Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway, founded in the year 1040. Earlier Oslo was called Kristiania, but renamed Oslo in 1925.
The city center is situated at the innermost part of the Oslo Fjord. Surrounding Oslo are wide forested hills rising above the city giving the location the shape of a giant amphitheatre. The forests (Oslomarka) are Oslo’s recreation areas where people can walk, jog, camp, bike, ski, etc. Even if there are thousands out in the forests during weekends, you can walk smaller paths’ for miles without meeting anyone.
The fjord is a popular place for boating and swimming in summer. Passenger boats to some of the islands is a part of the public transportation system.
Oslo has a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Present records are +34 deg.C in summer and -26 Deg.C in winter. Because of the city’s northern latitude, daylight varies from more than 18 hours in midsummer, when it never gets completely dark at midnight, to around 6 hours in midwinter.