Where to stay

Deemed by many to be Oslo's poshest neighborhood, Frogner has its fair share of fancy restaurants, but there are many quainter eateries as well. Stay here for haute cuisine one night, and tapas or tacos the next. Foodies in the know look for accommodations in Grunerlokka, undisputedly the city's trendiest district and a hipster favorite. Join the local millennial crowd in the many restaurants, bars, and cafés that line the streets, in between award-winning coffee roasters. For a residential feel, stay and dine in St. Hanshaugen, with its gorgeous park, outdoor cinema, and cute, colorful wooden houses.

Choose a room in Gamle Oslo (or Old Oslo) for easy access to its pretty medieval ruins and the up-and-coming neighborhoods of Toyen and Gronland. Don't miss the Munch Museum in Toyen. Just to the north is the neighbouring borough of Grünerløkka where Munch grew up. Sentrum, or Central Oslo, is where to stay for visiting the Akershus fortress, Royal Palace, and Tjuvholmen Island. Also consider searching for a hotel in Majorstuen and Holmenkollen for their Scandinavian charm and art galleries alongside embassies and ambassadors' homes. Stay in Bygdoy or hop on a ferry from Sentrum for some of the capital city's best museums.

It's official: Oslo is the European Green Capital 2019. To take full advantage of the city's pristine natural setting, stay in its most outdoorsy neighborhoods. In Asker or Baerum, you can play as the locals do. Accommodations here take advantage of the hills and lakes of the Oslofjord, from beautiful beaches to the Kolsastoppen massif, a hiker favorite. Consider a hotel in North Oslo near Holmenkollen, with countless hiking trails, Nordic and alpine ski trails, and those famously impressive ski jumps. If you prefer easy urban walks over long treks, Frogner and Majorstuen offer hotels near the 80-acre Vigeland Sculpture Park, perfect for light strolls and leisurely picnics.