University Aula

The ceremonial hall of the University of Oslo, in the city center — a classical assembly room famous above all for the monumental murals Edvard Munch painted for it, including the radiant 'The Sun.' Created for a national institution, these large, optimistic works show a very different Munch from the anguished painter of 'The Scream.' The hall is open to the public only at limited times, so checking ahead matters. For visitors, it's a rare chance to see Munch's public, life-affirming art in the very setting he designed it for — a quiet counterpoint to the museum crowds across town.