A quick preview of Norway Country Profile and the Oslo City Travel Guide Information: Archaeological suggests Oslo roots pre-date the end of the first millennium. It's origins as a town are attributed to King Harald Hardrade in 1049. It became Norways main city at the beginning of the 14th century. In the 15th century during Norways union with Dennmark the city's was of less importance. Oslo has been devasted by fire several times and in 1624 , King Christian 1V of Dennmark Norway began to rebuild and develop the city in the Christiana area of the Oslo. Until then this area was the main commercial area for of Norway. . The original part of the city built in 1624 is today known as Kvadraturen. In 1814 the city became Norways capital. By 1850 it had become the most populated city in Norway Until 1906 it was an integral part of the countrys short- lived union with Sweden.

In 1924 it reverted to its original name Oslo. In 1940 Norway was invaded by Germany. After the war, Norway became a founder member of NATO (1949), and in 1952 a member of the Nordic Council. In 1960 it became part of the European Free Trade ssociation. Post-war Norwegian governments strived to consistently stimulate economic growth to finance better living standards for the country as a whole. These principals were underpinned when oil and gas fields were discovered in the Norwegian sector of the North sea.In 1972 and 1994 two referendums rejected plans by Norwegian Governments for Norway to join the EU. See also Recent Norwegian History in the Norway Country Profile. Oslo is a safe city for tourists to visit. Oslo has a number of unusual sightseeing and attractions including the Viking Ship Museum with three Viking burial ships built between 800 - 900 AD The ships are the Gokstad Tune and the very striking Oseberg which are the finest remaining examples of viking ships in the world. The latter was the resting place of Royal Vikngs. Graphic accounts of the Nazis occupation can be found at The Resistance Museum which was used at the time as a prison and a place of execution.

Eating out at Oslo Restaurants can be very expensive and somr close at Christmas. Babette's Gjestehus in Cental Oslo is thought by many Norwegians to be one the countrys finest restaurants and you would need to book a table long in advance of your visit. The restaurant offers exceptional fare - game including reindeer with lingon berries, pheasant breast in mushroom sauce, and rabbit . Another establishment held in a similiar regard is Blom which maintains a second to none reputation for its seafood dishes. Its grilled fillet of redfish and scallops are legendary as is the the grilled reindeer liver in a very agreeable walnut sauce. More. A night on the town can be very expensive but the Nightlife and Clubbing in Oslo is fairly lively with most venues open till 5am. The most outstanding clubs are Tiger Tiger a 21st century club, good for posing and open on Saturdays from around 10.30. There are three music areas. Smuget is a disco bar at Rosenkranztg by the port area, and is probably one of Oslo's biggest venue. with seven bars. More. Details of Hotel and Apartment Accommodation In Oslo. The Public Transport In Oslo is dependable and combines six tramlines, bus ferry and metro services. Transfer between any of these services is within an hour is possible using a transfer tickets. There is also a Oslo city pass - travelcard. It is also possible to rent a citybike at any railway station for up to three hours. More. The Oslo Airport Guide includes links to the airports flight arrivals and flight departures board plus details of how to get from the airport to the centre of the city. Consulate Information, weather forecasts and average climate details, and links to the Norway National Tourist Board and The Oslo Tourist Office are available via the page index.

Reykjavik & Iceland

A quick glance at the Iceland Country Profile and Reykjavik City Guide. It is thought that Iceland was first populated in the Reykjavik area by Vikings in the 9th century AD. For the following nine hundred years it remained a small farming area. It was governed by the Danes who in the 18th century encouraged the devolopment of small agicultural based concern and in 1786 Reykjavik gasined its 'city' status. By the 1860s the Reikjavik area began to prosper and the For the next nine hundreds years it remained a farming hamlet. In 1752 the Danish Crown handed over the management of Reykjavik to the a Danish business body so that it could developed economically and many of the indigenous population began thinking about independence from Danish rule. More.

At the turn of the 20th century the country was given 'Home Rule' and in 1918 it became a independent country but remained part of Denmark. More During WW2 the country was occupied by the British and Americans in 1944 the Icelanders declared the country as an independent republic.

After the end war the country was largely economically dependent on the export of fish produce and it extended its territorial waters several times to preserve it cod industry. By the 1970s it had become obvious that this industry was under threat in several respects and succesive Icelandic Governments began to invest in other industries. More

Some of the sightseeing and attractions in Reykjavik and close by are fascinating with the ever evolving open air City History Museum outstanding. The multi purpose Pearl Centre - a glass dome which is the hub of the citys heating system and home to to various cultural events, the citys winters gardens and a revolving restaurant has to be one of Europes cleverest complexes. The Alping Site and Skaftafell National Park (see the World Hewritage Sites features in the Iceland Country Profile) are excellent examples of mankinds mankinds past struggles against the elements.

Even though this is a small city there is a good choice of Restaurants in Reykjavik. The Tveir Fiskar is regarded in many quarters as the best seafood restaurant in Reykjavik. the fare which includes dolphin carpaccio, smoked puffin and whale steak is very imaginative as are the garnishes and accompaniments. Another impressive restaurant is the Laekjarbrekka with iIts s traditional Icelandic food in a real 19th century atmosphere which includes Tiffanny lamps, tapestries on its walls, a grandfather clock not forgetting the lobster and lamb .More The Nightlife and Clubbing in Reykjavik is very bar orientated and in someways a little conservative an in others diverse. Weekdays its all over by 1am but at weekends its just starting then. Some venues will offer techno one day and mouling rouge the next. We are not sure whether Reggae ever docked in the harbour but know that Genisis did! Another issue is that some 'exclusive' clubs are brothels in disguise. More. Reykjavik Hotels and Apartment Accommodation - there is a shortage of the latter in the high season. Reykjaviks Public Transport System is a network of buses which opeate from 7am - midnight. There are a few nightbuses at weekends but these services are very limited and end by 4am. Service levels vary between 20 -30 minutes. The Reykjavik Airport Guide includes links to the airports flight arrivalscand departures board plus details of how to get to the city centre from the airport. Services here are limited and a taxis may be necesscary. Consulate Information, weather forecasts and average climate details, and links to the Iceland National Tourist Board and The Reykjavik Tourist Office are available via the page index.

Stockholm & Sweden

The Sweden Country Profile and Stockholm City Guide offer a quick preview of these destinations. Stockholms known origins date back to 13th century when it was developed to protect Sweden from invasion. In 1397 it became part of the Kalmar Union together with Norway and Denmark. In 1523 Sweden became an independent state with Stockholm as the capital.

During the next two hundred years the city expanded as the nation built up a major Swedish Empire. In the early 18th century the empire folded and the city lived in peace. Many of its older buildings date back to this time as Stockholm and Sweden were not involved the world wars of the 20th century. During WW1 & WW2 Sweden was officially a neutral country. During WW2 it was effectively cut off from the rest of Europe by blockades and has since had to withstand criticism for not joining the Allies in the war with Germany. It is recognised that towards the end of the war Sweden played a major role in offering humanitarian aid to refugees from Nazis occupied Europe. It was also a major player in getting aid to survivors of the concentration camps.

In the second half of the last century Stockholm expanded as it adapted its economy to developments in technology and service based industries. The old historical quarter of Klara was replaced with aesithic symbols of this change in the form of modern architecture. Now the Gamla Stan - the Old town is the main example of the city's past. Stockhom is a safe city to visit. One of Stockholms most popular sightseeing and attractions is the Vasa Museum which has a 17th century battleship salvaged in 1961 The 1774 Adolf Fredrik Church, n is a interesting example of Baroque architecture - the adjacent cemetry is the resting place of Johan Tobias Sergel, amongst others. The Architectural Museum examines the concepts of architecture from a Swedish and international perspective. Skansen is , an open air folk museum with restored buildings and a zoo dedicated to Swedisk animals Convenently, alongside is the the Gröna Lund amusement park. Stockholm Restaurants offer a good choice of Swedish and European food. The Edsbacka Krog is a good source of extremely well prepared Scandinavian fare. Hermans, is one of Stockholms best vegatarian restaurants and very reasonably priced. The Pelican, offers excellent authentic Swedish food with the herring and meatballs seemingly very popular on some tables. Bon Lloc combines succesfully Swedish dishes with those from the south of Europe. More. The Nightlife and Clubbing in Stockholm is centred on two areas. The night clubs on the south side of the city in the area generally less informal with some clubs on th east side refusing people who are not wearing designer clothes. These clubs can also be a very expensive night out. The formality aspect of Stockholm clubs can be bewildering. Probably the most relaxed club is Mondo's, in Sodermalm offering live rock hip, hop and reggae. Five bars and open late to over 20s. More. Details of Hotel and Apartment Accommodation In Stockholm. The Public Transport in Stockholm consists of buses, archipelago / ferries, trams, metro, and train services. Bus routes are divided into several categories.There are three metro lines - the Red line, the Blue and the Green line. In 2007 a new three zone system was introduced for all public transport modes in the city More The Stockholm Airport Guide includes links to the airports flight arrivals and flight departures board plus details of how to get from the airport to the centre of the city. Consulate Information, weather forecasts and average climate details, and links to the Swedish National Tourist Board and The Stockholm Tourist Office are available via the page index.