The Museums of the Bygdøy Peninsula

The museums of the Bygdøy peninsula, a pretty seaside district that is one of Oslo’s most fashionable suburbs, constitute one of the city’s main attractions and are easily reached via a regular ferry service. You may wish to visit Bygdøy twice, since it would be overwhelming to try to see everything on a single day. A first visit would include the Viking Ship Museum, which houses three remarkably well-preserved vessels. These were recovered from burial mounds, Viking tradition having required that chieftains be interred in their ships. A short walk away, the Norwegian Folk Museum offers a glimpse of the past life of rural Norway. Dozens of farmhouses, churches, schools, stores and post offices have been reconstructed in the museum’s wooded grounds. A second day out in Bygdøy is for fans of a nautical history: The Fram Museum recounts Roald Amundsen’s journey to the South Pole; the Kon-Tiki Museum is devoted to Thor Heyerdahl’s trip across the Pacific; and the Norwegian Maritime Museum provides an overview of Norway’s maritime past.