This handsome building on Drammensveien near the Royal Palace is the home of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Every year the Committee selects a Peace Prize winner, based on the criteria that Alfred Nobel (the Swede who left a fund for an annual Peace Prize) specified in his will. Up to 1946, the Peace Prize was awarded at the Institute, but today, the award ceremony takes place in Oslo's Town Hall. The ceremony takes place on 10 December every year, to mark the day of Alfred Nobel's death in 1896.
Oslo's main library was established more than 200 years ago, when Carl Deichman bequeathed his vast collection of books to the city. Today, the Oslo Public Library houses over one million volumes. You will find the library building not far from the Trefoldighetskirken and the Goverment Offices. It is within easy walking distance of the city center. Supplementing the main building, there are 16 more specialized branches of the library scattered throughout the city.
This striking waterside fortress was originally conceived as an opulent royal residence, but later fortified for military needs. The magnificent Akershus Fortress was originally built in the 1290s to guard Oslo's vulnerable eastern waterfront against invaders while accommodating the royal family of Norway. Over the years it has performed crucial roles like operating as the country's primary military base and seat of the government with distinction; however these days it is mainly used for hosting important official functions. Some of the fortress' most popular attractions include Akershus Castle church, the armory door and the royal mausoleum where King Haakon VII and Olav V were buried alongside Queen Maud and Märtha.
Located within the Natural History Museum, this granite-clad building, dating from 1916, is nearly identical to the Zoological Museum on the other side of the lawn. The original plan of joining them together was never executed. In the Geological Room you can learn about Norway's geological history. The Mineral Room on the first floor includes a meteorite from Mars and a piece of the moon. This visit makes for a great deal of learning with fun!
Kunstnerforbundet Gallery is located next to the Town Hall and holds three contemporary art solo shows each month. Each show normally consists of work by two or three artists, within different media such as textiles, metal, lithography and drawings. There is also a daily sale of painting, graphic pieces and sculpture. This gem of a gallery has hosted upto more than 400 artists so far. A mecca for aspiring artists and local talent, Kunstnerforbundet Gallery's free admission policy does not fail to bring in crowds of art-enthusiasts.
One of the city's largest cemeteries, Vestre Gravlund was initially built to serve all of western Oslo. It was consecrated in 1902 after the land was acquired from various farms and many expansions have been made since then, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. Well-known Norwegians buried here include Martin Linge (from the Second World War), General Otto Ruge, writer Nini Roll Anker and prime minister Trygve Bratteli. This place contains the largest concentration in Oslo of graves from the Second World War. There are many monuments and hundreds of soldiers' graves who all fought in Norway, mostly from the Soviet Republic (331) and Britain (102), but also Danes, Yugoslavians, Dutchmen, Poles and Swedes, as well as Norwegian soldiers. This graveyard is very close to the Vigeland Park.