Akershus Slott and Festning (Akerhus Palace and Fortress)
King Haakon V Magnusson ordered the building of Akershus Slott, in 1299. Although damaged, repaired, fortified and renovated over the centuries, the ancient walls and central medieval tower of this imposing fortified palace still dominates the seafront. The town was rebuilt within the fortress walls after the great fire of 1624. The 17th-century renovations of the castle, with magnificent banqueting halls and reception rooms, stand above dank medieval dungeons and underground passageways. The grounds also house Norges Hjemmefrontsmuseum (Resistance Museum), with poignant displays related to the Nazi occupation of Norway.

Akershuskaien
Tel: 2309 3553 (palace) or 2309 3917 (fortress).
Website: www.visitoslo.com
Opening hours: Festning open Mon-Sun 0600-2100; Slott open Mon-Sat 1000-1600, Sun 1230-1600 (May-Sep); guided tours of the Festning available daily (Jun-Aug).
Admission: Free (fortress); Charge (palace and museum).

Oslo Rådhus (Oslo City Hall)
On the waterfront overlooking the fjord, this modern twin-towered building, opened in 1950 to celebrate the city's 900th anniversary, dominates but does not particularly enhance the landscape. However, the colourful frescos and murals of the interior, designed by Norwegian artists, redeem the solid exterior. Themes of Norwegian history and culture dominate; depicting daily life and Viking mythology, although references to conflict are inescapable in a building long delayed but finally built in the aftermath of WWII. This is where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented each December.

Fridtjof Nansens Plass
Tel: 02180.
Website: www.visitoslo.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1600 (Sep-Apr); Daily 0900-1700 (May-Sep).
Admission charge May-Sep, free with Oslo Pass.

Nasjonalgalleriet (National Gallery)
Norway's National Gallery houses a respectable pre-1945 international art collection, including Gauguin, Picasso, Cezanne and El Greco. But the Norwegian collection, with its emphasis on works from the ‘National Romantic Period', is undoubtedly the main interest. Several rooms are given over to the work of Edvard Munch, including a version of Skrik (The Scream). The 19th-century Romantic paintings of Dahl, Tidemand and Gude, such as Bridal Voyage in the Hardanger Fjord, depict the spectacular Norwegian landscapes of forest and fjord, while the museum continues to collect modern Norwegian artists.

Universitetsgata 13
Tel: 2220 0404.
Website: www.nationalmuseum.no
Opening hours: Tues, Wed and Fri 1000-1800, Thurs 1000-2000, Sat-Sun 1000-1700, Mon closed.
Free admission.

Frognerbadet
The open-air swimming pool complex of Frognerbadet is one of the most popular summer locations in the city. With three open-air pools, including a diving pool, water slides and separate adult and children sections, the whole city seems to pack into the complex to occupy every available space of grass. Norwegians make the most of the glorious summer days, with everyone from families to groups of friends converging on the pools every day of the week. The weekend often sees long queues so a morning visit is recommended. Frognerbadet is well equipped with changing rooms, toilets and a cafeteria.

Middelthuns gate 28
Tel: 2327 5450.
Website: www.visitoslo.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1930; Sat-Sun 1000-1800 (mid-May - Aug).
Admission charge, free with Oslo Pass.

Bygdøy
A short ferry crossing from central Oslo to the peninsula of Bygdøy transports visitors into Norway's varied maritime past. All the attractions on Bygdøy are within 10 or 15 minutes' walking distance of one another.

One of Europe's biggest open-air museums, the Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Folk Museum) is a walk through Norway's geography and history, featuring a variety of period buildings that have been transported from all over the country. Turf-roofed farms and barns in one section give way to the streets of the Old Town, complete with shop, houses and early petrol station. A five-minute walk away, the elegant Oseberg, excavated in 1904 and dating from about 800 AD, is the finest of the ships at the Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship Museum).

The Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum (Norwegian Maritime Museum) portrays the pivotal role played by the sea in Norway's history, from Vikings to fishing to oil tankers, with magnificent model boats, film footage, artefacts and paintings. Nearby, at the Frammuseet, is the 1892 polar vessel, Fram, in which Fridtjof Nansen sailed toward the North Pole and Roald Amundsen to the Antarctic. The Kon-Tiki Museum houses Thor Heyerdahl's famous balsa raft, Kon-Tiki, and reed raft, Ra II, as well as other items, including Easter island statues (Moais) and a stuffed whale shark.

Norsk Folkemuseum (Norwegian Folk Museum)
Museumsveien 10
Tel: 2212 3700.
Website: www.norskfolke.museum.no
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (May-Sep); Mon-Fri 1100-1500, Sat-Sun 1100-1600 (Sep-May).
Admission charge, free with Oslo Pass.

Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship Museum)
Huk Aveny 35
Tel: 2213 5280.
Website: www.ukm.uio.no/vikingskipshuset
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (May-Sep); daily 1100-1600 (Oct-Apr), closed public holidays.
Admission charge.

Norsk Sjøfartsmuseum (Norwegian Maritime Museum)
Bygdøynesveien 37
Tel: 2411 4150.
Website: www.norsk-sjofartsmuseum.no
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (mid May-Sep); Sun-Wed 1030-1600, Thurs 1030-1800 (Oct-mid May).
Admission charge, free with Oslo Pass.

Frammuseet (Fram Museum)
Bygdøynesveien 36
Tel: 2328 2950.
Website: www.fram.museum.no
Opening hours: Vary between daily 0900-1845 and 1000-1545, according to time of year.
Admission charge, free with Oslo Pass.

Kon-Tiki Museum
Bygdøynesveien 36
Tel: 2308 6767.
Website: www.kon-tiki.no
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1730 (Jun-Aug); daily 1030-1600 (Oct-Mar); daily 1000-1700 (Sep and Apr-May).
Admission charge, free with Oslo Pass.