Oslo, Norway: Parliament Building

The Norwegian Parliament building sneaks up a little bit on visitors. It is in the midst of downtown, located at the end of a long city park. It's not obviously separated like the U.S. Capitol is in Washington. Still, it makes a nice impression.

The Storting building dates back to 1866. The government body had been using other halls for meetings, and it was decided to give Parliament its own home. The structure was quite big at the time it opened - too big for just the legislature - and it housed some other agencies until Parliament became bigger and needed more staff. When the Germans took over Norway in 1940, the legislators had to go elsewhere to meet - usually abroad.

After World War II, the facility has grown. A four-story office building was built "behind" it in the early 1950s, and other nearby buildings have become part of the complex. I never got past the park across the street, but we have other ways to see what it's like.