Oslo, Capital city in Oslo Municipality, Norway
Oslo is the capital and largest city of Norway in the east of the country between fjord and forested hills. The center consists of a harbor quarter, broad boulevards, modern office blocks and older streets that stretch along the coast and into nearby valleys.
Harald Hardrada founded the settlement in 1048 as a trading post that grew into a medieval town near present-day Gamle Oslo. After repeated city fires, King Christian IV moved the center westward to Akershus fortress in the early 1600s, where it has remained since then.
The National Gallery, the opera house and many theaters present Norwegian and international performances, exhibitions and events year round. Locals meet often in parks or along the fjord shore, where summer barbecues and small swimming spots become lively gathering places for families and friends.
Public transit includes metro lines, trams, buses and ferries that link all districts to the main station and harbor. Schedules and route maps appear digitally or at most stops, where multilingual signs help with orientation throughout the day.
Holmenkollen ski jump rises 60 meters (nearly 200 feet) above the hillside and offers views from the city to the fjord. Visitors can ride the lift to the viewing platform and enter the attached ski museum, which shows some of the oldest ski gear in the world.
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