Tjuvholmen

Tjuvholmen, thief islet, takes its name from a place of execution used in the eighteenth century; it was later industrial and was redeveloped between 2005 and 2014 as a dense quarter of apartments, offices, galleries and restaurants by a group of architects working to a common plan, cut by canals and connected by footbridges. The Astrup Fearnley Museum by Renzo Piano anchors the outer end, with a sculpture park beside it holding works by Louise Bourgeois, Anish Kapoor and Franz West. At the tip is Tjuvholmen city beach, a small artificial beach and diving area where people swim in the fjord in summer. Around a dozen commercial galleries occupy ground-floor spaces, making it Oslo's densest concentration of contemporary art dealers.

What you actually see

• The Astrup Fearnley Museum - Renzo Piano's glass-roofed contemporary art museum.
• The sculpture park - works along the waterfront outside the museum.
• The city beach - a small artificial beach and diving spot at the tip.
• The canals and bridges - a dense quarter cut by water and footbridges.

When to go

May to September for the beach, terraces and outdoor sculpture; the museum and galleries work year-round. Warm evenings fill the beach and the diving platforms.

Honest expectations

The beach is small and packed on hot days, and the water is cold. Prices in the restaurants are high even by Oslo standards. The architecture divides opinion, and the quarter can feel corporate outside summer.

Nearby

Aker Brygge adjoins it; City Hall, the National Museum and the harbour promenade are close.