Vika, Oslo

Vika is a neighborhood in the Oslo city center in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. It is located between the

Royal Palace, Oslo The Royal Palace ( or ''Det kongelige slott'') in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the Kingdom of France, French-born Charles XIV John, who reigned as king of Union between Sweden and Norway, Nor ...

Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; ) is an inlet in southeastern Norway. The fjord begins at the small village of Bonn in Frogn, Frogn Municipality and stretching northwards to the city of Oslo, and then curving to the east and then south again. It then flows s ...

Aker Brygge Aker Brygge is a neighbourhood in central Oslo, Norway. Since the 1980s and 1990s, it has been a popular area for shopping, dining, and entertainment, as well as a high-end residential area. It was previously an industrial area. Location Aker B ...

, Pipervika, Slottsparken,

Oslo City Hall Oslo City Hall () is a municipal building in Oslo, the capital of Norway. It houses the city council, the city's administration and various other municipal organisations. The building as it stands today was constructed between 1931 and 1950, wi ...

Oslo Concert Hall Oslo Concert Hall () is a concert hall located in Vika, a part of Oslo city centre in Norway. It is the base of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (''Oslo-Filharmonien''), but it also aims to be one of the premier music venues for the general musi ...

and borders on the north with

Karl Johans gate Karl Johans gate is the main street of the city of Oslo, Norway. The street was named in honor of King Charles III John, who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John. Karl Johans gate is a composite of several older streets that used to be s ...

, the main street of the city of Oslo which hosts Norwegian Parliament Building as well as known for being the hub to major Scandinavian brands, bars and hotels including Grand Hotel, the annual venue of the winner of

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

and various state dignitaries. Vika is home to historical architectural monuments such as

Victoria Terrasse Victoria Terrasse is an historic building complex located in central Oslo, Norway. The complex now houses the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. History Victoria Terrasse was built between 1884 and 1890 as an apartment complex. It was designe ...

. The new building for Norway's National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, which is the largest art museum in the Nordic region and host to exclusive collection of world renowned artists such as

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( ; ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His 1893 work ''The Scream'' has become one of Western art's most acclaimed images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dread of inher ...

, is in the same vicinity. Vika falls within Frogner administrative district of Oslo which is deemed as one of city's most expensive, upscale and exclusive neighborhood with a handful of period properties. Over the years, several residential properties have been occupied by various embassies, high end restaurants and art galleries. The area is dominated by public institutions, such as the

Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( Norwegian or ''Utenriksdepartementet''; or ''Utanriksdepartementet''; UD) is the foreign ministry of the Kingdom of Norway. It was established on June 7, 1905, the same day the Parliament of ...

and the Embassy of the United States in Oslo. There are also a number of cultural institutions, such as the Nobel Peace Center and

while the

National Theatre (Oslo) The National Theatre in Oslo () is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts. History The theatre had its first performance on 1 September 1899 but can trace its origins to Christiania Theatre, which was ...

is also within a short walking distance . Vika was also the location of the former Western Railway Station. The Vika Line of the

Oslo Tramway The Oslo tram network (, short from ', 'electric') is the tram system in Oslo, Norway. It consists of six lines with 99 stops and has a daily ridership of 132,000. It is operated by , a subsidiary of the municipally-owned who maintain the trac ...

runs through the area. Neighbourhoods of Oslo {{Oslo-geo-stub