Oslo for Adventurous Women: Norway’s Warmth Shines Even in the Winter

Embracing adventure in Oslo in the winter

by Carolyn Ray

It’s a blustery December morning in Oslo Harbour as I board the SS Helena, an authentic Norwegian three-masted wooden ship, on a Fjord cruise with Båtservice Sightseeing. We passengers huddle together as we dip in and out around the small islands in Oslo harbour, past colourful summer huts painted in shades of green, yellow and red. The SS Helena offers a covered space, so I snuggle under heaters and a blanket to stay warm while sipping a hot chocolate and enjoying the narration from the guide.

This is my second visit to Oslo in the winter, and I’ve noticed a few things about Norwegians. First, it’s a country that celebrates risk-takers, perseverance and adventurers. Consider Norwegian Roald Amundsen, who was the first to cross the Northwest Passage on the Gjøa and was the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911, a feat that is even more astonishing when you walk on the wooden deck of the Fram.

Then there’s skiing, a sport that I never quite got the hang of. It’s well known that Scandinavia’s Indigenous people, the Sami, invented skiing for hunting. Today, the 5,000+-year-old wooden skis in Oslo’s Holmenkollen Ski Museum are a point of pride for the Norwegians, who seem to have been born with skis on their feet. In fact, the world’s first big ski-jumping event occurred at Christiania (now Oslo) in 1879. More recently, in 2024, Norwegian skier Anders Backe recaptured the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed downhill skiing backward, at 82.9 mph on a ski slope. (Yes, backwards).

The other thing I learned is that Norwegians do not take the sun for granted. In the winter, there are only a few hours of sunlight a day, but that doesn’t seem to bother anyone. Everyone is happy. I’m ready to be glum, but after a few days, I don’t notice the darkness anymore. Instead, I’m struck by the colours. Even in winter, the sky is the bluest blue, and the sunrise is an effervescent pink. There’s a fresh pine scent in the air and tendrils of steam drift into the sunshine. Temperatures are mild, with many restaurants offering outdoor seating. I can’t help but smile, even bundled up in my warmest coat with no less than three winter hats at the ready. As the Norwegians say, ‘There is no bad weather, only bad clothes!’. Rather than huddle inside, there is something about Oslo in the winter that inspires me to get outside and explore.