I am a food and travel writer as well as a cruise ship enrichment speaker: my passion is exploring the cuisine, history, and culture of new places and writing about them here in my free bi-weekly (twice monthly) Destination Curation newsletter where I look at the intersection of history, culture, and cuisine in major destinations.
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🇳🇴 Outstanding Oslo 🇳🇴
Published about 8 hours ago • 7 min read
February 1, 2026
Greetings!
Happy February! (January happened fast, did it not?)
I’m coming to you once again from Riga, where I have really been sticking close to home, pulling ahead on several writing projects and administration, as well as the annual clutter bust, which is going splendidly.
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RIP Catherine O'Hara
I was so saddened to learn of the death of the marvelous Catherine O’Hara, and I am sure you were too. What a loss! She had such a fantastic sense of timing and comedy. I’m planning to screen a few of my favorite films, including the marvelous Best in Show, and of course probably embark on (yet another) binge watch of Schitts’ Creek.
Catherine O'Hara and Bo Welch | Photo credit: Harald Krichel
Schitts’ Creek holds special meaning for our family. I watched the first few episodes on my own in 2018, when we were still reeling from our emergency exit from Russia (you can read about that here). Like the Roses, we were adjusting to a dramatically different existence, and I saw a lot of parallels. I wondered if Dmitry would find it as funny as I did, but I took a chance, and of course he did. The show became a much-needed vehicle for us to find humor in our own situation and the resilience and resolve to turn our fortunes around. So I truly mourn Catherine O’Hara. She was a beacon of light for me during a very dark period.
Spotlight On Oslo, Norway | Where Viking Heritage Meets Modern Vibrancy
Cradled between forested hills and the shimmering Oslo Fjord, Norway's capital presents a rare and harmonious fusion—a city where Viking heritage and groundbreaking modernism exist in graceful equilibrium. For luxury cruise passengers with eight hours in port, Oslo delivers both substance and surprise, offering cultural riches that rival far larger capitals while maintaining an intimate, accessible scale.
In the past two decades, Oslo has transformed from something of a lackluster backwater (or so I found it in the 1990s) into one of Europe's more dynamic and enjoyable cities. As Dmitry often notes, “so, that’s what you can do with oil revenue if the oligarchs don’t steal it!”
My new 8-Hour Guide to Oslo provides more comprehensive details about the city’s many attractions, but here are the highlights that make this Scandinavian gem unmissable.
The Oslo Opera House
Architectural Marvels That Invite Exploration
The Norwegian National Opera House rises from the harbor like a luminous iceberg, its sloping marble roof inviting visitors to walk its heights and enjoy splendid views over the Oslofjord's island-dotted expanse. Designed by Norwegian firm Snøhetta and completed in 2008, this architectural masterpiece earned the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award for European Architecture.
Maritime Museums on the Bygdøy Peninsula
Oslo's constellation of maritime museums on the Bygdøy Peninsula celebrates Norway's seafaring legacy with extraordinary authenticity. The Fram Museum houses the actual polar ship that carried the famous Norwegian explorers Roald Amundsen and Fritjof Nansen into the most forbidding reaches of the planet. You can board the Fram itself and explore the claustrophobic quarters where Nansen and Amundsen and their teams endured months of polar darkness.
Ankershus Fortress
Next door, the Kon-Tiki Museum displays Thor Heyerdahl's famous balsa raft that successfully crossed 8,000 kilometers of the Pacific Ocean in 1947. The nearby Norwegian Museum of Cultural History offers an immersive journey through five centuries of Norwegian life with over 160 historic buildings, including a magnificent 13th-century stave church. Find detailed visiting information for all Bygdøy museums in my comprehensive guide.
Note: The Viking Ship Museum is currently closed for a major renovation. As of writing, there is no set date for its reopening as The Museum of the Viking Age, but I understand it will be in 2027. In the meantime, however, I’ve just put together a new article on other places to explore Viking heritage: Visit the Vikings: 12 Museums & Historical Sites.
The Vigeland Sculpture Park
Vigeland Sculpture Park: A Journey Through Human Emotion
Vigeland Sculpture Park is one of Oslo's most visited attractions and an astonishing artistic statement. Gustav Vigeland devoted the final decades of his life to creating over 200 sculptures that form a chronological journey through human existence from birth through death. The park's centerpiece, The Monolith, rises 17 meters—a writhing column of 121 intertwined human figures carved from a single block of granite.
As Vigeland famously said, “…it’s only when you put clothes on people that you start defining their religion or where they are from. When you are naked, you can be anyone, anywhere at any time.” The sculptures reveal the full range of human emotions with remarkable power. Best of all, the park is free to enter and open 24 hours daily. Discover more about Vigeland's vision in my 8 Hour Guide..
World-Class Art: MUNCH and The National Museum
Norway's new MUNCH Museum, opened in 2021 in a stunning 13-story building, houses the world's largest collection of Edvard Munch's work—including multiple versions of The Scream. The museum's permanent collection contains more than half of the artist's paintings, allowing visitors to trace his stylistic evolution from early naturalism through expressionist masterpieces.
The magnificent National Museum, opened in 2022, represents one of the Nordic region's most ambitious cultural projects, uniting previously dispersed collections under one spectacular roof. Over 6,500 artworks are displayed across 90 rooms, offering an encyclopedic survey of Norwegian art alongside important international holdings. I have visited multiple times and cannot recommend this highly enough!
The Munch Museum
Oslo's Walkable Historic Center
Oslo's compact center allows you to experience centuries of history on foot. Begin at the medieval Akershus Fortress, which has guarded Oslo for over seven centuries and never fell to foreign siege. Stroll along the revitalized Aker Brygge waterfront, then walk Karl Johans gate—the city's pedestrianized main thoroughfare—past the National Theatre, Parliament, and University to the Royal Palace set in its lovely park.
Norwegian Cuisine: From Traditional to Innovative
Oslo's culinary scene has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving into a sophisticated food capital showcasing New Nordic cuisine. The city emphasizes seasonal Norwegian ingredients—wild seafood from icy Atlantic waters, game from inland forests, and foraged herbs and berries from the abundant countryside. For complete information on what to eat and drink, visit my comprehensive guide to Norwegian Cuisine.
Unparalleled Maritime Heritage: Oslo's museums house polar exploration vessels and Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki raft—authentic artifacts that bring Norway's seafaring legacy to life.
World-Class Art in Stunning Settings: From Edvard Munch's emotionally charged masterworks to the world's largest single-artist sculpture installation, Oslo punches above its weight culturally.
Seamless Blend of History and Modernity: Medieval fortresses and stave churches coexist with bold contemporary architecture like the Opera House—all within walking distance.
Accessible Natural Beauty: Forested hills and fjord waters embrace the city, with green spaces woven throughout the urban fabric and hiking trails minutes from downtown.
Quintessentially Norwegian Experiences: From floating fjord saunas to the Holmenkollen ski jump, Oslo offers authentic Nordic experiences unavailable elsewhere.
Floating Saunas in the Oslofjord
Read my complete 8 Hours in Oslo guide for detailed practical information, transportation tips, shopping recommendations, and a comprehensive history of Norway's remarkable capital.
I’m very excited to announce that I just signed a contract with Emerald Cruises to lecture on Emerald Azzura in October and November on a wonderful itinerary in the Mediterranean, which includes an overnight in Seville! If you are not familiar with these splendid small ships, check out their website. From colleagues who have worked on these ships, I gather there is much more of a yacht-type feel to these small ships. I’m looking forward to learning all about them and to a visit to Seville, which really is one of my favorite cities in the whole world!
As a subscriber to the Destination Curation Newsletter, you have access to my cruise schedule, which you can visit here. If any of these voyages align with your travel plans, I'd love to share the journey with you.
That’s it for this week’s edition. Temperatures in Riga today are scheduled to hover around -16℃. (3℉), which looks set to the be the coldest day of this winter. A good day to tweak my Norwegian Fiskesuppe recipe and continue to clutter bust. I may also knock off early and curl up by the fire and continue an incredibly enjoyable read of Effingers by Gabriele Tergit and translated beautifully by Sophie Duvernoy. And I must find time for a few more episodes of that guilty pleasure, Bridgerton. Or a little Schitts’ Creek, perhaps. Sigh.
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I am a food and travel writer as well as a cruise ship enrichment speaker: my passion is exploring the cuisine, history, and culture of new places and writing about them here in my free bi-weekly (twice monthly) Destination Curation newsletter where I look at the intersection of history, culture, and cuisine in major destinations.
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