December in Oslo & Copenhagen -Two major cities of the Scandinavian Countries Norway & Denmark.
Started with Oslo, being December, it started getting dark at early hours. It was a different experience all together. A Cold winter evening I opted to visit the Central Area of Oslo – exploring the Karl Johan Street with its Parliament Building & the National Theatre. It was time for the Christmas Markets so visited one near the National Theatre. Enjoyed the chestnuts in that cold winter evening with lovely music playing around & children enjoying on the ice-skating ring. It was an evening well spent I must say to get the feel of Norway.
Further I thought of exploring the city hence started off with a tour of Oslo, it took me to main sights of a large ski jump in Holmenkollen, loved experiencing the ski jump simulator here. Visited the Fram Museum – The Viking Ship Museum. Later off to Vigeland Park & Frogner Park known as a Sculpture Museum. It was a lovely walk in these parks with slight snow all over. Crossed the major sights of Oslo like the Oslo Opera House, the building itself was a state of art I must say. One can enjoy the fjord cruises as well from Oslo.
Time to exit Oslo & proceed to my next destination Copenhagen. Chose to travel by an overnight ferry instead of a train as it was cost effective & a relaxing journey. Evening was when I departed from Oslo for Copenhagen, started the journey with almost 2 hours in Norwegian Fjords before hitting the high seas. A lovely overnight experience of stay on board with a sea view cabin, lovely food & entertaining nightlife. Yes, how could I miss the duty-free shopping onboard.
Next morning, I arrived at Copenhagen – Denmark’s Capital. It had its own charm known for Tivoli Gardens – the 2nd oldest amusement park in the world, now here it was where I experienced one of the best Christmas Markets of all. It took me to a different world of festive feel. Can’t forget the traditional Gingerbread & Beer Battered Fish. A famous sight of the little mermaid – a small statue on a rock. Nyhavn – a 17th century waterfront known as an entertainment district with its colourful bars, cafes & restaurants. The National Aquarium Denmark close to the sea is a must visit.
A day in hand so thought of heading to another place so chose a day trip to Malmo – Sweden. Travelling crossing the Oresund Bridge – An engineering marvel where the bridge turns into a tunnel enroute which connects both the countries. Had a wonderful day in Malmo with a walk down the town, its cobblestone square, exploring its Christmas Markets & shopping. A day well spent in MALMO.
A lovely combination of these two Scandinavian Cities was a vacation well spent with multiple experiences.