You do not need to be in Oslo for very long before you notice that many people work actively and passionately to protect the environment and ensure that Oslo maintains its green status. Many restaurants choose locally produced ingredients, and there are many beekeepers on the rooftops around town. It is particularly noticeable in Loseter, which is an old industrial area but has now instead been transformed into a green space with vegetable cultivation and a fantastic building with a very unique and artistic architecture that serves as a small cultural center. Both in the building and outdoors there are held many creative projects that focus on sustainability.
Oslo is located between the Oslo Fjord and Nordmarka, two fantastic nature areas. There you can hike or bike, and boat between the different islands in the fjord. In the middle of the city you will also find the botanical garden, which is largely designed as an arboretum with 1800 different plant species. Visit the Palm House and Victoria House Greenhouses, two greenhouses that have been in the garden since 1876 and house many exotic plants.
The biggest music festival in Oslo is called the Øya festival and has an impressive line-up in all sorts of music styles, from punk and pop to hip-hop and soul! If you are the one who prefers jazz, you should go to the jazz festival which holds concerts with jazz obviously, but also blues, gospel and other nearby music styles. The Findings Festival is the festival to see if you don’t get enough pop and electronica. If you just want a nice evening with live music, Blue is a really lovely place. Their goals have been since the start to “make the invisible visible” and there you get to listen to artists you probably won’t find in many other places. All styles of music are welcome, electro pop, jazz and psychedelic rock among others. Have a look in the program to find out what they have for themselves when you come to the city, sometimes they have, for example, literature talks and other nice events. On Sundays they hold the market and there are handicrafts, artworks, vinyl records and a lot of other things sold. At Blue you can also cook good food, drink coffee or nice drinks.
If you are interested in art, you should steer the boat (or bike, it is very easy to rent bicycles in Oslo) towards the Munch Museum. There are over half of his works on display! When the suction turns on, you can enjoy a special cake in the cafe that belongs to the museum. When you are craving a bit of food and feel socializing with strangers, you should go to Restaurant A table. There is only one table in the restaurant and all the guests can sit together and enjoy Nordic tapas. Cool!
