The ship Roald Amundsen used to reach the Antarctic – the Fram – is on display at the excellent Fram Museum in Oslo.
Amundsen’s arrival in Antarctica
On the 14th of January, 1911, Roald Amundsen arrived in the Bay of Whales, Antarctica. Up until very recently, this was the most southern latitude a ship had ever navigated to. Amundsen’s ship, the Fram, made it to 78°41’S.
Extraordinarily, the Fram also holds the record for the most northern latitude a ship has ever navigated to – 8°57’ on 16 October 1895. This was on Fridtjof Nansen’s Arctic 1893 to 1896 expedition, where the Fram spent nearly three years drifting in the Arctic ice pack.
Why Amundsen chose the Fram
The Fram – meaning ‘forward’ in Norwegian – was designed for polar exploration. Its distinctive rounded hull meant it was tossed around in normal seas, but could withstand the pressure of polar ice and float across it.
Amundsen wanted the Fram as his ship, as his initial aim was to be the first to the North Pole and he wanted to use Nansen’s tactics. When Cook and Peary beat Amundsen to the North Pole, the great Norwegian explorer changed plans in utmost secrecy. Even his crew didn’t know they were heading for the Antarctic until they stopped in Madeira on the way.
How to see the Fram in Oslo, Norway
This information, and plenty more about polar exploration, is laid out at the excellent Fram Museum in Oslo.
The centrepiece of the Fram Museum, unsurprisingly, is the ship itself. In fact, the distinctive triangle-shaped building is built around Amundsen’s ship.
Visitors can walk on board the 39 metre-long icebreaker, while it is surrounded by displays about the Fram’s journeys and the realities of polar exploration.
Why visit the Fram Museum in Oslo?
The Fram Museum is genuinely fascinating. Even if you don’t care about Amundsen’s ship – and it is an impressive beast of a thing – then the stories of life in the Antarctic, planning the trip to the South Pole and Amundsen’s appreciation for his hard-working dogs will keep you interested. It also acts as a de facto Fridtjof Nansen Museum.
Where is the Fram Museum in Oslo?
The Fram Museum is on Oslo’s Bygdoy Peninsula. The best way of getting there is on the Bygdoy Peninsula ferry from central Oslo.
Tickets for the Fram Museum cost 140kr at the time of writing.
More Norway travel ideas
Other Oslo experiences include fjord cruises on a silent electric catamaran, bike tours and sea kayaking adventures.
Other Norway travel articles on Planet Whitley look at whitewater rafting in Voss and what you learn on a Norwegian fjords cruise.
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