Oslo — Capital of Norway
Founded by Vikings, rebuilt after a great fire, and enriched beyond imagination by North Sea oil, Oslo hosts the Nobel Peace Prize and is one of the world's most expensive — and liveable — cities.
About Oslo — Capital of Norway
Oslo, the capital of Norway, is one of the oldest cities in Scandinavia — founded around 1000 AD, traditionally attributed to King Harald Hardrada or Olaf Haraldsson. Nestled at the head of the Oslofjord and surrounded by forested hills, the city blends Viking heritage with ultra-modern architecture. After a catastrophic fire in 1624, the Danish-Norwegian King Christian IV relocated and rebuilt the city on a new site, renaming it Christiania. The city kept that name until 1925, when it finally reverted to its original name: Oslo.
Oslo holds a unique place in the world of peace and diplomacy. While all other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, the Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Oslo City Hall every December 10 — as specified by Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will. The city also played host to one of the most significant diplomatic moments of the 20th century: the Oslo Accords of 1993, a secret peace framework negotiated between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. The agreement earned Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.
Norway's cultural wealth is on full display in Oslo's museums. The Vigeland Sculpture Park in Frogner Park contains 212 sculptures in bronze, granite, and wrought iron — the world's largest sculpture installation created by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland. The Munch Museum houses the works of Edvard Munch, including multiple versions of The Scream (1893), one of the most recognised paintings in art history. The Kon-Tiki Museum honours Thor Heyerdahl's extraordinary 1947 voyage across the Pacific Ocean on a handmade balsa wood raft, proving that ancient Polynesian migration was possible from South America.
Oslo's transformation into one of the world's wealthiest cities began in 1969, when Norway struck oil in the North Sea. The resulting Government Pension Fund Global — known as the Oil Fund — is now the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, managing assets of over $1.7 trillion. This extraordinary wealth has made Oslo consistently rank among the most expensive cities on earth, yet also one of the most liveable, with world-class public services, low crime, and breathtaking natural surroundings including the Oslofjord and the Holmenkollen ski jump hill.