Urban Hike: Harbor to Ekeberg Plateau: 5 hours

This urban hike will walk along Oslo's harbor, showing you the newest in urban development, including the Opera House and the Astrup Fearnley Museum by Renzo Piano. We'll walk through the ruins of old Oslo, dating back over 1, 000 thousand years and up through a wooded area to the Ekeberg Plateau - people have lived here since the last ice age. After gaining about 450 feet, we'll achieve the best view of downtown Oslo. At Ekeberg, we'll explore the sculpture park with over 40 sculptures dispersed in 60 acres of forests. Represented are known artists such as Rodin, Botero, Dali, Hirst and Vigeland as well as up and coming contemporary artists. On the way down, we'll stop at an installation by Marina Abramovic that honors the view that inspired Edvard Munch's, The Scream. A short detour from the harbor will allow us to see, the Royal Palace, the Parliament, City Hall and the Akershus Fortress dating back to 1299.

Walking along Oslo's Harbor we'll see: -Oslo Opera House, we'll walk up the slanting roof of this landmark building. -Tjuvholmen (Thief's Island), with Renzo Piano's Astrup Fearnley Museum and the most expensive apartments in Oslo. -Aker Brygge, an old red-brick dockyard that's been converted into restaurants, offices and upscale apartments. -Akershus Fortress, protecting the city for centuries, the oldest part dates to 1299. We'll make a short detour from the harbor to see, the Royal Palace, Parliament, City Hall and Medieval ruins from old Oslo. We'll then walk up about 450 feet to the Ekeberg Park, where we'll walk through a forested landscape to see the collection of eclectic sculptures. Adjustments can be made for your fitness level and the pace you'd like to go. It is possible to take the tram most of the way up to the Ekeberg Park.