Shopping

Aker Brygge is the area going along one arm of the Oslo Fjord, on the west side of the harbor. On its website it lists a bunch of shops, a cinema and restaurants situated all along the shore or inside the big shopping centers in the area.

But I heard it’s one of the priciest places for shopping so I’ve personally never been inside the mall. Instead, I walked along the shore, where stopping at one of the many boats that have been reorganized as restaurants/bars is an activity I enjoy a lot. It’s delightful to sit on a chair an see the water and seagulls 2-3 meters under, while enjoying a cold drink and some salmon.

Another cool thing about this area is that it is connected with the wide space in front of the City Hall and every weekend (if not every day) you get the chance to catch street performers or a bunch of tents hosting various exhibitions. The best ones are International food fairs where I was able to taste a wide variety of foods from most of the continents. At the ‘sea’ end of Aker Brygge, you find the newly built Astrup Fearnley ArtMuseum.

Plus this is the place from which you can catch boats and ferries. Sometimes, right next to the shopping center, there’s a small amusement park with few entertainments, but funny enough for a hot summer day and from where I had a nice view over the whole harbor when they had this huge wheel.

This is Norway’s largest museum of cultural history with collections of objects from around the country and more than 150 buildings in the open air museum. It shows how locals used to live from 1500 until present, showing differences from region to region and from class to class.

The outdoor museum is simply spectacular and great to walk through in the summer. One of the main attractions is the Gol Stave Church (Gol Stavkirke) dating from 1200.

The indoor museum hosts various permanent and temporary art, crafts and cultural expositions all year long. Some of the most interesting I saw was the one around Easter time where you get to see how Easter is celebrated all over Norway, and the Sami culture is fascinating to see.

Since the museum tries very hard to reproduce many aspects of how people used to live, many of the houses – otherwise closed in the winter – are open during summertime for visitors and actors play the roles of inhabitants. They get dressed in national costumes and do the work specific for the area and age of the house, from farming to sewing, producing silver jewelry or pottery.

A small shop sells specialties with ‘old’ wrappings. And in another one of the houses, during summer, I tasted the traditional sweet ‘lefse’, warm with salty butter on top. Or you can catch a ride in a horse pulled carriage. For a list of activities, see here.

Liebling is a typical Berlin-style café, both the interiors and the menu is a testament to that. The prices are much more budget friendly too, than at your regular Norwegian hang out.

The “Liebling tallerken” is a typical Berlin brunch plate with breads, cheeses and meats, some cereal and yogurt. If it included a bowl of quark I would be over the moon, but it’s still darn tasty – they even do a vegetarian version, just ask! The open-faced sandwiches with homemade toppings are also great as a midday snack, the hummus being my personal favourite.

Alcohol is served after five o’clock, German Riesling and weissbier of course, staying true to their roots. The café has a small boutique part, with mostly German design, which has to close as soon as the first drinks are being served. It’s due to some peculiar Norwegian law… don’t ask, just go with it.

The Liebling crowd is a mix of artsy students from the nearby art academy, and early 30s mums (and dads) on maternity (paternity) leave.

My tip is to like the café on Facebook, it’s a great way to keep up to date on their events, like open mic night and one off concerts.

Frøken Dianas Salonger is a small gem of a vintage boutique, it will warm you up in the winter cold as it oozes charm and femininity.

In this Markveien shop you’ll find one off earrings and other pieces of jewellery from bygone areas, you’ll also find an amazing selection of frocks and blouses, as well as fun interior items for your apartment. I even bought a guitar and an old school typewriter here.

The shop used to be a little clustered, but they have cleaned it up really well, and now everything is neatly accessible to browse at your own leisure. For me, this means that I tend to pop by more often than before – just to check what’s new.

In winter you should look out for the characteristic Scandinavian woollen jumpers, a great souvenir – for ladies and gents alike. Especially since they appear to be all the hipster rage lately.

Mathallen is simply put, a foodies paradise: perfect for picking up special gourmet treats, or just popping by for a tasty lunch.

Mathallen celebrated their first birthday earlier this autumn. It is the only indoor food market of its kind in Oslo, and it fills a gap that was definitely missing in the city. Despite a rush of customers during the first few months after opening, the hype has started to slow down, and it will still take some time for the market to fully come into its own.

Mathallen is sometimes criticised for being overpriced, but taking into consideration that all the produce is top quality, I tend to disagree. Overall, I find the prices to be rather reasonable. Some cheeses, and cuts, are of course gourmet foods, and you can’t expect to pay the same price as you do for generic products at your local supermarket. But that’s the whole point right?!

Penny savers should however, check out the Super Tuesdays – a concept that has every store offer up great discounts on some of their best produce, every second day of the week. There are some real bargains to be found, and one time I came across some wild trout at a what I can only describe as a laughable low price.

I really believe Mathallen has enriched the city, and my favourite thing is to sample some local cheeses, grab a dessert pie from Hello Pie, and order a drip coffee from Solberg & Hansen.