Oslo is an open-air capital with pretty beaches and parks, 19th-century architecture and long classical vistas. The city boasts terrific art museums, fine opera and great fish restaurants. It is also only a few minutes drive from the mountains, where you can hike in summer and ski in winter.

THE GRAND HOTEL
Karl Johans gate 31 (00 47 22 429 390; fax: 23 212 100). An institution in the Norwegian capital for over a century, the Grand Hotel remains the city's top address with elegantly furnished rooms and a splendid location. £

HOTEL CONTINENTAL
Stortingsgata 2426 (00 47 22 824 000; fax: 429 689). The Continental overlooks Palace Park and is opposite the National Theatre. Once a baronial mansion, the meticulously maintained Victorian decor features brocaded walls hung with oil paintings and rooms furnished with antiques. £

RESTAURANT BAGATELLE
Bygdøy Allé 3 (00 47 22 121 440). One of Oslo's best restaurants, with two Michelin stars. Closed from mid-July to mid-Aug.

CAFE XO
Karl Johans gate 33 (00 47 22 422 000). Bar and Indian restaurant with minimalist décor.

ENGEBRET
Bankplassen 1 (00 47 22 822 525). Said to be Oslo's oldest café.

GRAND CAFE
At the Grand Hotel. Edvard Munch and his Bohemian friends used to favour this café. In the words of his diary, 'We used to have a few drinks after breakfast to sober up. Later we'd drink to get back into a stupor'.

THEATRECAFEEN
At the Hotel Continental. Popular Viennese style café, popular with Oslo's intelligentsia.

BEACH TRIPS
In the summer (July and August), when the weather gets hot, hire a car and escape to the fjord beside the capital, which offers beaches, natural marinas and islands, or take yourself north towards Norway's inland wilderness of pine forests and secluded lakes.

SKIING
In the winter, you can reach the nearest ski slopes by underground. Holmenkollen, one of the most famous ski jumps in the world, hosts a number of events through the season. Visit the Holmenkollen Restaurant (00 47 22 139 200), which offers magnificent views of the city and the fjord.

SIGHT-SEEING
The best way to appreciate Oslo is on foot, taking in the 19th-century architecture. For more specific viewing, try:

The Munch Museum, Tøyengata 53 (00 47 22 673 774). All Munch's most famous paintings, including The Scream, Vampire, Madonna and The Sick Child, are here, as well as woodcuts, lithographs and photographs. Open mid-Sept to May, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat 10am-4pm, Thurs-Sun 10am-6pm; June to mid-Sept, daily, 10am-6pm.

Edvard Munch's house, Asgårdstrand (00 47 33 082 131). The seaside village of Asgårdstrand is a home to Munch's house and the artist's studio. Open May-Sept, Sat-Sun, 11am-7pm; June-Aug, Tue-Sun, 11am-7pm.

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, Dronningensgata 4 (00 47 22 936 060). Excellent post-War collection. Open Tues, Wed, Fri Noon-4pm; Thurs Noon-7pm; Sat-Sun, Noon-5pm.

Viking Ships Museum, Huk avenue 35, Bygdøy (00 47 22 438 379). This simple and mercifully unsophisticated museum also houses other artefacts. There are pleasant cafés and a cluster of beaches and other museums in the area. Open daily, May-Aug, 9am-6pm; Sept, 11am-5pm; Oct-April, 11am-4pm; Nov-March, 11am-3pm.

AIRPORT
The airport is at Gardermoen (www.osl.no), located 47 km north of Oslo.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
SAS Braathens (www.sasbraathens.no) flies to Oslo. Norwegian (www.norwegian.no) and British Airways (www.britishairways.com) also operate flights to Oslo.

Oslo is best in high summer (June to August), when it is warmer and bathed in almost constant daylight - preferable conditions for sightseeing. The winters (November to April) can be rather cold and dark, but great for skiing as there is plenty of snow.

The Oslo Card (available from tourist offices, hotels and newsagents) enables you to travel in four different zones in Oslo, including on some ferries and boat routes, and also gives free entry to most museums.

Tourist Information Centre by the City Hall. Fridtjof Nansens plass 5, entrance from Roald Amundsens gateN-0160 Oslo (www.visitoslo.com).

Tourist Information by the Central Station. Trafikanten Service CenterJernbanetorget 1N-0154 Oslo (www.visitoslo.com).