Winter Fun

Bogstadvann (Bogstad Lake) from above. Photo: Annie Evankow

1) Day hike at Frognerseteren, Oslo

Hop on t-bane line 1, and after 40 minutes from Central Oslo, you'll end up in a winter wonderland: Frognerseteren.  Up above Oslo and beyond Holmenkollen, Frognerseteren is an ideal gateway to Nordmarka, the forest just North of Oslo. You can also go cross-country skiing, rent a sled, or curve down the slopes at the nearby down-hill ski area, Tryvann.

Master students, Karoline and Kelsey, at Frognerseteren, Oslo. 

Kelsey walking along the 3.5km trail from Frognerseteren to Skjennungstua.

We visited Skjennungstua cabin and bought fresh cinnamon buns and skoleboller.

Fresh "boller" from Skjennungstua. Photo: Skjennungstua.no.

2) Ut på skitur, skiing at Sognsvann, Oslo

Sognsvann lake is at the end of line 6. Another great entry to the outdoor opportunities in Oslo, Sognsvann has trails for walking, running, and skiing! It is even close to the Sogn and Kringsjå student communities of UiO. This weekend, we skied uphill to Ullevålseter, a cabin 5km from Sognsvann. 

Katie applying kick wax (Blue, V40 for -1 to -7 C) to her classic skis.

Master students Laura, Shane, and Katie at Sognsvann Snøpark.

Whether it is your first time on skis, or you are an olympic skier, Oslo has trails for you! The Skiforeningen maintains thousands of kilometers of cross-county tracks that are available for anyone to use. Simply put on your boots, clip into your skis and go!

Map of the ski trails surrounding Oslo. Color indicates trail snow quality.

A beautiful day on the trails in Nordmarka. Photo: Annie Evankow

3) Hitting up the Museums, Fram and Kon-tiki

After a few days of hiking and skiing, you'll be ready for a more relaxed day at some of Oslo's museums, such as the Fram and Kon Tiki. These famous ships tell the stories of Norwegian polar exploration and tropical discovery.

Annie and Katie in front of the Fram. Photo: Katie Dean

Fridtjof Nansen requested the Fram be built in order to be the first human to reach the North pole. Although Nansen did not reach the North pole first, he became a world-leading arctic explorer and major person in Norwegian history. The Fram museum allows you to explore the original ship while experiencing Norwegian Arctic exploration history first-hand.

The Nansen Ski Club in New Hampshire is named after Fridtjof Nansen. For more information, visit my blog post "My Background in NH".

Karoline demonstrating how to be an Arctic Explorer.

Karoline, Katie, Annie, and Hiro in the Arctic.

The Kon Tiki Museum recounts the history of Thor Heyerdahl, another Norwegian worth knowing. You may have seen or heard about the recent movie "Kon-Tiki" which recounts the tale of Thor's first raft trip from Peru to Easter Island, proving that indigenous South Americans could have reached Polynesia using wooden boats.

Annie in front of the Kon-Tiki. Photo: Katie Dean

Video: Winter in Oslo