The Fram Museum contains exhibitions of some of the most famous voyages of exploration. The centerpiece of the museum is the world´s strongest wooden ship, the polar ship Fram.
Norway: Oslo – The Kon-Tiki Museum
In 1936 Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl found himself on a mission to the Marquesas Islands to study the local flora and fauna. He married Liv Coucheron Torp the day before they departed. The young couple finally settled in a remote location on Fatu Hiva to begin their work.
Although Heyerdahl had studied zoology, he had developed a keen interest in anthropology and alongside a keen interest in Polynesian culture. Whilst living on Fatu Hiva Heyerdahl had become very familiar with the Trade Winds and started to develop a theory around the origins of the first settlers on the Pacific Islands. Many people believed that the original people of the Pacific Islands had arrived from the West and North, but Heyerdahl began to believe that perhaps these settlers could have arrived from South America. His view was further reinforced when he compared the ruins and cultural influences, he found in the Pacific to those he discovered in his research of pre-Colombian South American nations – such as the Incans.
Heyerdahl’s time in the South Pacific was short and he returned to Europe where he eventually served with the Free Norwegian Army during World War II in Finland. After the War Heyerdahl returned to his passion for the South Pacific and its cultures. He sought funding for an expedition to prove his theory that ancient travellers from South America made the first visits to the Pacific Islands. This would involve a 5,000-mile (8,000 km) journey on a basic raft across the Pacific Ocean. Finally, he found some willing (and most likely mad) investors and recruited four brave souls, a couple of whom he served alongside during the War, to join him.
The first task was to build the vessel to carry them on the journey. Heyerdahl and the team wanted to replicate as closely as possible the balsa wood rafts that the pre-Colombians used to travel on the Oceans. Back in the day, there were groves of balsa wood trees along the Pacific coastlines of Ecuador and Peru, but these had been heavily harvested so the only place that Heyerdahl could find the size of logs he needed was high up in the Andes. He and members of the team set off to negotiate directly with the folks who ran the timber forests there. Suitable logs were found. The next problem was transportation to the coast. No truck transport was available at that time, so the logs had to be floated down the river system.
Eventually, the logs reached their destination and the construction of the raft, which was named Kon-Tiki, supposedly named after an Incan god, began.
On April 28, 1947, the crew set off from Lima in Peru. There were numerous adventures along the way as might be expected on a raft in open seas, including surviving some monstrous seas. 101 days after setting out the Kon-Tiki smashed into a reef at Raroia in the Tuamotus on August 7, 1947.
The museum was excellently done. The first room you enter has the Kon-Tiki raft itself. However, I had imagined the raft it was incredible to see it for real, and it is hard to believe anyone would purposely launch themselves to sea on it, let alone attempt to sail out onto the Humboldt current without an idea of how you would land the thing.
Around the outside of the room, there were many panels with information about Heyerdahl, his fellow crew members and how he went about funding the mission and building the Kon-Tiki. There were also two films shown. One was the original film shot on the Kon-Tiki. Considering this was shot back in the 1940s and no one on the crew was a professional filmmaker it was not too bad. The second film was made towards the end of Heyerdahl’s life and was more of a retrospective.
The second area of the museum focussed more on Heyerdahl’s life after the Kon-Tiki mission.
After the success of the Kon-Tiki Heyerdahl became relatively wealthy from book sales and speaking opportunities and he used this money to continue his passion with the Pacific Islands. Thor Heyerdahl set out on a new expedition in 1955, this time to Easter Island. There were five archaeologists with him this time. Heyerdahl and his research team excavated statues and found, under the heads, that colossal torsos existed. Not much was known at the time about Easter Island so when Heyerdahl’s book on the expedition Aku-Aku: The Secret of Easter Island, was published in English in 1958 it became a best seller. Heyerdahl brought a photographer named Erling J. Schjerven along to document their work on the film. He released a documentary, Aku-Aku, about the expedition in 1960, based on this material. Heyerdahl returned to Easter Island in 1986. This expedition is best known for testing a local legend that the colossal statues had “walked” to their respective posts around the island.
Heyerdahl also continued with his adventures on the seas. In 1969 the reed boat Ra – named after the ancient Egyptian god of the sun – constructed of local papyrus reed in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. It was then transported to the Moroccan coastal town of Safi, where it was launched. The plan was to sail the boat across the Atlantic Ocean and prove that such missions were possible. The Ra made it across 5000km but the reed absorbed too much water so Heyerdahl aborted the mission fearing it would sink. Ten months later Heyerdahl launched the Ra II from the same Moroccan port, using the knowledge of failings of the construction in the original Ra. The new boat was shorter than the first, but far more durable in construction. The Ra II sailed the 6100 kilometres from Morocco to Barbados in 57 days. The longstanding dogma that there could not have been any contact between the Mediterranean region and South or Central America before Columbus’ discovery, was disproved.
The art of the ancient Egyptians contains representations of sailors in papyrus boats. In 1968 Thor Heyerdahl toured the pharaoh’s tombs in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor and experienced this art firsthand. He subsequently became increasingly fixated on another conundrum: Did the early civilizations that emerged in Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and Egypt have contact with each other via the nearby seas? In 1977, Heyerdahl led the construction of his largest reed vessel – at 18 metres long – on a site where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers conjoin in the former Mesopotamia. The boat was christened the Tigris. The Tigris began its journey from the river Shatt al-Arab in Iraq and continued down the Persian Gulf and out into the Arabian Sea. Unlike the Kon-Tiki and the Ra boats which were propelled by winds and currents, the Tigris was to be sailed on a predetermined course, however, she quickly proved more difficult to navigate than anticipated. Nevertheless, the vessel managed to reach the Indus Valley in what is today Pakistan as well as Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.
Planning your visit to the Kon-Tiki Museum
Bicycle:
Oslo Bysykkel is available 365 days a year.
By private car:
Public parking in Bygdøynesveien 37 before Bygdøynes.
Public transport:
Bus 30 from Jernbanetorget, City Hall and Solli Plass every 10 minutes.
Ferry:
Bygdøyfergene From Rådhuskaien 4 to Bygdøy from April to October, every 20 minutes. Stop no. 2 Bygdøynes, 200 meters from the Kon-Tiki Museum.
Getting around Oslo
Thanks to Oslo’s excellent public transportation system Ruter, it is easy to travel around the city. Distances between attractions are often quite short, so you can explore a lot of the city by walking or biking.
Public transport
All public transport in Oslo and the surrounding boroughs are included in one ticketing system. That includes city and regional buses, trams, undergrounds, local trains and ferries. The ferries to Bygdøy are not included.
Tickets and zones
One of the easiest ways to get and manage tickets for public transport is using the mobile app Ruter. If you prefer having physical tickets in your pocket, you can purchase them at the Oslo Visitor Centre, at Ruter’s customer service centre, and in Narvesen and 7-Eleven shops.
Get an overview of the prices for tickets here.
Please note that if you want a physical version of weekly, monthly or annual tickets, you need a reusable plastic travel pass costing 50 NOK. All tickets are transferable.
Oslo and the surrounding boroughs are divided into several zones. All of Oslo, including the last stops of the subway system, is included in zone 1. If you want to go to Oslo Airport Gardermoen, you need a ticket for four zones. If you have a period ticket of the Oslo Pass, you can buy the remaining zones separately.
Ticket prices for public transportation in Oslo
See all ticket prices for public transport in Oslo and find out where you can buy tickets.
Oslo Pass
If you are planning to spend a few days in Oslo, using the public transport system and visiting several of the city’s attractions then the Oslo Pass could be a good option for you. We purchased the pass for our stay and it was great value for money and made our lives easier. Find out more about the Oslo Pass and what is included here.
With the Oslo Pass, you can travel for free within zone 1 (Oslo) and zone 2. In addition to Ruter’s public transport network, also the ferries to Bygdøy are included in the Oslo Pass.
It comes as an app as well, so you can handily have it on your phone when using the transportation or visiting one of the tourist attractions.
Eating out for vegans in Oslo
While Oslo might not be the most vegan-friendly city in the world, there are still plenty of high-quality options to choose from.
- Oslo Raw – Address: Skovveien 16, 0257 Oslo, Norway osloraw.no
- Dirty Vegan at Barcode Street Food – Dronning Eufemias gate 14, 0191 Oslo, Norway https://www.dirtyvegan.no
- Nord Vegan – Kristian IVs gate 15B, 0164 Oslo, Norway 3 https://www.nordvegan.no/
- Cultivate – Helgesens gate 18a, 0553 Oslo, Norway – https://cultivatefood.no
- Torggata Botaniske – Torggata 17B, 0183 Oslo, Norway https://www.torggatabotaniske.no/
- Veggie da Luca – Thorvald Meyers gate 34, 0555 Oslo, Norway https://delideluca.no/
- Silk Road at Oslo Street Food – Torggata 16, 0181 Oslo, Norway – https://www.oslo-streetfood.no/silk-road
The best time to visit Oslo
Positioned in the southern part of Norway, Oslo experiences a Humid continental climate; no dry season, warm summer, according to the Köppen climate classification, symbol Dfb. The climate bears a strong influence of Gulf Stream, thus enjoying a warmer climate than other regions of similar latitude around the world.
For Oslo annually, monthly average temperatures range between -6.8°C (19.8°F) to 21.5°C (70.7°F), showing significant fluctuations as the season change. Moreover, rainfall is experienced all year round, with monthly averages ranging from 36mm (1.42″) to 90mm (3.54″). The city endures between 4 and 8 rainy days per month, with the maximum number of rainy days in August and November.
The best time to visit Oslo
For visitors, the best time to visit Oslo is usually between June and August. Temperatures during these months range from 15.1°C (59.2°F) to 21.5°C (70.7°F), which is quite pleasant for outdoor activities. The sea temperature is at its highest, around 17.3°C (63.1°F) in June and 17.9°C (64.2°F) in August. These months also provide the longest daylight hours, between 17.9 and 18.7 hours, providing ample opportunity to explore the city’s attractions.
The worst time to visit Oslo
The winter season, from December to February, is regarded as the least attractive time to visit Oslo due to the cold temperatures and short daylight hours. The average temperatures plummet to cold levels between -6.8°C (19.8°F) to -0.9°C (30.4°F), and daylight is restricted to between 6.1 and 9.2 hours. Additionally, the sea temperature is at its coldest, dipping to between 3°C (37.4°F) to 4.2°C (39.6°F), making it unsuitable for water-based activities.
Where to stay in Oslo
1. Mid Range: Hotell Bondeheimen
This central hotel is just 100 metres from the National Gallery and Oslo’s main shopping street, Karl Johans Gate. Free WiFi and a popular in-house restaurant is available. The Oslo Opera House is 1.3 km away.
Hotel Bondeheimen’s spacious rooms also include cable TV, a tea/coffee maker and ironing facilities.
Hotel Bondeheimen’s restaurant, Kaffistova, specialises in traditional Norwegian food such as potato dumplings and cod.
Tinghuset Tram Stop is just around the corner from Bondeheimen and is a 4-minute ride from Oslo Central Station.
2. Luxury – Hotel Continental
The elegant Hotel Continental is centrally located in Oslo, only 150 metres from Oslo’s main street, Karl Johan. It is the only 5-star hotel in Norway, and offers free in-room Internet access.
The individually decorated rooms at Continental Hotel include a cable TV, minibar and an in-room safe. Bathrooms include amenities and a separate shower and bath.
Leisure options include a free 24 hour gym and a lobby lounge featuring Edward Munch lithographs.
Guests can enjoy fine dining at Restaurant Eik Annen Etage. The historic Theatercaféen has been the Oslo’s most popular dining and meeting place for over 100 years.
3. Budget -Bunks at Rode
Situated in Oslo, Bunks at Rode has a shared lounge, terrace, bar, and free WiFi throughout the property. The property is around 4.1 km from Akershus Fortress, 6.9 km from Sognsvann Lake and 2.4 km from Oslo Bus Terminal. The property is non-smoking and is located 2.5 km from Oslo Central Station.
Certain rooms are fitted with a kitchenette with a fridge, a microwave and a stovetop. The rooms have bed linen.
More to Explore
