Explore Oslo's most distinctive neighborhoods with Lysløypa as your guide. Inside the book, you'll find curated walking routes that lead you through independent shops, cafés, bars, cultural spaces, and community initiatives across the city. Carry the book in one hand and bring a friend, a grandmother, or a partner in the other—or set out solo. Discover local businesses, inspiring people, and the vibrant grassroots culture that makes Oslo unique.
Text: Ida Frisch & Christina Skreiberg
Illustrations: Siri Marki
Oslo City Center
If a city can be described as a cooking pot, Oslo City Center is probably where the ladle stirs the fastest – it’s constantly reshaping itself. Here are a handful of places that give the city center its character and soul.
Pull out Lysløypa, tuck it into your jacket or bag, and start the day at Hakone for coffee and pastries – you won’t regret it. They serve coffee from more than ten roasteries, several of them ranked among the world’s best, and their croissant filled with pistachio cream is downright addictive. That sets you up perfectly to bring a friend or a date along to paint a ceramic mug at Creative Collective – screen-free quality time, mixing café culture with ‘make it yourself’. Ready for lunch? Head to Nordvegan, just a stone’s throw from Karl Johans gate, for properly good vegan food – for every meal you eat there, a tree gets planted somewhere in the world.
Room for more? Stop by Torggata for Dirty V, which since 2020 has served Norway’s first 100% vegan fast food. Need a cultural breather before a late dinner? Head to Det Norske Teatret – over a hundred years old, and still the country’s largest Nynorsk national theatre. And when evening comes, treat yourself to some of the city’s best dumplings at The Golden Chimp, built on pure love for dumplings and Asian flavours – try the king crab dumplings, yum. Or gather your crew around the table at Mela Café for Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian sharing plates, made for big groups and long evenings. All of these places are in Lysløypa, so don’t forget your book!
So you see, the city center doesn’t have to be somewhere you rush through – it’s a wonderful jungle with plenty to offer.
In between, let yourself get lost in some of our favourite independent bookshops: the book universes at Tronsmo or Cappelens Forslag, or cycle down to the fjord for a sauna session and a refreshing dip.
Breathe in the sea air and the smell of freshly fried, freshly baked, freshly ground, freshly lived. Enjoy Oslo City Center!
Want to discover the other districts of Oslo?
Explore the district Frogner in Oslo with Lysløypa 2027!
Explore the district Grünerløkka in Oslo with Lysløypa 2027!
Explore the district St. Hanshaugen in Oslo with Lysløypa 2027!
Explore the district Sagene in Oslo with Lysløypa 2027!
Explore the district Gamle Oslo with Lysløypa 2027!
Explore Marka and the neighbourhoods outside the city center with Lysløypa 2027!
Looking for great tips on independent and unique places in Oslo? Get yourself a copy of Lysløypa 2027! The book gives you discounts at selected spots. Think global, shop local!
