Through the Scientia Fellows programme young researchers from all over the world come to live and work in Oslo. Many take great pleasure in the easy access to outdoor experiences on the coast and in the forest during summer, but how can you best enjoy the cold and snowy days of winter?
If you are not going home for Christmas or just looking for a wonderful time spent out of office, here are some suggestions for nice winter activities in Oslo:
- Sledging: Visit Oslos great sled run called Korketrekkeren (“the corkscrew”). The ride itself is free, the metro brings you right to the top and renting a sledge is approx. 100 NOK for the whole day. Great fun for everyone! See movies, pictures and information here.
- Hot chocolate: Nice and traditional places to enjoy a lovely hot chocolate on a cold day is Reataurant Frognerseteren (in norwegian) (next to the sled run) and the Library bar at Hotel Bristol in the city centre.
- Ice-skating: Easy access and litte equipment needed for a nice skating experience. You can rent skates by the skating rink "Spikersuppa" in the city centre, or at the larger Frogner Stadion at Majorstuen.
When it's really cold for long periods of time you can also try ice-skating on the forest lakes or on the fjord outside of Sandvika. But be sure it's safe before you try the ice! There will be signs and local announcements. Se more on Visit Oslo. - A walk in the forest: If you start walking in the tracks prepared for cross-country skiing people will get upset, but there are many places where you can enjoy the magical winter forest by foot. The track around Sognsvann is well lit and cleared of snow for a nice walk any time of the day.
- Cross-country skiing: A classic Norwegian winter activity and low-cost, actually free, if you have your own equipment. If not you can buy it second-hand (often in great condition!) on finn.no or rent it on one of Oslos rental-facilities for sports-equipment.
More information and recommended routes on Visit Oslo.
In periods with a lot of snow you can literally put on your skies outside of Domus Medica and walk straight into the forest, there are great tracks taking you towards Sognsvann from there (tracks are marked with purple on this map). - Downhill skiing: More costly than cross-country skiing but a lot of fun, a short ride by metro takes you to great slopes in Oslos largest ski-centre.
How to adapt to the cold
When dealing with an unfamiliar climate, there are a lot of do's and dont's. Knowing how to dress for the cold season is definitively a core knowledge, so here's a recommended read: 10 Norwegian Tips to Keep Warm in the Winter.
The writer is Lorelou Desjardins, from Marseille in the South of France. She has been living in Oslo for many years and on her blog The Frog in the Fjord she shares a lot of valuable (and entertaining) tips for anyone "trying to understand the Norwegian culture and blending in (or trying hard)".