I have two or three days to spare and I think that travelling somewhere would be nice. These two cities came to my mind: Gothenburg and Oslo. Which one I should choose? Both are new to me. Any recommendations? Maybe I take flight tomorrow so I don't have too much time for planning.

I'd say; nevermind both cities; they are ugly as hell.
Take this from someone who spent a lot of time in both those places.

Either take a travel to Stockholm (Sweden) or Bergen (Norway).
Both those cities are quite a sight.

The best option would of course be the northern Norway though.

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Erik_Snow
I'd say; nevermind both cities; they are ugly as hell.

so? how are the pubs?

well, if it's beauty that one seeks, spend some time in this gorgeous city by the bay...

Thanks Erik, as a Finn I am familiar with the Stockholm (it's great city!), but I would rather see something new this time. Bergen would be nice, but it would cost me twice comparing to Gothenburg or Oslo. And as I wrote I only have couple of days to spare.

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StonesTod

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Erik_Snow
I'd say; nevermind both cities; they are ugly as hell.

so? how are the pubs?

well, if it's beauty that one seeks, spend some time in this gorgeous city by the bay...

The pubs are also ugly as hell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-07-08 17:01 by Erik_Snow.

i sea

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TooMuchAlcohol
Thanks Erik, as a Finn I am familiar with the Stockholm (it's great city!), but I would rather see something new this time. Bergen would be nice, but it would cost me twice comparing to Gothenburg or Oslo. And as I wrote I only have couple of days to spare.

I'd say keep clear of both of your "options" and go someplace else in Norway of Sweden, if you think Bergen is too pricey.

In the southern Norway.....Grimstad or Arendal are quite nice.

Don't know about Sweden.

Don't believe these stupid messages! Oslo is one of
the best cities in the world. I don't know any other
big cities where you can get from the beach to downhill
ski slopes within 20 minutes.

The Frogner Park, Aker Brygge , the Holmenkollen ski jump,
Karl Johans gate are some of the highlights. And a tour
on the fjord. And Grunerløkka for night life.
Plus the Viking ships and other museums on the Bygdøy
peninsula.

.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010-07-08 17:01 by Erik_Snow.

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Erik_Snow

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walkingthedog
Don't believe these stupid messages! Oslo is one of
the best cities in the world. I don't know any other
big cities where you can get from the beach to downhill
ski slopes within 20 minutes.

The Frogner Park, Aker Brygge , the Holmenkollen ski jump,
Karl Johans gate are some of the highlights. And a tour
on the fjord. And Grunerløkka for night life.
Plus the Viking ships and other museums on the Bygdøy
peninsula.

so please give us your best advice advice then. I've lived in Oslo for 4 years - it's a shanty town, and a pile of turds

Please go jumping in Holmenkollen and buy heroin at Grunerlökka - it's really nothing to offer to people coming from elsewhere around the globe.

Apparently you must have visited all the wrong places.
I have given you my best advice (although I forgot the Munch
museum and the brand new opera). I have lived here for 59 years
and I have visited hundreds of other cities and I say Oslo is
the most beautiful.

Yes, Grimstad and Arendal are nice too, but they are really small
and you can see everything of interest within 30 minutes. Also you
really need your own boat to enjoy these places. And there's nothing
going on, while Oslo is teeming with activity.

Oslo is great.

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Bergen is Great! I love that city.

I would say Oslo is more practical since you have far less to travel, with plenty of stuff to do as mentioned above.

I recently read "Vindings playing" by Ketil Bjornstad and this book gives the impression that Oslo is a great city for music.

Oslo of course. Ski jump, world famous opera house on water, viking ships (real), Aker Brygge, The Oslo Fjord, everything in the actual city. I take it for granted, because I live so close by, but get there now, it's great!

Bjornulf

And you definitely need to check out the backyard of "Vålerenga Vertshus" in Oslo.

All the concerts I attend, every one says (also Mick) that we have a wonderful country, and that Oslo is beautiful, so I guess if Mick says so it's true !!

Well, I live pretty near to gothenburg.. its a nice town.. but Theres more to see in Stockholm (also in sweden)

im not very familiar to Norway, so unfortunatly I cant say anything more

Erik, you're such a consumer.

Never been to Gothenburg, but I've been to Oslo and Bergen, and its a no brainer for me to go to Bergen. Worth the extra effort.

Oslo's supposed to be one of the hot spots in europe. Lots of English musicians come here for the weekends - to party.
If you would like some tips on where to go and what to do, you should really listen to people who know the city like their own pockets. Some of the posters here obviously know Oslo better than others.
The music scene's blooming, there are so many brilliant bars and club concepts you don't find anywhere else.
Take tha Bar Boca, (an authentic 50s retro bar, extremely small, crowded, very friendly people and probably the best drinks in town) the Aku Aku Tiki Bar, Parkteatret, Bistro Brocante, The Nighthawk diner, Villa Paradiso - all located in a very artistic neighbourhood - Grünerløkka.
Mostly in the same street - Thorvald Meyers gate. (It's actually the street where I live.) Just off this street, there's a 200 meter long area with pavement cafes. Open from early morning until late night. Crowded, nice people, great atmosphere - like in the Quartier Latin in Paris, or Montmartre.
Then there's the harbour area. Take a boat to the first island, the first stop, Hovedøya, bring some wine and food and your bathing costume.
Enjoy your stay! I love my town, and I know every single little alley and backyard of Oslo. But you should stay away from the area around the Central Station and the Karl Johans gate, and also Rosenkrantz gate. They're no good places. (Heroin and Nigerian prostitutes of the aggressive kind, to tell you the truth.)
Ask the locals for the trams to Grünerløkka. No. 11, 12 and 13 will take you from down town to Olaf Ryes place in 7 minutes, and they run every 5 minutes.

Choose between Gothenburg and Oslo? - Easy, it's Oslo.

Per-Arne

Agree with Addicted that you should avoid the Central Station.
The upper half of Karl Johan is very nice and full of life, though.
From there you can walk down to Aker Brygge in 5 minutes.

Also recommended is lunch either at Frognerseteren or Ekebergrestauranten
with breathtaking views of the city and the fjord. If you want to swim in the
fjord you can go to Hovedøya by ferry as suggested, or you could
take the bus to Huk on the Bygdøy peninsula, which is beautiful and
great for quiet walks. There you can also catch the unique Viking ships.
It is also possible to go to Bygdøy by ferry from Aker Brygge,
in which case you would walk up the very posh Huk Aveny to get to the
Viking ships.

More great bars in Oslo...
Last Train. Really Rock 'n Roll (around the corner from Hard Rock Cafe, Karl Johan gate).
Two Dogs in Brugata (a street with 7-8 drinking places with cheap beer, but Two Dogs is the only one you want to be in...).
Around the corner from Two dogs you got Queens Pub. A building from 17xx. Do Queens at daytime, no longer fun at night.
If you end up with a concert at Rockefeller, Sentrum Scene or John Dee
[www.rockefeller.no] a great place is Robinet.
And not to forget, Elm Street Bar (lower part of Karl Johan, don't remember the street name.
The list is too long, I give up.

TE
Oslo



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010-07-09 04:30 by TE.

Speaking of breathtaking views... Try the bar Stratos at Youngstorget, and also the club Internasjonalen in the same building.
There's an authentic 50s bar, Teddy's soft bar, in Brugata, just beside Two Dogs, recommended by T.E.
For good, cheap food: Mucho Mas,(Tex Mex) Bistro Brocante, (French peasants food, delicious), Villa Paradiso (best pizzas north of Napoli), all located in or near Thorvald Meyers gate.
Cheap place to stay: Anker Hotel, Storgata. Very central.
Cheap way to get around town: By tram! Buy a flexi card. (at Seven Eleven kiosks and Deli de Luca kiosks) Once you validate it, you can travel as muh as you like for one hour. It allowns you 8 hours of travelling by subway, bus and trams.
Avoid taking taxis! They're frightfully expensive and the drivers will always try to cheat you. Taxi 2, Christiania Taxi, City Taxi and ByTaxi are the worst. Been known to skim credit cards. If you have to take a taxi, chose Oslo Taxi or Norges Taxi.
DON'T TAKE A TAXI from the airport to Oslo! Take the train. Either the Airport express (23 minutes - and expensive, or any train headed for Oslo, 35 minutes and inexpensive).
Bars close at 3 AM, you have to be out by 3.30. Or if you're lucky, the staff will invite you to an after party!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-07-09 11:46 by Addicted.

I have been to Oslo twice and it is a very nice city, there is a lot to see there - as written above. I have been to Gothenburg once and nothing really impressed me there. I agree thet Bergen is truly great and some here wrote about Stockholm - I lived 1 year there and it is my favourite city.

I totally agree about Stockholm. Wonderful!
But the person in this thread wanted either Oslo or Gothenburg, since he'd already been in Stockholm a lot.
Given the choice between the two cities here, I think Oslo's a great choice. And I've been in Gothenburg on numerous occations - at least 2-3 timeas a year from 1982.

Erik Snow wrote:
o please give us your best advice advice then. I've lived in Oslo for 4 years - it's a shanty town, and a pile of turds

Please go jumping in Holmenkollen and buy heroin at Grunerlökka - it's really nothing to offer to people coming from elsewhere around the globe. UNQUOTE

Guess you've seen our best advice by now, but you've got it terribly wrong. Grünerløkka is not about heroin, but people do smoke some pot.
Heroin is located around the Central Station. Anyone who's been here for more than 2 hours knows that.
Oslo - a shanty town??? Dear lord, where have you been? One of the wealthiest towns in the world, some pretty nice architechture. Old and new, and some uninterresting architechture. But shanty town? I've lived here for 40 years and haven't discovered the shanty town. Where should I go to see that? It would be interresting and I'll certainly bring a camera... Newspapers should be fairly interrested!The only "shanty town" I know of is a place where they let roadworkers stay while building new roads... Clearly that's not what you mean?

"I have lived here for XXX years and I have visited hundreds of other cities and I say [[b]MY CITY[/b]] is the most beautiful."

I always smell a turd when I read something like this...

Never said it was the most beautiful, just giving advice on where to go, interresting places, good choices and how to save money.
BTW - since you're French... I spend most of my vacations in France. We have a family home in Old Antibes. I love travelling in the entire Alpes Maritimes and Var region, and also Savoie, The Loire Valley and Paris, of course.
One of the reasons why I love this very special part of Oslo that I live in, Grünerløkka, is that it reminds me of Montmartre and Quartier Latin.

Not to forget Oslo's finest park, St. Hanshaugen, which is a couple of blocks from where I live. The best view, as well as the best outdoor dining place. Highly recommended There are often outdoor concerts at St. Hanshaugen as well.