Oslo lies at the inner reaches of the Oslo Fjord and is a tranquil and picturesque capital. Oslo is home to the Viking Ship and the Kon-Tiki museums, as well as the famous Holmenkollen ski jump and the statue park of Gustav Vigeland. A stroll along the harbour with its many old wooden tall ships followed by a cold beer in the evening sun along Aker Brygge is well worth it. Oslo is also one of the capitals in Europe with the largest number of bars and restaurants per capita, and night life is plentiful.

The history of the city can be traced back over 1,000 years. Oslo was founded in 1048, by the King Harald Hardråde. The city became capital of Norway around 1300, but lost its privileges during the Danish-Norwegian union from 1348 to 1814. In 1624, a fire devastated old Oslo, and the city was moved some kilometres west to gain protection from the fortress at Akershus. The city was renamed Christiania, after the Danish king Christian IV, a name that remained until it was officially renamed on January 1st 1925 to Oslo.

Oslo, with its approximately 453 square kilometers, is one of the largest capitals in the world by area. Granted, most of this is forest, making Oslo a city in close contact with the nature surrounding it.

Oslo is situated in an amphitheater-like setting, with the city centre in the bottom close to the Oslo fjord, and residential areas stretching uphill from there in all directions. Behind the residential areas, the forested area of Marka (Nordmarka, Østmarka, Lillomarka) extends, with flora and fauna that is quite extraordinary for a city of this size. Moose are commonplace (easily spotted in winter), and the whole of the capital is part of Norway's wolf reserve (even if they rarely come here). Polarbears are NOT common in the city centre, even some might think so, due to old stories about Norway.

The Oslo fjord is a lake in the Skagerrak bay, stretching inland from the North Sea towards Øresund and the Baltic Sea. Oslo has an impressive archipelago of islands, which in summer becomes the city's favoured playground.

We use several hotels in Oslo, depending on the type of tour you wish to enjoy and how your trip is running. Some hotels are not in the centre of town, specifically because we love the outskirts of Oslo and we believe these hotels can offer something different.

One hotel we use is that is in the centre of town is the Rica Hotel Bygdøy Allé. This hotel is a little gem right in the centre of Bygdøy Allé in Frogner, one of Oslo's smartest commercial and shopping districts, just a short distance away from all the sights in Oslo. It is very comfortable and nice and close to the excellent floating restaurants. http://www.rica-hotels.com/Hotels/Rica-Hotel-Bygdoy-Alle/

We also use the Grand Hotel which as it suggests, is grand! This hotel is perhaps Oslo's most venerable and elegant deluxe hotel, forming a striking landmark on the city's grandest street, Karl Johans Gate. The Grand Hotel is a mix of tradition and new styles - timelessly classic, yet offering today's celebrities, world leaders, and you too, all the luxury, quality and comfort you have the right to expect from a modern first-class international hotel. http://www.grand.no/en/About-Grand-Hotel/

Our secret hotel is the Lysebu Hotel - a country manor hotel which is up in the hills outside Oslo. Great for walks in the twilight and relaxing over a quiet evening drink. http://www.lysebu.no/

Our two favourite places in Oslo are spots where you can easily get out of the city and enjoy nature. Both are very easy to access by public transport. We love Bygdøy - whilst it is a place jammed packed with great international museums, it also has a great circuit walk around the island which is just lovely. Strawberry sellers and icecream vans make it a very pleasant afternoon walk. Kids swim and there are lots of sea vessels to marvel at.

Another great spot to visit is the Sognsvann, a 3.3km circumference lake just north of Oslo, Norway. You can get a train to it very easily and then just stretch your legs with a stroll or a swim. Beautiful!