Oslo, verdict by verdict

Oslo is the smallest and most outdoorsy Nordic capital: a compact centre on the fjord where the Opera House's walkable roof, the MUNCH museum and Akershus fortress sit within easy reach of each other, and forests, ski trails and islands begin inside the city boundary. Vigeland Park's 200-odd sculptures are free and essential, the Fram lets you walk aboard the actual polar ship, and the Holmenkollen tower hands you the city's best panorama.

The caveat is cost and scale. Oslo is expensive even by Scandinavian standards and restaurant and bar prices sting, the centre is small enough to see in two days, midweek evenings are quiet, and grand old-town architecture is not the draw. The famous 1893 Scream is not at MUNCH, the Norway in a Nutshell package marks up the same rail-and-ferry legs, the fjord cruises are scenic rather than dramatic-western-fjords, and winter is dark, though the city answers with saunas and ski trails.

Two days covers the centre, Vigeland and Bygdoy; a fjord cruise or the Oslo-Bergen railway extends it for travelers heading deeper into Norway. Come late May through August for fjord weather and near-endless evenings, treat Oslo as the gentle first stop before Bergen or the fjords, and take the Vy train from the airport for express-nearly-as-fast money.