Visiting Oslo on the cheap

The beautiful port city of Oslo in Norway is a cultured Scandinavian gem boasting top museums, world-class sports facilities and stunningly gorgeous scenery, yet its reputation as the world's most expensive city (as asserted by a number of studies, see here for details) may put potential visitors off. But don't let your bank manager talk you out of a long weekend in Oslo - it really is worth it, and here are some of my own tips on how to save your kroner whilst still enjoying this fantastic city.

• Stay with a friend (new or old)

The ideal way to explore a new city is accompanied by friendly locals who can show you the ropes. If you don't happen to have friends who live in Oslo with a generous disposition and a comfy couch as I did, why not try Couch Surfing to stay for free (or at least very cheaply - many Surfers consider it rude not to bring a small gift or at least buy your hosts a drink)? If you've not heard of Couch Surfing, it is a website where registered users offer up their couches to weary travellers. Surf safely though - only stay with Surfers who have already been recommended by friends and people who've stayed with them before, let someone know the address you'll be staying at, and, if possible, surf with a friend. It's not for everyone, and if you don't feel comfortable, just get a hostel bed instead. Be warned though - they aren't so cheap. The cheapest bed in a mixed dorm goes for about 30€ so if you've just come from backpacking in Eastern Europe, it could come as a shock - but the Anker Hostel comes recommended by insiders and is also very central.

• Save money on public transport by taking to Shanks' Pony instead

Oslo is a wonderfully-sized city which can easily be explored on foot if your accommodation is located fairly centrally, so make the most of this and walk around instead of taking the tram.

• Don't book an expensive tourist cruise around the Oslofjørd - explore using the island-hopper ferries instead.

Despite what I just said, it IS worth "splurging" on a 24 hour public transport ticket for 75 NOK (10 €) if you want to explore the beautiful, tranquil islands just around the port of Oslo in the Oslofjord. Oslo inhabitants love escaping the city to chill out on these natural havens. Some of them, such as Lindøya, are packed with Norwegian summer huts or 'hytte', all painted either green, yellow or red, but others, such as Gressholmen, are more secluded and perfect for a short hike with great views over the fjord and harbour. The largest island, Hovedøya, also houses a ruined monastery from the 14th century (founded by monks from Lincolnshire in England!). Just check the freey times - they mostly leave every hour so don't miss the last ferry of the day or you might have to swim back to the city!

• Pick up a copy of "Oslo - A Poor Man's Connoisseur Guide to Happy Living in One of the Most Expensive Cities in the World" 

This guide was published by by:Larm to help with promoting a music festival, but is actually filled with tons of great tips. I randomly found my copy lying on a wall in the embassy district of Oslo on our last day there, so it was a bit too late to be of use, but I read it on the plane back and it seemed full of good advice, including a couple of places I had already been to and enjoyed during my stay!

• Go hiking in the forests nearby

Norway is well known for its beautiful scenery, and the area around Oslo is no exception. If you take the T-bane (metro) line 1 direction Frognerseteren and get off at the last stop, Frognerseteren, you'll find a park with hiking trails leading around a large lake, popular with Norwegians for running, walking, barbecuing and maybe swimming in the lake on a hot day. Head higher up into the mountains for a hike leading to stunning views across Oslo and the surrounding area. We walked from the lake  Øvresetertjem up into the mountains and then to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump, one of the most famous in the world - very impressive viewed from below!

• Save on museums by visiting on a Sunday

The National Museums of Oslo are free on a Sunday, and in winter (October-March) they are free all week! Otherwise you'll pay 50 NOK for a ticket which covers all of the national museums (The National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Architecture Museum and the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. Most worth a visit is the National Gallery, which has an impressive array of pieces, from Van Gogh to Reubens, with a room dedicated to Norwegian national treasure and painter of the world's most expensive painting, Edvard Munch. You'll get to see his famous and invaluable painting, The Scream, which was stolen from this very spot a few years ago, but was returned afterwards. It goes without saying that security in this room is pretty high!

• Go to Vigeland

The Vigeland Sculpture Park is an absolute must-visit in Oslo. This huge green space in Frogner Park, full of marble and granite sculptures, depicts the strength and vulnerability of humanity, and its construction lasted from 1906 to 1947. My tip: avoid all the tourists and visit the park in the evening; the gates stay open and it's much more impressive to view all of the sculptures in a more solitary fashion. They also look beautiful as the sun sets. Most impressive all is perhaps the Monolith, a tall tower made up of human figures, reminiscent of the Tower of Babel.

• Check out the harbour

At the harbour, there are often free events such as "fish festivals", music events, boat regattas and other such events. Plus you can watch the gigantic cruise ships leaving or arriving in Oslo on a Nordic cruise - watch out, the horns are deafening! To see the harbour from above, walk up to the Akershus Fortress and have a picnic on the grass overlooking the harbour; a wonderful vantage point from which to see all the comings-and-goings.

• Visit Oslo City Hall

From the outside, this redbrick giant looks more 70s housing block than city hall, but inside the modernist frescoes are truly impressive. When you enter the main hall, look to your left to see a wall freize recounting the history of Norway during World War II, from Nazi occupation to Norwegian resistance and the final victory. Heading upstairs, you can visit the state rooms for free. There are some very interesting portraits of the King and Queen of Norway in one of the rooms, and the rest are filled with colourful wall paintings and murals. This building is where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each year, so take in the history and make what you will of the slightly unconventional artwork.

• Don't blow all your money in bars

Going out to eat or drink in Oslo is notoriously expensive; a beer will set you back at least 70 NOK for a pint (around 10 €) and restaurants are mostly pricey. You can save here by buying food in supermarkets and having picnics rather than eating out all the time. If staying with a friend, bring them some duty-free booze from your departure airport (much, much cheaper than you'll find anywhere in Norway) and make your own party. Throughout the summer there are tons of free festivals going on in parks around Oslo, so bring a few beers and you'll have a cheaper and probably more fun night out than you would in one of the overpriced bars in the centre. Another tip is Blå, a bar in Grünnerløkka which has a jazz night on Sundays - the house band, made up of various interesting types, play three sets, mainly covers, and set a great atmosphere - and entry is free! (it is a small place and gets busy though, so turn up early - people arriving after around 9.30 won't stand a chance of getting in)

What to do in Dresden?

Dresden is a tourist's dream - the Altstadt is packed with more Baroque wonders than you can shake a stick at, souvenir sellers a-plenty and, for backpackers 'doing Europe' in a summer, it's a two-hour train ride from Prague. This is certainly no 'best-kept secret' worthy of the New York Times' up-and-coming list like its lesser-known neighbour Leipzig, and it's also not as hipster-cool as nearby Berlin (is this such a bad thing?) but Dresden does have many different sides to it. The longer you take to explore the city connected by a river (the Elbe) to Hamburg, the more it will surprise you. There's more to Dresden than meets the eye.

Dresden Frauenkirche

The Altstadt may look ancient, but it was actually almost fully demolished during the Second World War (check out this series on the Guardian website for photos and more information on the devastation caused by Allied bombings). The beautiful Old Town was then painstakingly rebuilt (for the most part) by the new Soviet authorities. The Neustadt on the opposite side of the river is home to Dresden's trendier bars, pubs and clubs, and hosts an incredible street festival in summer. The BRN (Bunte Republik Neustadt) is a mish-mash of colourful craft stalls, food stands selling anything and everything, from exotic curries to good old German Bratwurst and, of course, beer, and live music fills the streets - anyone is allowed to perform, from little kids learning the trombone to cutting-edge unsigned bands and funky drumming troupes. The atmosphere is friendly, loud and welcoming - students living in the area join the party from their balconies, becoming self-styled DJs for the night, handing out (or selling - they are poor students after all) beers and having a good time. This year, the BRN takes place from 15th to 17th June 2012 (more information on the official website) and is really worth a visit.

BRN Festival 2011

What to do in Dresden when:

• ...you're only there for a day

Start off in the Neustadt with a German-style breakfast in one of the pubs, cafes or bakeries (Planwirtschaft or Café Neustadt come highly recommended), then walk from the Neustadt train station along Antonstrasse to the River Elbe. Staying on the same side of the river, walk along the bank to the Albertbrücke bridge, where you'll cross the river into the Altstadt. This walk offers stunning views of the Old Town, and the grassy banks are a wonderful place for a picnic on sunny days. Once you've crossed the bridge, wander around the Altstadt, drinking in the wonderful buildings, from the Frauenkirche to the Zwinger and the Semperoper. If the weather's nice, stop for a drink on the Brühlsche Terrace overlooking the Elbe river. If there's no time for a sit-down lunch, grab a Bratwurst from one of the stalls in the Old Town for a typical German on-the-go snack. The afternoon can be spent in one of the many fine museums Dresden has to offer - those in the Old Town include the Albertinum, an excellent museum of contemporary artwork, the Old Masters Gallery in the Zwinger, in which you will find the famous Raphael painting, Sistine Madonna (the one with the two bored-looking angels at the bottom) or the stunning Grünes Gewölbe (the Green Vault) of Augustus the Strong, a rich and powerful ruler of Saxony in the 18th century who ordered the construction of many of the enchanting, decadent buildings of the Old Town and some of the surrounding palaces and castles. The Green Vault Museum boasts the largest collection of treasures in Europe, which all belonged to Augustus the Strong. Pieces including unimaginably intricately carved ivory eggs and priceless jewels from around the world. This museum is very popular and you should reserve tickets in advance; also not cheap at 10 € for adults, but if you're into Baroque interiors and impressive amounts of gold, silver and precious gems, this may be the place for you. Check the official website for opening times of the Dresden city museums; note that many are closed on Mondays.

If you have time for an evening meal, the Neustadt is probably your best bet; the Altstadt also has a square full of variously-themed pubs and restaurants known as the Weisse Gasse (White Street).

• ...you're looking for a great night out

Again, the Neustadt really is the place to be for Dresden nightlife; all along Alaunstraße and the surrounding area, you'll find great bars such as Wohnzimmer and Lebowski - a tiny little place serving White Russians and many other cocktails, and playing the film 'The Big Lebowski' on loop on a big screen. Hebedas serves cheap drinks and offers DJ sets on certain nights, and Katy's Garage has a large beer garden with a grungy student club inside. Ostpol is an East German themed bar on Königsbrückestrasse with DDR (German Democratic Republic) style furniture which often has bands playing, and Rosie's is a dimly-lit pool and table football bar also popular with students. Stillbruch is a surreal bar where nothing is as it seems - Dali-style murals grace the walls, fake doors and barbed wire toilet seats (yes really) will confuse the more tipsy clientele, and there's even a 'gollard' table (a mixture of golf and billiards)! It really is best to wander around discovering places for yourself as more likely than not, you'll stumble upon a real gem here.

• ...you want to get out of the city and explore the surrounding countryside

You don't even have to leave Dresden to feel closer to nature - just head to the extensive 'Großer Garten,' a large park to the south east of the city centre. Dresden locals picnic and barbecue on the lawns in front of the palace, stroll by the lake, cycle through the woods and even take the park's very own train - this miniature railway has smaller versions of a traditional steam train and a German high-speed 'ICE' train and kids love it! The Zoo and Botanical Garden are also within the grounds.

The grassy meadows separating the River Elbe from the residential area of Johannstadt to the east of Dresden are also a wonderful place to spend a hot summer's day. These areas are protected and cannot be built upon, so you can relax and feel far removed from the city hustle and bustle. In summer, films are screened outdoors in an area on the north bank, overlooking the Brühlsche Terrace. The Elberadweg (Elbe Cycle Route) follows the entire length of the River Elbe all the way from Bad Schandau on the German-Czech border to Hamburg (actually ending in the lesser-known town of Cuxhaven), an impressive 860 kilometres of well-cared for cycle paths. If you're not quite up for such a Herculean feat, the stretch between Dresden and the Czech border is a shorter yet lovely option. Even the twelve or so kilometres from Dresden to Pillnitz make an ideal day out - you can take the ferry across to visit the palace and its spectacular gardens once arrived in Pillnitz. Many inviting beer gardens line the route, offering refreshment and a jolly atmosphere to weary cyclists. One of the best is at Schillerplatz by the Blue Wonder - a blue-painted bridge just to the east of Dresden. Here you can sample a local Feldschlösschen beer (try saying that once you've had a few!) as well as German beer garden classics which mainly involve a lot of meat, potatoes and salt (clearly a recipe for success!)

Hikers should not miss Saxon Switzerland, a stunning area of natural beauty extremely popular with walkers near the Czech border. The impressive rock formations are known as the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, and include incredible towers of rock which are very popular with local climbers. Tours can also be taken by bus but beware the narrow, winding lanes which may turn even the strongest stomach! Particularly noteworthy are the Bastei Bridge (see photo below) and Königstein Castle, an impressively well-situated fortress atop a steep cliff, which will be popular with history fans. Countless walks take you past some of the best views Germany has to offer, and tour operators even offer guided walks if you're not sure about setting out on your own with a map and a compass.

Basteibrücke