Top 5 Destinations You Should Visit in Oslo over MyHeritage LIVE

By Esther

July 25, 2018

We’re really excited to be heading to Oslo in November for the first-ever MyHeritage LIVE User Conference. The conference is open to anyone who would like to learn more about MyHeritage from every country in the world — subscribers, DNA customers, users of free MyHeritage services and even people not using MyHeritage who are interested to learn more about it.

For those of you who have never been to Oslo, you are in for a treat. One of Europe’s smaller capitals, Oslo is a picturesque city situated on a Fjord and surrounded by forests. Norwegians are also well known for their friendliness and polite demeanor. Their excellent public transport system includes a metro and a fast 20-minute shuttle train from the airport to the city center, making it a very pleasant city to explore as a tourist.

Register now to get the Early Bird discount for the conference.

Many genealogy buffs enjoy exploring history no matter where they are in the world. Take advantage of your time in Oslo to discover the incredible sights it has to offer. Here are our top picks!

Top 5 destinations that you should visit while you are in Oslo:

The Viking ship Museum

On the top of the list for Oslo sightseeing should be The Viking ship Museum, also known by its Norwegian name: Vikingskipshuset. The museum is located on the Bygdøy peninsula and contains the world’s best-preserved Viking ships and finds from Viking tombs around the Oslo Fjord. The Viking Ship Museum shows discoveries from the Gokstad, Oseberg and Tune ships, plus small boats, sledges, a beautiful cart, tools, textiles and household utensils.

You can use the same tickets for two museums: the Viking Ship Museum, as well as the Historical Museum within 48 hours, so it’s a great value.

Slottsparken

Surrounding the Royal Palace in the center of Oslo are the gorgeous gardens of the Palace Parks. These gardens, also called Slottsparken, were one of the Norwegian capital’s first major parks. The Palace Parks were established alongside the Royal Palace in the mid-1800s. They surround the Royal Palace on all sides and is characterized by green grassy pastures, flowering meadows, colorful perennial fields and well-grown trees. The main part of the park is open to the public throughout the year.

If you are in Oslo for MyHeritage LIVE, the conference hotel, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Oslo, overlooks these gardens.

Norwegian National Archives

Are you looking for your Norwegian heritage and ancestors? The very first Scandinavians in America were Leif Eriksson and his crew of 35 men and women, who wintered in Newfoundland around the year 1000 AD. Norwegians were also present during the early colonization of New England in the 17th and 18th centuries, along with Dutch, French and Swedish settlers. Large-scale, organized Norwegian immigration began with the arrival of 53 Quakers from Stavanger in 1825, who settled by Lake Ontario. In their wake, nearly 900,000 Norwegians relocated to the United States.

For those with Norwegian heritage, Oslo is home to the Norwegian National Archives as well as the Regional State Archives of Oslo. Set up a time to visit their reading room or do some research. The National Archives of Norway consists of the National Archives in Oslo and eight regional state archives around the country.

Norwegian Museum of Cultural History

At the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, otherwise known as the Norsk Folkemuseum, you’ll journey through time and explore life in Norway from the 1200’s through modern times. The main attraction is the Stave Church from Gol, a building of vast historical and architectural interest which dates back to the year 1200. Walk through an Open-Air Museum with 160 historic buildings each showcasing a different Norwegian region.

Once indoors, you’ll find exhibits that feature Norwegian folk costumes, folk art, church art and Sami culture.

Nobel Peace Center

The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo was opened in 2005 by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway. The Center has since welcomed more than 400,000 visitors. The Nobel Peace Center is located in the former Oslo Vestbanestasjon (Oslo West railway station) building. Dating from 1872, the former station building was drawn by architect Georg Andreas Bull. It ceased to be used as a railway station in 1989. It is overlooking the harbor and located close to the Oslo City Hall where the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony takes place every December, to commemorate Alfred Nobel’s death.