Day 1 – To Oslo: Fly from London Heathrow to
Oslo with Scandinavian Airlines. Afternoon visit
to the National Museum of Art, Architecture
& Design, which houses the nation’s largest
collection of Norwegian art including some
of Edvard Munch’s best known paintings and
prints. Continue to the Ibsen Museum, the last
home of playwright Henrik Ibsen, who died here in 1906, before a walk through the world famous
Vigeland Sculpture Park. Stay 2 nights at the
Thon Hotel Opera. (N)
Day 2 – Oslo: This morning, travel by coach to
Bygdøy, Museum Island, to the unique Viking
Ship Museum. Dating back to the ninth
century, the Oseberg ship burial was the final
resting place of a Viking aristocrat; its contents
included furniture and tools as well as the
bodies of sacrificial animals. See the adjacent
open-air Folk Museum comprised of more
than 140 traditional buildings, mostly from the
17th and 18th centuries, gathered from around
the country. This afternoon, see the Akershus
fortress; a medieval castle and former prison
that houses the Royal Mausoleum. Finish
the day at Bogstad Manor, a historic former
residence and estate of esteemed Norwegian
politicians and nobility. (B)
Day 3 – To Bergen: Morning flight from
Oslo to Bergen. Take a short boat trip this
afternoon to Lysøen Island to visit the
summer abode of renowned Norwegian
violinist Ole Bull, a contemporary of Grieg.
Designed by the architect Conrad Fredrik
von der Lippe, this fantasy-style villa, known
as the ‘Little Alhambra’ blends Moorish,
Italian and Norwegian motifs. Spend 3 nights at the Radisson Blu Royal. (B)
Day 4 – Bergen: Take a short drive south
to the Fana district of Bergen to see the
reconstructed Fantoft Stave Church.These
medieval wooden churches were unique, with
their ‘dragon heads’ – testament to Norse
mythology – carved doorways, and vertical
wooden planks. Continue to Troldhaugen, the
summer estate and living museum of Edvard
Grieg. Among the grounds is the Troldsalen
concert hall where a private piano recital of
Grieg’s work has been especially arranged.
Afternoon walking tour in Bergen to explore
the historic Hanseatic waterfront with its
shops and lively atmosphere. Finish the day
by taking the nearby funicular to the top of
Fløyen Mountain for wonderful views across
the city. (B)
Day 5 – Bergen: This morning, visit the
Rasmus Meyer Collection, a special collection
of the Bergen Art Museum, where you can
enjoy historic original interiors, as well as
the golden age of Norwegian painting, with
paintings by Edvard Munch, Christian Krogh
and Harriet Backer. Also visit the Lysverket
Art Collection, which offers outstanding works
by Johan Christian Dahl known as ‘the father
of Norwegian landscape painting’. Afternoon
at leisure to explore Bergen. (B)
Day 6 – To London: Morning visit to the West
Norway Museum of Decorative Art, which
presents more than 500 years of Norwegian
decorative art and design in untraditional
ways. Highlights include Ole Bull’s violin,
dating back to 1562, and various Norwegian
silverware. Afternoon transfer to the airport
for a return flight to London Heathrow, via
Copenhagen, with Scandinavian Airlines. (B)
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
