Mount Titlis, Switzerland

Mt Titlis

Permanent ice and snow at the top of the world and a revolving gondola lift to take you to the top of the mountain, chairlifts over deep crevasses and exploring a glacier cave... If any of these sound amazing - and they do - Mount Titlis is the place for you. There are also restaurants and breathtaking views for those of us who prefer to be amazed in comfort while sitting on top of the world at 10,600 ft (3,238m).

Titlis is Central Switzerland's highest mountain and the views are amazing. However, be prepared: it is a bit like a high altitude theme park. The ice cave has music and flashing neon lights and you can pose for a photo with a giant Toblerone. Still, the surrounding peaks like shark fins, the glacier and the sweeping views to pastures, cliffs and waterfalls should make you forget any crass commercialism.

Practical Info

To get up the mountain you need to catch the Rotair, the world's only revolving cable car which opened in 1992. This leaves from the town of Engelberg which can easily be reached by train from either Lucerne or Zurich. The cableway is closed for maintenance each year for a couple of weeks early in November.

Mt Titlis

Permanent ice and snow at the top of the world and a revolving gondola lift to take you to the top of the mountain, chairlifts over deep crevasses and exploring a glacier cave... If any of these sound amazing - and they do - Mount Titlis is the place for you. There are also restaurants and breathtaking views for those of us who prefer to be amazed in comfort while sitting on top of the world at 10,600 ft (3,238m).

Titlis is Central Switzerland's highest mountain and the views are amazing. However, be prepared: it is a bit like a high altitude theme park. The ice cave has music and flashing neon lights and you can pose for a photo with a giant Toblerone. Still, the surrounding peaks like shark fins, the glacier and the sweeping views to pastures, cliffs and waterfalls should make you forget any crass commercialism.

Practical Info

To get up the mountain you need to catch the Rotair, the world's only revolving cable car which opened in 1992. This leaves from the town of Engelberg which can easily be reached by train from either Lucerne or Zurich. The cableway is closed for maintenance each year for a couple of weeks early in November.

 

 

Lake Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne (in German Luzern), lies at the north end of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstätter See) at the point where the River Reuss flows out of the lake. For more than a century the town, with its well-preserved medieval core and elegant historic old buildings, has been one of the great tourist attractions of Switzerland. Eminent conductors, soloists and orchestras appear at the annual music festival.
Lucerne first appears in the records in 840 as Luciaria. The name comes from the Benedictine monastery of St Leodegar, founded about 730. After the opening of the St Gotthard pass in the 13th C. it became an important trading town. In 1291 it fell into the hands of the Habsburgs, but in 1332 joined the Confederation. After the occupation of the whole of Switzerland by Napoleon in 1798 Lucerne was for a brief period capital of the Helvetian Republic.

Chapel Bridge

Wooden Chapel Bridge

The most characteristic feature of Lucerne is the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), a covered bridge running diagonally across the Reuss (1333). Hanging from the rafters of the roof are more than 100 17th C. pictures depicting local saints and scenes from the town's history. Beside it is the octagonal Water Tower (Wasserturm, 13th C.), once part of the town's fortifications.

The Kapellbrücke was gutted by fire in 1994. It has been completely rebuilt and restored.

 Reuss Bridge       

The Reussbrücke (Reuss Bridge) was built in 1877 on the site of the oldest "Pons Lucernensis" (first mentioned in 1246 and 1253). The steel diagonal construction has been replaced by a copy (1989/1990).

 Spreuerbrücke       

Downstream from Lucerne's Reussbrücke is another covered wooden bridge, the Spreuerbrücke (1406), decorated with scenes from the "Dance of Death" (17th C.).

Natural History Museum

Minerals, fossils, flora and fauna from central Switzerland are studied in the Nature Museum plus a hands-on live animal exhibit.

Address: Kasernenplatz 6, CH-6003 Luzern, Switzerland

Old Town

Building in the Old Town

The Old Town of Lucerne, on the right bank of the Reuss, still preserves many old burghers' houses and little squares with fountains.

St Peter's Chapel

In the Kapellplatz is the oldest church in Lucerne, St Peter's chapel (1178), which received its present form in the 18th C.

Old Town Hall

Old Town Hall Roger Wollstadt

In Lucerne's Kornmarkt is the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus, 1602-06), in Italian Renaissance style but with a very typical Swiss hipped roof. The adjoining tower dates from the 14th C. and is by P. A. Isenmann.

Picasso Collection

200 photos of Picasso by photographer David Douglas Duncan plus Picasso ceramics and metal sculptures are housed in the Am Rhyn-Haus.

Address: Am-Rhyn-House, Furrengasse 21, CH-6004 Luzern, Switzerland

Weinmarkt

To the west of Lucerne's Kornmarkt is the picturesque Weinmarkt; the Late Gothic fountain (1481) by K. Lux is a copy (original in the courtyard of the Regierungsgebäude).

Museggmauer

Along the north side of Lucerne's old town runs the Museggmauer, a wall built between 1350 and 1408, with nine towers built in differing styles.

North shore of Lake Lucerne

Along the north shore of Lake Lucerne, to the east of Schwanenplatz, extends a series of broad tree-lined quays lined with shops and hotels - Schweizerhofquai, Nationalquai and Spittelerquai - from where there is a magnificent panorama of the Alps. To the left is the Rigi group, in the middle the Bürgenstock, to the right the Stanserhorn and Pilatus, and beyond, in the distance, the Glarus and Engelberg Alps.

In Nationalquai are the Kurplatz and the Kursaal (restaurant).

Hofkirche (church)

Above Nationalquai, on the site of the old monastery of St Leodegar, is the twin-towered Hofkirche (R.C.), which was rebuilt in 1634-39 but preserved the towers (1525) of the previous church. On the north tower a Late Gothic sculpture depicts the Agony in the Garden. The church has a carved pulpit and choir-stalls of 1639 and a famous organ (recitals in summer). In the picturesque arcades which surround the church are the tombs of members of old Lucerne families.

Löwenplatz

From Lucerne's Kurplatz, Löwenstrasse leads north to the Löwenplatz, to the right of which is the Panorama, a large circular painting (11,000 sq. m/118,360 sq. ft) by the Geneva battle painter Castres, with the collaboration of Hodler and other Swiss painters (1877-79). The painting depicts in highly realistic fashion the retreat of the French Eastern Army into Switzerland in 1871.

Lion Monument

Lion Monument

A little way north of Löwenplatz, to the rear of the pool, is the famous Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal), a huge figure of a dying lion hewn from the face of the living rock. The monument (1820-21), designed by Thorwaldsen, commemorates the heroic death of the Swiss Guards (26 officers and over 700 troops) who were killed during the attack on the Tuileries during the French Revolution (1792).

Glacier Garden

The Glacier Garden (Gletschergarten), is a remarkable relic of the Ice Age which was exposed between 1872 and 1875 (open March-October): glacier-polished rock, erratic boulders and 32 pot-holes, some of them of huge size, with a working model showing the process of formation of a pot-hole. Higher up are an early climbers' hut and a lookout tower. In the museum are relief maps of Switzerland, groups of Alpine animals, specimens of rock and old domestic interiors.

Address: Denkmalstrasse 4, CH-6006 Luzern, Switzerland

Regatta

On the outskirts of Lucerne, 1km/ 0.6mi north, is an elongated lake, the Rotsee, on which a well-known regatta is held every year.

Lake Bridge (railroad station)

On the south bank of the Reuss, extending east to the lake and linked with the Schwanenplatz by the busy Seebrücke (Lake Bridge; 1935-36), is the Bahnhofplatz; here are the new railroad station and the landing-stages used by the various boat services. A replacement bridge is planned for the end of 1991, along with a new railroad station. In the gardens stands the Wagenbach fountain (1934).

Jesuit Church

Jesuit Church

In the part of Lucerne's old town that extends west from the station along the left bank of the Reuss are the Municipal Theater and the Jesuit church, a Baroque building (1666-77) with an elegant Roccoco interior (1750).

Government Building

Lucerne's Regierungsgebäude (Government Building) adjoining the Jesuit church was formerly a Jesuit college, the core of which is the Ritter palace, a Renaissance mansion (1557-64) built by Lukas Ritter, a local dignitary who had grown rich in foreign service. In the handsome arcaded courtyard can be seen the original of the Weinmarkt fountain. To the rear of the building is the Neo-classical Chamber of the Great Council (1841-43). Close by are the Cantonal Archives.

Franciscan Church

Southwest of Lucerne's Regierungsgebäude stands the Franciscan church (13th-17th C.; completely restored 1988-1989), the nave walls of which have paintings of flags and banners (carved pulpit 1628, choir stalls 1647-51). In front of the church (also known as the Barfüsserkirche or Church of the Barefoot Friars) is the Barfüsserbrunnen, a copy of the original of 1651.

Central Library

Southwest of the railroad station is Lucerne's Central Library (Zentralbibliothek) containing over 400,000 volumes and pamphlets, 2,500 manuscripts and over 800 incunabula.

Dietschiberg (view of town)

On the north side of Lake Lucerne, just off Haldenstrasse, is situated the lower station of the funicular to the Dietschiberg (632 m/2,014ft). There is a fine view of Lucerne and the lake from the top. Near the upper station there are a cafe-restaurant, a golf-course and a miniature railroad (scale 1:10).

Costume and Folk Museum

Below Dietschiberg, to the southwest, is a park with the interesting Utenberg Costume and Folk Museum (Schweizer).

Address: Utenberg, CH-6006 Luzern, Switzerland

Swiss Transport Museum

Old Train, Swiss Transport Museum

Beyond the funicular station in Lucerne, Haldenstrasse continues to the fascinating Verkehrshaus der Schweiz (Swiss Transport Museum, Schweizerisches Verkehrsmuseum; entrance in Lidostrasse). The museum is a large complex of exhibition halls and outdoor exhibits covering all forms of transport, including air and space travel (cosmorama), communications and tourism, with railroad locomotives and rolling-stock, ships, aircraft rockets and automobiles (originals or models), together with a Planetarium. By means of 150 projectors the sky can be seen through a 18m/59ft-wide dome.

The tourism department, opened in 1984, contains the largest pin-ball machine in the world and is an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

At the east end of the complex is the Hans-Erni-Haus which contains paintings and graphic art by the well-known Lucerne artist of that name, and also a lecture hall.

In the summer of 1996 the museum inaugurated the first IMAX theater in Switzerland.

Address: Lidostrasse 5, CH-6006 Luzern, Switzerland

Gütsch

To the west of Lucerne, on the edge of the extensive Gütschwald, is the Gütsch, a hill which affords extensive views. It is reached by funicular from Baselstrasse or on foot by way of the Gütschweg (1.5km/1mi).

William Tell Express (rail service)

Route: Lucerne-Flüelen-St Gotthard-Locarno-Lugano and vice versa. Highlights: The William Tell Express links two of the most attractive districts of the country: Central Switzerland with Ticino. From May to September you can travel by paddle-wheel steamer (out of season by a diesel motorboat) from Lucerne on the Vierwaldstätter See to Flüelen (a three-course meal is served in the ship's saloon); then follows a rail trip in a club car or panorama car of the SBB through the impressive Gotthard massif as far as the towns of Locarno and Lugano.

Special Details: During the boat trip the route is explained in several languages, and for the rail section a written description is provided. The kernel of the trip is the journey on the Gotthard Railroad. The William Tell Express excursion can be combined with several other trips and excursions. Because of limited accommodation reservations and booking should be made in good time.

Address: Werftstrasse 5, CH-6002 Luzern, Switzerland

Easter Festival

This annual three-day festival takes place during the Easter weekend and includes at least two daily events. There are usually orchestral, choral, chamber and organ concerts, theatrical performances and recitals, with repertoires in line with the traditional religious spirit of the weekend.

The venues also complement the season, and include the various churches as well as the Kunsthaus.

Two of the concerts are part of liturgical services. Morning and evening performances are held every day.

International Music Festival

This annual three-week festival runs from mid-August to early September and is equally renowned for its program and breathtaking scenery. The many daily events include orchestral, choral, chamber and organ concerts, recitals, dance performances and film screenings. Various lectures and exhibitions accompany the main performances.

Since its inception in 1938, the festival has been acclaimed for bringing together world-class performers in impressive venues including the Kunsthaus, the Lion Monument, the Jesuit Church and many other historical buildings.

Address: Hirschmattstrasse 13, Postfach 6002, CH-6003 Luzern, Switzerland

Bourbaki Panorama

The unique 10m x 110m round painting by the artist Edouard Castres, dating from 1881 portrays an incident from the Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71. The visitor stands in the middle of this realistic three-dimensional scene.

Address: Löwenplatz 11, CH-6004 Luzern, Switzerland

Historical Museum

Weapons, flags, costumes, gold and silver, medieval paintings and textiles plus three to four special exhibitions each year are displayed at the Historisches Museum.

Address: Pfistergasse 24, Postfach 7437, CH-6000 Luzern, Switzerland

Museum of Art (conference center)

Swiss painting and sculpture with emphasis on 19th C Swiss landscapes and international and Swiss post-war art is offered as is a concert hall with some of the world's best acoustics.

Address: Europaplatz 1, CH-6002 Luzern, Switzerland

Swiss Flying Club

The Aeroclub der Schweiz gives information about circular flights in Switzerland, the Alps, towns and other trips in aircraft. Special departments for gliding and parachuting.

Address: Lidostrasse 5, CH-6006 Luzern, Switzerland

Adligenswil - Fire Brigade Museum

The Fire Brigade Museum in Adligenswil highlights firefighting during the 19th century focusing on rural fire brigades.

Address: Buggenacher 7, CH-6043 Adligenswil, Switzerland

Surroundings

View from Mt Pilatus

Ascent of Mt Pilatus

Ascending Mt Pilatus usually involves a trip up on the cableway and down on the cog railroad.

Luxembourg, Europe

Luxembourg

Country in Europe

Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south.Capital: Luxembourg

Dialing code: +352

Population: 543,202 (2013) World Bank

Currency: Euro

GDP per capita: 110,697.03 USD (2013) World Bank

Official languages: French, German, Luxembourgish

Places of interest : -  

1. Grund

An impossibly picturesque little neighborhood, the Grund is deep down in the gorge, and some of the stone houses are built directly into the rock faces. Highlights include a fifteenth-century bridge, ancient stone fortifications, terraced gardens and vineyards, a satisfying assortment of pubs and restaurants, a miniature golf course and a miniature train (for miniature passengers), and acres upon acres of parkland.

2. The Bock and Casemates

The massive rock outcropping called Le Bock that forms the east side of the haute ville is a UNESCO World Heritage site. First fortified during the Roman Empire, it is excavated with a vast network of tour-able tunnels (casemates) in which the populace could hide during wars and sieges.

3. Le Chemin de La Corniche

This pedestrian walkway was built on the ramparts along the east side of the fortress-city. La Corniche is nicknamed "Europe’s most beautiful balcony."

4. Ilôt Gastronomique

The beautiful old building called am Turchen ("the Turret") now houses Ilôt Gastronomique (rue de l’Eau), a vertical mall housing half a dozen restaurants, ranging from good to great. The national motto, on the wall facing rue de la Loge, translates as: "We want to remain what we are."

5. The Grand Duke’s Palace

The monarch spends most of his nights in his country castle, but The Grand Duke’s Palace is his official home, smack-dab in the middle of town and open for tours in summertime.

6. St. Michael’s Church

A church on this site (rue Sigefroi) was consecrated in 987. That building was destroyed by bombardment (Luxembourg was often bombarded) in 1684, then beautifully rebuilt in the Gothic style.

7. Outdoor Market

On Wednesdays and Sundays at Place Guillaume II, the large plaza in the middle of town, vendors offer mostly local produce and a charming slice of everyday Luxembourg life.

8. Esch-sur-Sûre

This breathtakingly beautiful hamlet of Esch-sur-Sûre (31 miles northeast of the city) is perched on a steep hill overlooking a sharp river bend. Dominated by a fifteenth-century watchtower and capped by castle ruins, the town sits in the heart of the hilly north-country called the Oesling, a region dotted with pastures, farms, and thick forests crisscrossed by deep cuts of meandering rivers.

9. Vianden Castle

A tour through Vianden Castle’s rooms, terraces, and grounds offers not only a glimpse into a millennium’s worth of history (with a particularly strong collection of weapons), but also striking views of the town and countryside.

10. The Grand Duke’s Official Birthday Celebration in Luxembourg City

The monarch’s birthday on June 23 is the single biggest celebration of the year, and the best day to be in Luxembourg. It’s also two days after the longest daylight of the year, so the fireworks that begin with nightfall are, essentially, a midnight interruption to a very long, very jubilant party.

 

Museums, Brussels ( Belgium)

Museums

The Museum of Ancient Art The Museum of Ancient Art has got a vast collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings from the 15th until 18th century. Built up around a core of revolutionary captures and deposits of the French state, this collection was constantly enriched by the acquisitions, but also by gifts and legacies of numerous patrons. The paintings of the Ancients of the southern Netherlands make up an essential part of this collection (Rogier van der Weyden, Petrus Christus, Dirk Bouts, Hans Memling, Jérome Bosch, Bruegel, Pierre-Paul Rubens, Jacob Jordaens, Antoine van Dyck). The visit also includes an exceptional collection of terra cotta "modelli" from the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as a beautiful series of paintings representing foreign schools.
Magritte Museum In the building of the Royal Museums for Fine Arts of Belgium, visitors will be able to discover the world's largest collection of René Magritte's works. The collection is a perfect proof of René Magritte's oeuvre and covers all the periods from his life. The works on display, among which his most important masterpieces, are mainly from the legacies of Irene Scutenaire-Hamoir and Georgette Magritte and from purchases made by the Royal Museums for Fine Arts of Belgium, completed with works on loan from private persons.
MIM (The Museum of Musical Instruments) The Museum of Musical Instruments is a strikingly beautiful building in Brussels combining the architectural styles of Neo-Classic and Art Nouveau. Housed in the museum is a collection of more than 7000 instruments of varying kinds and origins. On the top floor, the indoor & outdoor MIM Restaurant provides visitors with a magnificent 360° view of Brussels.
Museum Horta The former home of Art Nouveau's best-known architect, Victor Horta, is now the Horta Museum - a showcase of stained glass and subway tile, pale wood and wrought iron whose every corner seems magically bathed in golden sunlight.
The Dinosaur Gallery at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Explore the largest dinosaur museum in Europe on permanent display at the Museum of Natural Sciences starting on October 27. This is a great exhibit for the whole family, with many new dinosaur skeletons to discover and learn about as well as hands-on activities for children.
The Belgian Center for Comic Strip Art Housed in an art nouveau masterpiece designed by Victor Horta, this museum pays homage to a particular Belgian passion, cartooning. Tintin and the Smurfs are the most famous Belgian comic strip characters but the museum also displays artwork from over 670 cartoonists. Other displays detail the stages of putting together a comic strip, from examples of initial ideas and pencil sketches through to final publication. Arranged over three levels, the museum also has a library and an art nouveau brewery. Discover the centre of Brussels and its inhabitants by following the Comic Strip Route and admiring comic strip façades, walls and statues.

 

Christmas Markets During the month of December Brussels' Grand Place is magically transformed into a winter wonderland of holiday delights with an enormous Christmas tree and nightly sound & light shows. Nearby on Place Sainte Catherine resides a European Christmas Market village made up of wooden cottages filled with Christmas goodies, European food specialties and handicrafts.
Tapis de fleurs A million begonias for... one single carpet? This is certainly an extraordinary achievement. The famous Carpet of Flowers covers almost 20,000 square foot right in the centre of the Grand Place.

Brussels, Belgium

Top Attractions In Brussels, Belgium

Monuments

Grand Place The Grand Place, with its ornate baroque and gothic guild houses, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most beautiful squares in Europe. Built as a merchants market in the 13th century, it serves as the city center and a great place to enjoy Belgian hospitality at one of the many terrace cafes. It is also a venue for many concerts & events throughout the year and during the warmer months has a vibrant, daily flower market.
Town Hall (Hotel de Ville) The first building you notice upon entering the Grand Place is the striking gothic town hall, which dates back to the 13th century. Its beautiful facade features the famous needle-like crooked spire which is 315 feet in height and is topped by the archangel St. Michael. Tours are available of the interior, which contains 15th century tapestries and works of art.
The Royal Palace (Palais Royal) The official home of the Belgian king, you will always know if he is in the country when you see the Belgian flag flying on top of the building. The building is a highlight of Neo-Classical architecture and overlooks Brussels Park. The Royal Palace is open to the public during the summer months.
Manneken Pis This famous statue of a little boy peeing in a fountain is a perfect representative of the irreverent Belgian humor. The unique Brussels icon has been amusing visitors on the corner of Rue de L'Etuve & Stroofstraat since 1619. Over time it has become a tradition for visiting heads of state to donate miniature versions of their national costume for the little naked boy. The wardrobe of Mannekin Pis can be seen at the Brussels museum and includes over 760 outfits – even an authentic Elvis jumpsuit.
Coudenberg An underground trail to discover the remains of King Charles the Fifth's palace. A fascinating walk under Place royale to discover the remains of the Coudenberg Palace, one of the main residences of Charles V in the past. The former Hoogstraeten house - and its magnificent and entirely renovated gothic gallery - houses the Museum of the Coudenberg where you'll be able to admire the most beautiful archaeological discoveries of the last 25 years of the Coudenberg excavations history...
Galeries St Hubert This gorgeous, glass roofed arcade in the center of town, lined with cafes, theaters and luxury stores has the distinction of being the first shopping arcade in Europe. Built in 1847 and recently renovated, the Royal Galleries (Galerie de la Reine, du Roi and du Prince) are one of the most astonishing places to visit in Brussels.
Atomium Built for the 1958 World Fair, the Atomium represents a molecule's nine atoms – magnified 165 billion times. Something of a symbol of the city, it provides a panoramic view of Brussels and its surroundings. The 9 spheres that make up the “atom” are linked by escalators. The Atomium hosts a museum and is also a venue for special events. In Summer : take part in a unique activity: a Death-Ride from the top sphere of the Atomium! A breathtaking descent of more than 100 meters!
Cathedral of Saints Michel and Gudule This magnificent cathedral, tactfully dedicated to the male and female patron saints of Brussels, is located near Central Station. It was completed by the end of the 15th century in the Brabant Gothic style, but was damaged by the French shelling of 1695. The white stone facade is from the year 1250 and the interior is splendidly proportioned and stuffed with treasures.
Place du Grand Sablon This picturesque square is situated on the slope that divides Brussels between the upper and lower halves of the city. Decked out with chic boutiques, al fresco cafes, fashionable restaurants, and trendy bars, the Grand Sablon is most famous for its lively open-air antiques market which attracts antiques dealers from all over the world. Open every weekend (Sat 9-6, Sun 9-2).
Place du Petit Sablon Just above the Grand Sablon is the jewel of a square - Petit Sablon. Originally a horse market, it was converted in 1890 into an elegant & charming flower garden with lavish fountains, surrounded by wrought-iron fences decorated with stone statuettes. Each figure represents a medieval trade or craft that brought prosperity to Brussels. Today it is a favorite area to relax while taking in the pretty view.
Maison du Chocolat
Rue de Bouchers Known more for the atmospheric charm, Rue de Boucher is a walking thoroughfare abounding with 17th century stepped gables, decorated doorways, cafes and restaurants with lavish pavement displays of seafood, piled high on mounds of ice. This street offers a wide variety of restaurants at various price points. Two of the most well known restaurants are Chez Leon and Aux Armes de Bruxelles.

10 Must See Attraction In Oslo, Norway

10 Must-See Attractions in Oslo

posted in: Events | posted by: Ian Harrison on December 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

The world’s most expensive city for 2009, not to mention in several years past, is exceptional and the veritable heart of Norway. Expensive? Perhaps, but it all depends on how you define your personal basket of goods in Oslo. Suffice to say that the exquisite capital city has enough affordable splendor and charm not to destroy the average budget.

While Bergen and Trondheim linger as trendy options for intrepid travelers to Norway, Oslo is worth more than a cursory tour. Cosmopolitan, cultural and on the doorstep of vast, beautiful countryside, the city has a lot to offer. Start with our ten must-see attractions.

10. Emanuel Vigeland Museum

While you could visit the Oslo Cathedral or Stortinget (National Parliament), the city is full of quirky gems, like the Emanuel Vigeland Museum. The prominent Norwegian artist left behind quite a legacy, most notably in the form of his mausoleum. In a bit of morbid fun and postmortem poke at older, more famous brother Gustav, the eccentric, potentially vengeful Vigeland turned his burial chamber into one of the coolest museums in Oslo.

9. Munch Museum

The most famous artist to ever come out of Norway also has a wonderful acknowledgment of his legacy in Oslo. Edvard Munch, creator of The Scream, was a remarkably prolific painter and printmaker. The Munch Museum contains over half of the artist’s lifetime output.

8. Royal Palace

A Royal Palace in a European capital? Surely you jest. Predictable as it may be, Oslo’s version is well worth a tour in the busy summer season.

7. University of Oslo Natural History Museum

Norway’s senior and most important natural history museum has a comprehensive collection of specimens from Nordic Europe. Fauna, flora, geology, minerals, fossils and much more, all in three separate museums that make up part of the University of Oslo.

6. Nobel Peace Center

The most famous Nobel Prize is also the only one whose award ceremony takes place outside of Stockholm. As the home of the Peace Prize then, Oslo built a worthy attraction for visitors and locals alike in 2005.

5. Ibsen Museum

One of the most famous dramatists in history was born in Skien, Norway in 1828. Henrik Ibsen left behind a fertile legacy of plays and poetry upon his death in 1906. His last home in Oslo is now a superb museum, close to the Royal Palace.

4. Viking Ship Museum

The Bygdøy peninsula of Oslo contains some of the best points of interest in the city, from nudist (and non-nudist) beaches, extremely popular with locals in the summer, to a slew of museums. The Viking Ship Museum is particularly cool, with great exhibits of notable archaeological finds from throughout Norway.

3. Frogner Park

Oslo’s amphitheater-like milieu and huge land mass provides visitors with ample opportunity to commune with nature. The city is mostly forest, hills and lakes and several fine public parks dot the landscape. Frogner Park is one of the best, notably for the singular Gustav Vigeland (yes, him again) Sculpture Park and Vigeland Museum.

2. Oslo Opera House

Thoroughly modern and progressive, the recipient of the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in October 2008 is well worth the price of admission to see the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.

1. Norwegian Museum of Cultural History

Another Bygdøy peninsula gem, this time in the form of a vast, open air museum that takes visitors on a tactile journey throughout Norway’s cultural history