Closing Congress Programme

The Saturday Excursion will start with a short drive to the Bygdøy Peninsula, famous for its natural beauty, handsome residential area, numerous fascinating museums and the Royal Summer Residence.

The tour starts with a guided visit of the Norsk Folkemuseum, which is Norway’s largest museum of cultural history. With collections from all over the country, the museum shows in a very attractive way how people lived in Norway from 1500 to the present. The 160 buildings of this open-air Museum give a splendid overview of the different regions in Norway, the different time periods, as well as differences between town and country and between social classes. The Gol Stave Church, dating from 1200, is one of five medieval buildings at the museum. Contemporary history is presented through exhibitions and documentation projects. Permanent indoor exhibitions include folk art, folk costumes, toys and Sami culture. The museum also has a long tradition as a research institution with an interdisciplinary research staff in the fields of ethnology, folkloristic, cultural history, anthropology and art history.

We then proceed to the nearby Viking Ship Museum, where we shall enjoy a private (after hours) visit of this impressive display of the world’s best preserved Viking Ships. This original and highly appealing museum also pays attention to the unusual ship burials of the Viking Age and the unrivalled Viking woodcraft.

For the final event we shall have the Fram Museum at our disposal. This museum, idyllically situated on the bay of Oslo, houses the polar vessel ‘Fram’ and contains exhibitions of the most famous polar expeditions of global historical significance. The centrepiece of the museum is the world´s strongest wooden ship, the polar ship ‘Fram’, which may be boarded in order to view her cabins, lounges, cargo hold and engine room. A light meal and drinks will be served on the deck of the ‘Fram’.

A ferry ride will take us back to Oslo city.