City breaks are one of the best ways to escape the humdrum of daily life and recharge the batteries, without using up too much holiday time.
Discount airline companies have made accessing cities across Europe easy and cheap, allowing people to enjoy a three-to-four day trip without having to break the bank.
One country that is attracting more and more visitors is Norway, with its magnificent capital city Oslo a major draw for tourists.
The capital has a population of just 1.1 million people and combines nature, culture and modern design.
The city boasts its own fjord, which is best viewed from the top of the opera house, from where a magnificent panorama opens up.
Culture is a major part of city life, with many outstanding museums located in the capital.
These include Viking Age museums to the marvellous collection at the National Gallery and The Ibsen Museum.
Those fascinated by maritime Viking art, should make sure to pay a visit to the Bygdøy peninsula that houses the world’s best-preserved Viking ship in the Viking Museum
The city is rightly proud of its reputation for fine dining with is numerous Michelin-star restaurants.
For those who prefer more traditional local dishes, then make sure to head to the Mathallen Food Hall.
Here there are over 30 stores which offer mouthwatering dishes and snacks from local and international cuisines.
Travelling around the city could not be easier, thanks to its outstanding metro service.
Known locally as the “Oslo T-Bane” or “T-banen i Oslo”, it has 101 stations covering 52.8 miles of track and serves all 15 city boroughs.
The Oslo metro was voted the best system in Europe, with an underground index score of 8.06 out of 10.
The metro uses electric MX3000 three-car trains, with a stock of 115 that were ordered between 2003 and 2010.
Each three-car unit costs £3,179,205, which means the total expense for the trains comes to £365,608,575.
