Cultural Calendar: February
Time to fight the long Norwegian nights with activities that will keep your mind and body busy
Oslo contains multitudes, two totally different cities condensed into one. Now in winter, streets become hazardous, the fjord is no longer a place to swim (unless you are jumping from a sauna), and the opera house is too slippery to walk over. Amidst these complications, we thought it wise to give some tips on how to make the cold Oslo not only survivable but also enjoyable:
Must Haves
Spikes: They are a game-changer for walking through the streets of Oslo. Now you won't need to tense every single muscle in your body in fear of smashing your face against the pavement.
Where: Almost any store in the city: (Kiwi, Coop mega, Rema 1000…)
Price: 140-200
Layers: Different layers of clothing will help with the feeling of cold after leaving a warm indoor place. Never wear all your clothes inside, or you will have to deal with a drastic temperature change with no extra clothing. As the saying goes:
«There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad cleather»
Skiing and skating
Outdoor activities are a fantastic way of enjoying the city and its surroundings, as well as getting to know Oslo in its new winter clothes.
For the gear, one can always drop by any BUA and create an account (which requires a Norwegian phone number) to borrow gear for free for a week. Finn is also an option to get quality used gear for less than half of its original price (or even for free if you look out for “Gis Bort”). But if you want better quality and feel like renting is the way to go, you can head to Domus Athletica and rent gear for the season.
Once you are all geared up, you can just hop into a metro and go to Songsvann, Bogstadvannet, Sørkedalen, or check any path shown in the app UT.
If you want to skate and the temperatures are low enough, drop by any of the lakes around the city or check out skating spots at Bogstad and Voldsløkka.
Where: Everywhere
Price: Domus Athletica, BUA, Finn
When: Until the snow melts
Sauna at Salt
The true Nordic experience: a sauna by the Fjord right after a long day of winter sports, for this experience, you have Salt. Situated right in front of the opera house, Salt is a great place to enjoy live music, have drinks in a vibrant bar, or even go to the Sauna (and if you are lucky, you can have all of them at the same time). If you are a student, the prices range from 160 to 205 KR for a session between 1 and 2 hours.
Where: Salt
When: All year round
Price: 160-205 for students
Concert at Oslo Domkirke
In case one doesn’t like outdoor activities, there are still things to do. If you like experiencing live music inside a church Skeivt kristent nettverk (Queer Christian network) has you covered. They have organized a free concert in the heart of the city: Oslo domkirke.
Where: Oslo domkirke
When: 8th of February
Price: Free
Read more here
