Travel Articles: Oslo

Highlighting my travels through mainland Norway and the Svalbard archipelago. My first tastes of life above the Arctic circle, shrimp, and a true polar plunge. Nothing could have prepared me for the sheer beauty of this Arctic gem - Svalbard was a dream from which I never wanted to wake.

Follow along my journey to the Svalbard Archipelago in the Norwegian Arctic, also known as the "gateway to the North Pole," and a wildlife paradise aboard the new expedition ship, the Ultramarine with Quark Expeditions. A weeklong voyage that highlighted the incredible wildlife, stunning landscapes and incredible history of the Arctic in Spring. …

I cannot think of a more perfect gateway city to kick off an Arctic voyage than the city of Oslo, Norway. The city itself is vibrant, easy to navigate and brimming with activities and attractions to suit all interests - from art museums to the opera house, historical sites and Olympic course sites, even Viking and navigational history. Fittingly …

In the morning, Lauren and I were ready to stretch our legs and explore Oslo! Keeping in theme with our coming embarkation and voyage to Svalbard, our plan was to dig deep into some of the polar history to be found in the city to bring alive the journey we were about to embark on. We decided we would focus our day on the Bygdøy Peninsula, …