February 28 – Thon Hotel Opera – Oslo, Norway

Locations in this article:  Mumbai, India Oslo, Norway

Oslo skylineNearby forests and hiking trails aren’t typically characteristic of a sprawling urban city, but Oslo, Norway’s capital and largest city, holds a surprising abundance of diversity from its landscape to cultural activities.

With only 530,000 residents, Oslo maintains a balance of a big city (relative to the rest of Norway) with wooden houses that line historic streets, giving the city a small-town sensibility that ties in with its deep historical roots.

Because Oslo is situated on the Oslo Fjord bay, which runs for nearly 60 miles on the coast of Norway, there’s no shortage of outdoor activities that are water-related; ice skating, kayaking and hiking along the coast are easily accessible from Oslo.

Viking shipViking fans will enjoy the city’s deep-rooted history, as Oslo was founded by a Viking king in 1,000 A.D. The Oslo guests reflect this diverse heritage.

Børge Ousland – A Norwegian polar explorer, photographer and writer, Ousland’s expeditions include two unsupported treks to the North Pole in 1990 and 1994. In 1996, he successfully crossed Antarctica solo, without receiving any supplies during the journey. His most famous expedition took place in 2006, where he and his partner Mike Horn were the first to complete an expedition to the North Pole in the winter—long-regarded as an impossible feat due to the constant darkness and extreme cold. Visit www.ousland.com and see his many expeditions and sign up for one yourself!

To learn more about Oslo, Norway and see more guests, click “More Travel.”

Geir Skeie – This 28-year-old chef was recently awarded the coveted Bocuse d’Or—the culinary world’s version of an Olympic gold medal, where he beat out 23 other contenders from around the globe. He is currently the chef at Midtåsen Solvold restaurant in Sandefjord in southern Norway. In true Norwegian tradition, Chef Skeie relies on the freshest ingredients—so fresh that he goes diving twice a month for scallops, crab and oysters.

Learn more about Oslo with On the Air: Oslo, Norway

Viking museum shipJan Bill –  As a professor and director of the Viking Collections at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Professor Bill knows everything about Viking history in Norway. In fact, this professor with carpenter skills even participated in the building of the first Viking ship reconstruction, Roar Edge, at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.  He has a Ph.D. in archaeology from the University of Copenhagen and has worked at the Center for Maritime Archaeology at the National Museum of Denmark and for The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.

Knut Nærum – This renowned comedian is host of Norway’s popular TV show Nytt på nytt (loosely translated as “News Anew”), which satirizes the latest headline news stories. He’ll be our tour guide as we find out where the locals go for food, entertainment and to escape!

Plus, travel experts will talk about the hottest stories in travel:

Mary Kirby, senior editor of Flight International, who will discuss this week’s headlines with Peter, including cell phones on planes, and how drinks are free again.

Kevin Doyle, news editor for Condé Nast Traveler, who will discuss the lessons learned from the terror attacks in Mumbai, and what hotels are doing to improve security.

Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels, will tell us how the hotel industry is faring in these hard economic times.

Listen online to the full show from Oslo, Norway: