Views of the city and its fjord to die for from this bar on the 21st floor. A stylish and suited downtown crowd gathers here at sunset to watch the light fade and the neons come on all over the city, supping sophisticated concoctions from a long (and, as it’s Scandinavia, suitably pricey) cocktail list. Male vertigo sufferers should stick to short measures: the urinals are built into glass walls looking out over the abyss.

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For 60 Krone you can get a pass for 24 hours which you can use on buses, trams, the metro and ferries. Especially good is to take a "mini cruise" around the islands in the bay. Also go up the hill on metro Line 1 to Frognerseteren for great views over the city.

All transport stations

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According to their website, the DNT is Norway's largest outdoor activities organisation. Their work includes maintaining a fantastic network of marked hiking trails and running 144 mountain lodges, linked by these (and other trails).

We have just returned from a week hiking in Jontunheimen and cannot praise the DNT highly enough. I have never seen such an organisation so successful at making the wilderness accessible with minimal disturbance to the natural environment.

The trails are well-marked and maintained and where we used trails not maintained by the DNT, staff were nevertheless able to advise on them. The level of service at the fully staffed lodges we used was extraordinary and not too expensive (by Norwegian standards!). And how good is it to come off a mountain, knowing that a comfortable bed, three course meal, hot showers, and effective drying room are waiting for you? The DNT prides itself in never turning anyone away.

We were walking as a family with two under twelves, so didn't undertake any really major climbs, but the DNT also organises tours of the high peaks etc.

All the activities we undertook, we could have done as non-members, but joining the DNT meant serious discounts on accommodation costs as well as the ability to secure beds when the lodges were nearly full. If you are venturing deeper into the mountains and staying at unstaffed lodges, I think you need to be a member to get a key to the lodges.

www.turistforeningen.no/english/

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This place is on the roof of Norway. It is only accessible by train - the mainline Bergen to Oslo.

Fantastic hotel Finse 1222 with great views over glacier. The walks along the old navvy road are excellent.

www.finse1222.no/Engelsk/index.htm
Map: tinyurl.com/2t4qbz

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The Summit bar at the top of the Radisson SAS Hotel in the centre of Oslo has absolutely stunning views of the city and Oslo fjord, especially if you go there around dusk to watch the sunlight fade and the streetlights and neons come on all over the city.

If you go at the right time you can get a comfy seat right by the window, the best vantage point. Apart from the urinals apparently - they are right up against the glass so you can enjoy the view whilst, you know. Oh, and in the ladies' there is one cubicle with two toilets in it - in case you and a friend need to finish a conversation, especially urgently I suppose?!

Drinks aren't as expensive as I'd feared - it was around 300kr for two (small) bottles of beer and two glasses of red - pricier than the UK but that's to be expected I think.

When we went there was an especially good bar tender - she paid loads of attention to getting drinks just so and gave us some free peanuts!

A great atmosphere, stunning views and perfect company meant the Summit bar was the highlight of my trip to Oslo.

It's near the Royal Palace. The address is Holbergsgate 30, N-0166, Oslo

Take a virtual tour of the bar: www.radissonsas.com/cs/Satellite?c=Page&cid=1057908738708&hotelCode=oslza&language=en&pagename=RadissonSAS%2FPage%2FrsasVirtualTour&extra=1057908749136

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From any station in the city centre, hop on tube line 1 in the direction of Frognerseteren, and watch in awe as the train leaves Oslo behind, zigzags its way up into the forested hills and stops at the top. Spectacular. If you have plenty of time, walk down to Lake Sognsvann, and take tube no 5 back to town.

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500 metres above sea level on a hill opposite Ekeberg restaurant, Frognerseteren offers a higher vantage-point of the city, with a superb panorama of the fjord and its islands. And you can get there by tube in just half an hour.

Metro line 1, Frognerseteren station

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Set in a beautiful functionalist building that could be the set of a Hercule Poirot mystery, Ekeberg offers breathtaking views of the city, the Oslo fjord and the surrounding hills. Enjoy a beer on the terrace or a delicious dinner inside.

Kongsveien 15; Tel: 23 24 23 00; Tram lines 18 and 19, Ekeberg station; www.ekebergrestauranten.com/

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