Countless Dreamy & Absolutely FREE Things to Do in Oslo, Norway

Freia is a well-known Norwegian chocolate manufacturer that has been making happy lots of generations of Norwegians. Since 1889.

I first became familiar with the Freia brand on a cold winter night when I saw their large advertisement sign illuminating from a tall building on Karl Johans Gate, the main street in Oslo. Along that same street, at number 31 on the ground floor of the Grand Hotel, stood their small and charming historical store, Freiabutikken, awaiting visitors.

Freia Chocolate Store, Copyright © Cooltourismical.com

In the early 20th century, the Freia boutique had a luxurious and elegant interior decorated in the contemporary Louis Seize style, which was the store’s signature for many years.

This exclusive atmosphere attracted members of the upper class from far and wide, with long lines forming outside the store, especially during Christmas, to experience the beautifully decorated windows and taste Freia’s chocolates. At the time, Freia produced 50% of all chocolate in Norway, and after the end of chocolate rationing in the 1950s, the lines at Freiabutikken grew even longer.

Today, the store has a modern, bright and open interior, and the window displays still attract visitors. A small 3D model of the vintage store serves as a reminder of the past atmosphere and décor.

The store’s design highlight is a series of marquetry images created using intarsia, which are displayed above the shelves. These artworks depict scenes from the factory and the evolution of the chocolate industry.

Visiting their only store in Oslo and enjoying the beautiful window exhibits is free, while buying one of the best chocolates in the world is infinitely cheap. Prices are quite reasonable for one of the best sweets you can ever taste abroad. And in winter you can have here the country’s very best hot chocolate.

Diving deeper into the world of chocolate means visiting Freialand. There are guided tours that do cost around 250NOK. And tickets can be found on ticketmaster.

At Freialand, you can embark on a journey through the history of chocolate and the factory, starting from when the Toltecs grew cocoa trees in the 8th century. It’s all about tasting chocolate and playing. Additionally, during the summer, they offer tours of the picturesque Freiaparken, which was established in the 1920s as a place for workers to take a break in lovely, verdant surroundings.

The interior is famous for the Munch paintings, while the park boasts numerous sculptures created by renowned Norwegian and international artists.