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Flush with its oil spoils, this once humble, overlooked city, enveloped by mountains and fjords, has stepped quietly and confidently into its new cultural era. And true to understated Nordic form, wealth has been infused into angular architecture, art and design projects, mainly popping up along the harbourfront, such as the behemothic National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (Scandinavia’s largest) designed by German architects Kleihues + Schuwerk, and the towering Munch Museum by Spanish architect Estudio Herreros – a skyscraper seemingly melting like the painter’s infamous Scream that just about brushes the melancholic Norwegian skies. The art and culture brief has extended to parks, such as Ekebergparken sculpture park, scattered to modernist effect on the city’s forest fringes, and the ever-growing roster of festivals hosted by the city throughout the year (including the now legendary Oslo Jazz Festival). Yes, there’s more money to mobilise it, but the city’s creative, literary spirit was there long ago – back in the 18th and 19th centuries when Oslo (then Christiana, the province of Denmark and Sweden) was considered a backwater. Even then, wealthy families would support artists, architects, sculptors, musicians and writers, as the state’s coffers now do, on a much greater scale. It’s the ultimate formula to avoid the unfettered, eyesore, mall-centered vulgarity of new money cities such as Dubai. It’s also the ultimate weekender for the culturally-inclined, with so much of the city’s new offering on the house… and with its burgeoning (sea)foodie scene, floating saunas and nature trails to boot.
Some hotels in Oslo hark back to pre-independence in 1905, others embody Norway’s brooding minimalism. But amid all the newness and fizz of a city brimming with ideas and cash is a curious absence, (or at least limited choice), of beautiful hotels. The Norwegians may be fat on oil profits, but tourism still accounts for 4% of their GDP. Far from a rallying cry to the chains, consider this is a gentle nudge to the independent or family-run hoteliers of this world, who are well-versed in a charming, well-designed, well-anchored boutique. Here we round up our pick of the best hotels in Oslo.