What will the Advent markets be like in Oslo this year? Program and important information in one place

Would you like to diversify your time before Christmas by visiting a place where nature and architecture are uniquely combined?

Do you like statues, fountains, snow and seafood?

The Christmas markets in Oslo will enchant you and amaze all your senses.

When and where are they held?

We will tell you everything in the following lines.

Oslo Advent Markets

The Christmas markets in Oslo are among the largest and most visited not only in Norway, but in all of Scandinavia . Therefore, a large number of visitors not only from Norway but also from neighboring countries do not miss them every year.

Christmas Oslo has a unique atmosphere that you will fall in love with. The early dusk and snow add to the charm of the Advent markets here. You can enjoy Christmas lights and other decorations here for a longer time than if you went to, for example, southern Europe.

Christmas markets in front of the town hall

Where and when will it all break out?

Program of the Christmas market in Oslo

“Jul i Vinterland” in Spikersuppa Park and along Karl Johans Street is one of the largest and most famous Christmas markets in Northern Europe . In the central square, located in front of the famous Rådhuset, or Town Hall, you will find a number of wooden stalls selling snacks, handicrafts and traditional Christmas gifts such as Norwegian sweaters.

The food and drink menu usually includes traditional warm Christmas porridge , lompe pancake or grilled sausages. Glazed apples are prepared for sweets lovers. Drinks include gløgg , cocoa with cream, tea, mulled wine and beer. Allow more time to visit the Advent markets in Oslo . It will take you a while to browse through the vast array of stalls.

Families with children will appreciate the rich accompanying program, which includes Santa’s residence, gingerbread workshops or an ice rink . It will be in operation from 2/12/2023 and is free for all visitors.

Other popular attractions include the Christmas carousel and Ferris wheel. A big attraction is a huge slide for children and adults.

You can get a better idea of the Christmas markets in Oslo through the following video.

Oslo’s Best Christmas Market - Jul i Vinterland (Christmas in Winterland) 2022 Virtual Tour [4K]

Christmas markets on Stortovet square

Where and when will it all break out?

Program of the Stortovet Christmas Fair

Advent markets and Christmas markets in front of the cathedral are smaller, but here you can also buy original gifts and taste excellent Norwegian delicacies. The opening of the markets is a week earlier than the main markets near the town hall.

If the weather does not favor outdoor markets, visitors can move to the nearby ” Julemarked på Youngstorget “, or the indoor Christmas market at Youngstorget. The market is held in heated traditional tents called lavvu. The tents sell handmade souvenirs, Christmas decorations and tasty snacks.

How to get to Oslo?

Due to the distance and many interesting places, it is advisable to go to Oslo at least for the weekend . The journey from Prague takes 16.5 – 17 hours by car (1374 km), from Ostrava it takes more than 18 hours (1593 km). A faster and more convenient way is primarily air transport.

Air and bus transport to Oslo

Direct flights fly from Prague or Vienna to Oslo-Gardermoen airport. Flights lasting approximately two hours are available daily.

To go to the Christmas markets in Oslo, you can also use the regular bus line from Prague – Florenc , there are lines without a transfer and with one transfer in Berlin. The price of a ticket for an adult varies between CZK 1,800 and CZK 2,500, depending on the date and time of the order and on the number of passengers on the specific route.

Last but not least, you can of course also take advantage of the offers of Christmas trips to Oslo organized by travel agencies. In addition to Advent markets, they usually also include a visit to the local monuments.

Interesting places in Oslo

Oslo is not only the capital, but also the largest city of Norway. It lies by one of Norway’s many fjords and a large part of the city is green. The city is not only known as a trade center or a port, but it also has many monuments, for example the Royal Palace or the Vogeland Park. So what is worth visiting during the Christmas markets in Oslo?

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace, Slottet in Norwegian, is one of the most famous cultural monuments of the city. It serves not only as a representative residence, the Norwegian royal family still lives in it today. The palace was built in the first half of the 19th century, and in the summer months some of the interior spaces are also accessible to tourists. During Advent, you can also take a look at the palace, even if there are no official tours. Advent concerts here are an opportunity.

Town hall

Another significant landmark, in the vicinity of which the Advent markets in Oslo are also held, is the town hall, or rådhus. It was built of red bricks during the 1930s and 1940s in a functionalist style. The building, whose dominant features are two towers of unequal height, replaced the original town hall from the 18th century.

Every year in December, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in the premises of the town hall. Entrance to the town hall is free, you can visit it every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Nobels Fredssenter or Nobel Peace Center is also located in the immediate vicinity of the town hall, where exhibitions, events and guided tours are held, which are inspired by the ideas and works of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Akershus

On the shore of the local fjord, you can also find the Akershus castle or fortress, which was built here at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Part of the building is accessible to tourists who can visit the military museum. There is a beautiful view of the city from the walls of the fortress.

Vigeland park

One of the most popular tourist spots in the city is a large park with more than two hundred sculptures by Gustav Vigeland, which were made of different materials, such as bronze, granite or cast iron. The most famous sculptures include the Angry Boy (Sinnataggen), the Monolith (Monolitten) and the Wheel of Life (Livshjulet). The park is freely accessible and open all year round.

Ski jump Holmenkollen

Not only fans of winter sports can go to the northern suburbs of Oslo, where a beautiful view of the whole of Oslo and the fjord can be seen from the ski jumping bridge Holmenkollen. The bridge, which is mainly associated with the Winter Olympics in 1952, is open to the public all year round.