If you want to see the haunting image of Edvard Munch's The Scream in a new setting, now is the time to plan a visit to Oslo. The iconic, new Munch Museum is opening in the autumn.

As several projects long in the making are finally getting ready to open their doors to the public, travellers can hardly pick a more interesting time to visit Norway's capital. The following list highlights five of the best reasons to plan a visit to Oslo very soon.

1. The new Munch Museum

Edvard Munch is one of the world's most significant artists and the new Munch Museum in Bjørvika (pictured top left) near the Opera House (top right) will provide evocative, engaging and modern art experiences. Designed by Spanish architects estudio Herreros, the building Lambda remains a controversial project. Its tall and dominating shape has been widely criticised and many people didn't want the museum to be built in Bjørvika at all, but would have preferred an upgrade to the current Munch Museum at Tøyen.

But the new museum is set to open this year and is one of the world's largest dedicated to a single artist. Munch's art will be shown in three permanent exhibitions, allowing many of the 28,000 works donated by Munch to the city to be displayed at all times. Temporary shows will present works by renowned Norwegian and international artists, as well as innovative contemporary artists. All in all, you'll be able to walk through eleven exhibition halls on seven of the building's thirteen floors.

In addition to all the exhibitions there will be concerts, literary readings and other cultural activities and events.

Opens in the autumn of 2020.

2. Deichman Public Library

The country's many libraries might be the reason why Norwegians claim to read more than any other European national, and the new Oslo Public Library in Bjørkvika definitely makes the list of exceptional Norwegian libraries. The modern building is intended to be a free common area to house conversations, discussions, sharing, and learning – and of course reading.

Opens in the spring of 2020.

3. Indoor skiing at SNØ

Are you visiting in the summer, but would have liked to go skiing? Now you can. Just 20 minutes from the Oslo city centre by train, the indoor skiing arena SNØ (which you might guess means snow) has alpine slopes for both experts and beginners, a terrain park and cross-country tracks for all levels.

The arena is open all year round since January 2020.

4. The culture destination Ramme

Ramme is a brand new cultural destination just south of Oslo. The property used to belong to Edvard Munch, who painted some of his most famous works here. "The place I have is almost the most beautiful along the entire coast," he wrote to his aunt Karen in 1910. But Ramme isn't just about Munch – they arrange art exhibitions, plays, concerts, and other cultural activities as well. While you're here, you can stay at Ramme fjordhotell, eat organic food from the visitors' farm Ramme gård, and take a stroll in the forest or park.

Ramme opens in 2020 with a major Munch exhibition in cooperation with the Munch Museum.

5. The Climate House in the Botanical Gardens

Learn about all things climatic in the new Climate House in Oslo's Botanical Gardens. The main target group is young people, but there's a lot to digest here for the whole family – not only about what climate change means for the planet but also about the solutions that exist. It may even inspire you to take action!

Opens as part of the Natural History Museum in the spring of 2020.

How to get there

Once in Europe, Oslo is easy to reach by train, bus, plane, ferry or car. If you arrive by train one of the first things you'll see when you exit Oslo Central Station is the huge, bronze statue of a tiger. Gifted to the city in 2000, the tiger measures 4.5 metres in length and acknowledges Oslo's sometime nickname, Tigerstarden, (the tiger city). Oslo is a fantastic, compact city that is so easy to get around on foot, or take the excellent public transport to reach out-of-town attractions like the Holmenkollen Jump Tower and Ski Museum.

Munch Museum photo courtesy of Visit Oslo.

Useful links

​https://www.visitoslo.com/en/