Karl Johans Gate

Karl Johans gate runs about a kilometre uphill from Oslo Central Station to the Royal Palace, and almost every building the state cares about stands on or beside it: the cathedral and the old bazaar halls at the lower end, the Storting parliament building of 1866 halfway up, the National Theatre with its statues of Ibsen and Bjornson, the university's original law faculty, and the palace closing the view. The lower half is pedestrianised and commercial; the upper half runs beside the Studenterlunden park with a pond used for skating in winter. It is the route of the 17 May constitution day parade, when children march up it past the palace balcony, the largest public event in the country.

What you actually see

• The Storting - the 1866 parliament building halfway up the street.
• The National Theatre - with Ibsen and Bjornson statues outside.
• Studenterlunden - a park and pond alongside the upper section.
• The 17 May parade - the constitution day children's march to the palace.

When to go

May to September for outdoor life along the street, with 17 May the single biggest day; December for the Christmas market in Spikersuppa. Winter turns the pond into an outdoor ice rink.

Honest expectations

The lower section is a standard European shopping street with chain stores, and the area around the station has visible drug and homelessness problems. Prices at the cafes on the boulevard are high even by Oslo standards. The interesting buildings are concentrated in the upper half.

Nearby

The Royal Palace closes the western end; Oslo Cathedral, the harbour and the National Museum are all a short walk.