Vika is a neighborhood in the
Oslo city center in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...
. It is located between the
Royal Palace, Oslo
The Royal Palace ( no, Slottet or ''Det kongelige slott'') in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. The palace is the ...
,
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...
,
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 Concert Hall and borders on the north with
Karl Johans gate, 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 A grand hotel is a large and luxurious hotel, especially one housed in a building with traditional architectural style. It began to flourish in the 1800s in Europe and North America.
Grand Hotel may refer to:
Hotels Africa
* Grande Hotel Beir ...
, the annual venue of the winner of
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
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 desig ...
. The new building for Norway's
National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, c ...
, which is the largest art museum in the Nordic region and host to exclusive collection of world renowned artists such as
Edvard Munch, 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,
Oslo City Hall and the
Embassy of the United States in Oslo. There are also a number of cultural institutions, such as the
Nobel Peace Center and
Oslo Concert Hall while the
National Theatre (Oslo)
The National Theatre in Oslo ( no, Nationaltheatret) 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 Christiani ...
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 ( no, Trikken i Oslo, 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 ...
runs through the area.
Neighbourhoods of Oslo
{{Oslo-geo-stub