Oslo's Opera House Doesn't Disappoint

Working on our annual travel issue is always inspiring for the Viking staff. Last January's travel issue gave me such a serious case of wanderlust that I began planning a long-postponed trip to Norway for my family. We spent two weeks in August exploring Oslo, Bergen, the Sognefjord and Telemark.

One of our must-see attractions in Oslo was the new opera house, since it had so quickly become a top tourist destination after it was opened in 2008. This new attraction, designed by the Norwegian firm Snøhetta, has generated a lot of buzz, and I must say: it did not disappoint. The whole family enjoyed exploring, picnicking and people-watching on the building's sloping white marble roof. My kids loved the building's playful exterior so much that we could have almost skipped going indoors. But I'm glad we did, as it was equally impressive. (My kids thought the bathrooms were the coolest they had ever seen.) If time had allowed, I would have enjoyed taking a guided tour of the building, since the facility includes three stages, 1,100 rooms and covers the area of four football fields!

You'll find a list of Oslo's other top attractions in the December issue of Viking. And you'll find all the advice and inspiration you'll need to plan your own Nordic adventure in our annual January travel issue!

Amy Boxrud is editor of Viking magazine. She lives with her family in Northfield, Minn., where she’s a member of Nordmarka 1-585.

Photos courtesy of Doug Bratland.