242-3457.