Oslo City Break – Explore Frozen, Norse Mythology and Comics

This Oslo city break was part of a 14-day Eurail trip from Oslo to Bodo that I took with my six-year-old son.

We set out to explore Viking heritage, the places that inspired Disney’s Frozen, culture, landscapes and fun things for kids.

Our Oslo City Break

It takes about 48 hours to get fully acclimated to a six-hour time shift into the future. And it’s no help to a six-year-old that the sky doesn’t get dark until 9:30 PM.

If you have kids you know, it’s not time for bed until it’s dark… Needless to say, we made up for the lack of sleep on our first two days by sleeping in until 9:30 AM.

Yes, it’s true. But it felt so good.

Travel Tip: When you’re traveling to a time zone ahead of yours it’s best to go straight into the day without sleeping and then get a full 8 hours at bedtime (more for kids of course).

Today we had an open agenda with a key to the city. Of course, our main focus is always finding places related to fairy tales, folklore, legends, and mythology.

Our first choice was to head back to the Akershus Fortress, the model for the castle in Disney’s, Frozen. More on places in Norway related to Frozen here.

So we took the long way…

Maybe it’s the Easter Holiday, but Oslo is not a terribly busy city. Despite its beautiful waterside ambiance, it’s just not that crowded which makes for a pretty laid-back environment.

Plus, you don’t have to worry about sudden death every 3 seconds. Pedestrians REALLY DO have the right of way! 

This kind of relaxed atmosphere inspired us to just take our time (which went incredibly well with sleeping in). We let our eyes guide us.

Outland Comic Book Store and Fandom Mecca

Sure enough, they guided us right to a life-sized LEGO Spider-Man and LEGO Captain America. The Little was in bliss.

Then, we saw a life-sized Gollum and Iron Man, and just like that we were reeled in, hook, line and sinker.

We had arrived at nerd Heaven otherwise called Outland, a comic book store full of collectibles and fandom treats.

All you could hear from the isles of this nerd mecca was “Look at this!” and “No way!” as we made our way through the Minecraft, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and Walking Dead sections.

We were totally losing it over this place, it was such an unexpected treat. If you’re in Oslo, you have to check this place out. Address: Map

Akershus Fortress — Model for Frozen and Epcot Center

One LEGO purchase later and we were off to Akershus Fortress, most commonly known as being replicated at Walt Disney’s Epcot Center and now as the model for the castle in Frozen.

A quick history nibble of Akershus Fortress — A medieval fortress built to protect the city in the late 1200s. Over the years it has served for military use and as a prison.

It towers over the city high up on a hill offering the best views of the waterside city. It’s now still used as a military area. It’s open to the public both inside and out (out later than in for details on this check out their site here). 

Norwegian Royalty has been buried in the Royal Mausoleum in the castle. They include King Sigurd I, King Haakon V, Queen Eufemia, King Haakon VII, Queen Maud, King Olav V, and Crown Princess Märtha.

We loved running around the grounds and taking pictures. The Little thought the guard looked funny because he stood so still. It’s a great place to enjoy a nice day. A must-see.

The Waterfront Park — Unwind, Play and Enjoy Sculptures

After running around Akershus Fortress, we made our way through the city along the waterfront. There’s a wide-open “mother child” sculpture park that sits in front of City Hall along the water.

The Little loved running around here and made a few friends to play with. There are some beautiful sculptures here depicting a mother with her children.

A nice point of interest for us, especially since we were doing this whole trip alone. We always love being waterside and felt a cozy connection to our own home as we walked dockside alongside sailboats and yachts.

Travel Tip: It’s good to let your kids make friends even if they don’t speak the same language.

Kids share an unspoken language and no matter where they are, always find ways to entertain each other.

Plus, when you’re backpacking alone with your kid, they need that interaction at every chance.

Taking them to a park like this is like therapy for them, so try to schedule some park time.

City Hall — Norse Mythology

Just across the street from the Waterfront Park stands the Oslo City Hall which houses the city council, city administration, and art studios and galleries.

More importantly to us, it’s home to one of the most elaborate decorations of Norse Mythology in the whole of Scandinavia with an exhibit of sixteen wood relief carvings on the walls of the courtyard buildings sculpted by artist Dagfin Werenskiold.

He depicts old Norse divine and heroic poems from both The Older Edda and The Younger Edda. (More on this to come).

From my perspective, seeing this artwork was one of the highlights of our time in Norway’s capital city.

It was in the afternoon, the weather was clear and we were alone which made for a really cool storytelling experience. I was able to share with The Little the tales that explain the carvings.

Not to mention there’s a super cool astro clock on the City Hall tower! An all-around total score for us and a perfect stop on our way to Lofoten Restaurant.

Lofoten is a waterside restaurant in Aker Byrgge, a small waterfront shopping and dining district which is literally just a five-minute walk from the park and City Hall.

Where to Eat — Lofoten Restaurant (Lofoten Fiskerestaurant)

We had a pretty amazing day of sleeping in, taking in the city and the culture, exploring the Akershus Fortress, Waterfront Park, City Hall, and Outlander Store.

We were starving by the time we made it to our dinner reservation at Lofoten Restaurant which sits perfectly dockside where everyone in the restaurant has a view.

This time The Little was a little more open to his dinner. He chose the Pollock, I the Norwegian Whale (an overpopulated whale species in this region).

Our dinner and service far exceeded expectations. Everything was completely perfect and delicious.

Both of us tried new things and loved every bite. The wine offerings were perfectly paired by our knowledgeable server.

I couldn’t have had a better meal to end the day. The price point for Lofoten is $$$ but worth every dime. Great for special occasions, dates, and memorable moments.

Tips and Final Thoughts

It was yet again another successful day spent on our solo trip together through Norway and a perfect Oslo city break.

We made great memories, had full bellies, and enjoyed a snowball fight-walk back to our hotel.

We loved seeing the Viking ships and the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History the day before and TOTALLY recommend you make time for those as well for a complete Fairytale Traveler experience.

It was a totally awesome way to pop off our Viking expedition through Norway. We can’t wait to see what else Norway has in store. 

Now it’s time to pack up and get ready for our next adventure, a Eurail ride to Stavanger! 

For more information on visiting check out VisitOslo.com and for trip planning to Norway check out VisitNorway.com! You can also check out my Yonderboxes for the cheapest hotel booking exclusive to my readers!

Special thanks to Visit Norway USA. While they are funding all air, hotels, and meals, this in no way shapes my opinion of my journey through Norway.