Where nature meets art
SCULPTURE PARKS AND OUTDOOR ART
Visit some of the world's most impressive sculpture parks in Norway, including Vigeland Park, Ekeberg Park, and Kistefos, and enjoy amazing art outdoors. Several of the parks are free, and perfect for a day out with family or friends.
Although the traditional art experience typically takes place in a museum or gallery, some of the most fantastic Norwegian works of art play out in symbiosis with their surroundings, with the weather and the seasons as part of the experience.
Vigeland Park
The Vigeland sculpture park at Frogner in Oslo is one of the most unique sculpture parks in the world. Here, you’ll see more than 200 sculptures by the artist Gustav Vigeland, which makes it the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist.
Some of the most famous sculptures include Sinnataggen (Angry Boy), The Monolith, and The Wheel of Life. Approximately one million people visit the park every year, making it one of Norway's most visited attractions.
Right by the park, you can also visit the fascinating Vigeland Museum, featuring Vigeland's early works, portraits, and sculptures, as well as plaster models for the sculptures in Vigeland Park.
You can reach the park from the city centre by tram or bus to the front gate, or by metro to Majorstuen Station.
Ekebergparken sculpture park
Combine the best of culture and nature in Ekebergparken sculpture park, situated on a hillside just west of the city centre.
Offering stunning panoramic viewsof the city and the Oslofjord, the park is home to 40 sculptures and contemporary art installations, including works by international art icons such as Renoir, Rodin, Dali, and Hirst. Among the park’s prominent Norwegian artists, you’ll find Per Ung, Dyre Vaa, and Per Inge Bjørlo. A key theme of the collection is femininity.
Complete your visit with a coffee at cosy Karlsborg Spiseforretning, or at the stylish Ekeberg Restaurant.
Take tram 13 or 19, or bus 34 or 74 from the city centre.
Roseslottet (Rose Castle)
The Rose Castle by Frognerseteren (metro station) in Oslo is an outdoor art installation created by brothers Vebjørn Sand and Eimund Sand to express gratitude to democracy. The parkopened in June 2020, 80 years after Norway's occupation by Nazi Germany and 75 years since its liberation. Many of the nearly 300 works of art consist of impressive monumental paintings, installations, and sculptures. The installation will close in 2025.
It's open every day (there is an entrance fee, see the website for more details) and there are tours, lectures, concerts, and a variety of events held there throughout the year. There are also stunning views over Oslo, and you can easily combine the Rose Castle with a visit to the famous ski jump and ski museum in Holmenkollen.
Kistefos Museum
Another must-see for sculpture enthusiasts is the enormous sculpture park at Kistefos Museumin Jevnaker in Hadeland (entrance fee, see its website for more details), about a one-hour drive north of Oslo.
One of the biggest sculpture parks in Norway features 52 sculptures by prominent contemporary artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Olafur Eliasson, Anish Kapoor, Fernando Botero, Tony Cragg, and Elmgreen & Dragset. One of the main attractions is the mirror fountain Path of Silence by Jeppe Hein (remember to bring a change of clothes for the kids!)
The amazing sculpture-like museum building itself, The Twist, which doubles as a bridge over the river, is worth the trip in itself!
Henie Onstad sculpture park
Henie Onstad Art Centre is located at Høvikodden, a 20-minute drive or 12-minute train ride from the city centre to Sandvika, just west of Oslo.
This renowned art centre is surrounded by a park filled with 30 sculptures by Norwegian and international artists. Among the most famous works are Arnold Haukeland's Solskulptur, Trygve Fredriksen's Filipstadbananen, and several works by Inge Bjørlo, Kai Nilsen, and Camilla Løw, to name a few.
Combine your visit with a stroll along the coastal path and a dip on the adjacent beach!
The sculpture park at Bærums Verk
Bærums Verk is a unique handicraft and shopping area situated in a former ironworks that was the lifeblood of Bærum since the early 17th century. It's a 25-minute drive or bus ride west of Oslo.
Stroll among idyllic wooden buildings along the river. Here you'll find over 40 shops, artist workshops, galleries, and eateries. Not to mention a park with more than 30 sculptures by Norway's foremost artists.
The culture destination Ramme
Culture destination Ramme is a truly unique and eclectic gem hidden away in Hvitsten in Vestby, a 30-minute drive south of Oslo.
Here you can explore the incredible Havlyst park and the Ramme Fjord Hotel, and taste delicious organic food from Ramme Kro and Restaurant, the café, and the beautiful farm shop.
Famous Norwegian painter Edvard Munch bought a house at Nedre Ramme in 1910, which he retained until his death in 1944. Walk in the footsteps of Munch, visit his villa, and experience his works at Ramme Art Gallery, in addition to iconic art by other artists like Oda Krogh, and 'troll painter' Theodor Kittelsen.
Artscape Nordland
In Northern Norway, the extensive Artscape Nordland, Skulpturlandskap Nordland in Norwegian, is well worth seeing.
As many as 34 sculptures and installations were installed outdoors between 1992 and 2015 in 32 different municipalities in Nordland county (and in one municipality in Troms). Artists include Kjell Erik Killi Olsen, Anish Kapoor, Bård Breivik, and Sissel Tolaas.
You can also spot art in nature from the road!
Don't miss Matias Faldbakken's Skyldner in Kjøllen on the Rondane National Scenic Route.
Experience colourful street art all over the country.
Find more art surrounded by nature
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