THE oldest of the Scandinavian capital cities, Oslo is less hectic than many other European metropolises, and its parks, pavement cafés and street entertainers make it a great summer destination.
Nicknamed the City of Light, its luminosity has inspired painters such as Edvard Munch, and its biggest draw is its superb museums. It also has a prestigious literary pedigree thanks to Henrik Ibsen. A shipbuilding centre until the mid-1800s, its cur
rent wealth is due to the oil industry and IT concerns. With a population of just over half a million, recent immigration from Asia and the Middle East has enhanced the city's lively restaurant scene.
BEFORE YOU GO Have a look at The Rough Guide to Norway (£12.99), Lonely Planet's online guide to Norway (
www.lonelyplanet.com) and Cadogan Guides' Flying Visits Scandinavia (£12.99). For more information, see www.visit oslo.com or contact Innovation Norway (the Norwegian Tourist Board) on 0906 302 2003 (calls cost 50p per minute), or
www.visitnorway.com/uk. To book a guide, contact Guideservice (
www.guideservice.no) or Oslo Guide bureau (
www.osloguide.no). The exchange rate is currently £1 = 11.75 NOK (Norwegian kroner).
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES A number of carriers operate flights to Oslo from UK airports, including Edinburgh. They can be booked through Travelocity (
www.travelocity.co.uk, 0870 273 3273). KLM Edinburgh to Oslo Gardermoen return is currently around £190 and Glasgow to Oslo with KLM and BMI starts at around £175 to £200.
GETTING AROUND There are buses, trams and a small underground rail system, plus local ferries run by AS Oslo Sporveier, whose office on the Jernbanetorget sells tickets and passes. To cut costs, buy an Oslo Card, which is valid on the whole network and gives free admission to every museum. Downtown Oslo is a place of airy streets and squares, where many of the tourist sites are located, making it ideal for exploring on foot.
TOURIST TRAIL Take a stroll past City Hall to catch a glimpse of Norwegian women dressed in the national costume - richly embroidered apron-dresses which have starting prices of around £3,000 - or set sail for the Viking Ship Museum with its trio of ninth-century ships. After that, follow the smell of charcoal to the Stave Church at the Museum of Cultural History, where the dragon gargoyles and pagoda-like structure point to the Vikings' East Asian adventures. The Ibsen Museum provides a fascinating background to the playwright's work and the Stenersen Museum is home to an eclectic collection of modern art, including a whole room of works by Munch.
After that, leave the culture and history behind to watch the world go by from the harbour steps at Acker Brygge or wander among the monuments at Vigeland's Sculpture Park followed by a feast of barbecued turkey sausages.
GO NATIVE Try the Norwegian favourite breakfast of sweet pickled fish - it sounds a bit strange but it's actually delicious.
Many people start work early and finish around 3pm or 4pm, after which the cafés and parks are full of sunseekers soaking up the rays. Steal a march on them by heading for Grunerlokka, the bohemian area around the pleasant green square of Olaf Ryes Plass at lunchtime.
WHAT TO BUY Thorvald Meyers Gate and the streets around the square boast trendy boutiques stocked with Norwegian designer ranges. The art-deco Shoe Lounge (Thorvald Myers, 42), which sells reasonably priced clothes and shoes, is beautiful enough to visit even if you're not in a buying mood. Further down, Boa (no 48) sells quirky designer pieces, and Rebella, at 52, suits older women, while Insomnia next door is a men's shop. Pets, meanwhile, are catered for at Doggie-Do (Fossvein 21).
NIGHTLIFE Set in the financial district, the stylish Cosmopolitan in the modern Vika Atrium attracts after-hours workers with its blend of blues, ska and funk, while the quirky Underwater, in an artists' quarter near the Var Frelsers Gravlund, north of St Olav's church, is devoted to opera and decorated with large fish tanks. Less stylised is Lille, a West End bar/disco where unpretentious punters like to strut their stuff on a stage in the basement.
WHERE TO STAY A simple en-suite room can be had for £50 to £75, and a luxury room from around £100, including buffet breakfast. Weekend deals can mean prices drop radically. At the top end of the scale, the Norlandia Karl Johan hotel (
www.norlandia.no), in an 18th-century building on Oslo's main street, gives easy access to the city's nightlife, but rates are high.
The comfortable Bondeheimen (
www.bondeheimen.com) has rooms from £100, and free coffee, soup and bread are served in the foyer throughout the evening.
At the cheaper end of the scale, City Hotel (
www.cityhotel.no), in the Skippergaten district, is a favourite with budget travellers.
WHERE TO EAT Once again it's off to Grunerlokka, where Café Fru Hagen, a popular Oslo haunt on Thorvald Meyers Gate, is well worth a visit. If you can't get a seat, browse the market on the Plass where stalls sell snacks such as fried scampi and Thai curries.
Eating out can be expensive, but the bustling Bolgen & Moi isn't extortionate and serves good meat and seafood dishes - the fish hotpot is scrumptious. For a decadent treat, tuck into fine French cuisine at Le Canard, on President Harbitzgt, where chef Trond Andresen tantalises the tastebuds with his elegant creations, and the balcony overlooking the garden is the perfect setting to devour king crab starters followed by pan-fried turbot.
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