Oslo's most famous hotel preserves the culture, history, and traditions of the Norwegian people.
Opened in 1874, Grand Hotel remembers the great writer Ibsen, who used to stop by for a glass of whiskey at the local bar, and the great scientist Nansen, who lived in one of the rooms. The hotel's first owner was the confectioner Julius Fritzner: he bought the old house of Professor Heiberg and converted it into a hotel and cafe.
The Grand Cafe at the hotel remains to this day a favorite place for city residents and visitors alike. Another reconstruction of Grand Hotel took place in 1911-1913, giving the building its current style of refined classical European architecture.
Grand Hotel is best known for its annual festive banquet honoring the Nobel Peace Prize laureates. In his will, Alfred Nobel specified that the Peace Prize should be awarded in Oslo, even though the other Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm.
The banquet hall of Grand Hotel, opened in 1886, was considered the ideal place for honoring outstanding people to whom an independent commission awards the prize for strengthening peace. Every year here, starting in 1901, a feast is held in honor of the winner. The award ceremony takes place on December 10, the day of Alfred Nobel's death.
After the lavish celebration and magnificent dinner with a special menu, the laureate heads to the Nobel suite, decorated in the classical European style. Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, Barack Obama, and many other famous figures stayed in the Nobel suite after the banquet held in their honor.
