Oslo

Wandering down tree-lined boulevards past rows of weatherboard houses, or watching sailing boats playing on the crystal waters of Oslofjord, it's impossible to see where Edvard Munch found inspiration for his most celebrated painting, The Scream.

Scandinavia's oldest capital may be small, but with more than 50 museums, and a national obsession with theatre and music it packs quite a cultural punch.

A short ferry ride from the waterfront cafes of Aker Brygge, the picturesque Bygdøy peninsula corrals together some of the city's best museums. The Viking Ship Museum is built around two beautifully preserved Viking longships (buried since the 9th Century and complete with everything the departed would need for the journey to Valhalla, including slaves).

Continuing the nautical theme the neighbouring Kon-Tiki Museum retells the story of Thor Heyerdahl's 1947 jolly across the Pacific on a balsa raft, meanwhile landlubbers are catered for in the open-air Norwegian Folk Museum.

Hop on a tram across town to Tøyen and you can browse over 23,000 works in the Munch Museum, including fifty versions of 'The Scream'. Oslo's other signature artist is Gustav Vigeland, whose lifetimes' work is documented in the 212 sculptures of Oslo's most visited attraction, Fronger Park.

Clear skies and the midnight sun mean most of Oslo's summer is spent outdoors. Overlooking the city the pine-clad slopes of Holmenkollen boast panoramic views as well as hiking and mountain biking, while in winter you can ski back down into town.