Parks and gardens
in Norway
Imagine strolling around in a lush world,
– just like in the fairytale The Secret Garden...
...or on a 'tropical' island, near Stavanger in Fjord Norway.
Vibrant colours...
...and wonderful scents.
Gardens are the perfect place for so many things, whether you need a space for meetings, a place to study or meditate, or...
...maybe travel through time?
Take a peek at some of Norway's most beautiful gardens!
Norway is a long and diverse country with a varied climate, and has lots of different parks and gardens! Visit everything from a 'tropical' paradise in Southern Norway and gardens in Fjord Norway, to beautiful polar gardens in Northern Norway.
There are six botanical gardens in Norway, as well as a selection of arboretums and theme gardens throughout the country. The gardens have plant collections with both native and endemic species from Norway, and plants from around the world.
The botanical gardens and arboretums are often administered by local councils, and are usually free to visit. The privately owned parks and gardens charge an entrance fee.
In many rural areas around the country, you can also find historical hotels with beautiful gardens. The largest cities often have many green parks, where you are free to sit down and enjoy your lunch or have a barbecue with your friends – just make sure to throw away your rubbish afterwards.
In the capital, Oslo, you can also visit some amazing sculpture parks, like the famous Vigelandsparken or the Ekebergparken Sculpture Park. The huge, impressive Kistefos Museum and sculpture park in Hadeland is just an hour's drive outside Oslo.
Book your trip to Kistefos!
Autumn leaves
Since the seasons change, you get a completely different experience of the gardens depending on what time of the year you visit. Like many other places, most of the plants and flowers in Norway are at their most beautiful in the spring or middle of the summer.
But how about a visit in the autumn, when the gardens and trees are a riot of colour? Or a totally different experience in the winter, when everything is covered in white, like a winter wonderland?
Check out 5 of the most amazing parks and gardens in Norway below!
At Ramme Farm you can visit the adventurous garden, Havlystparken, and what once was one of the least known homes of Edvard Munch!
Here, you can also visit exhibitions of paintings by Edvard Munch, explore an ecological farm, dine at a restaurant, and stay overnight by the sea!
The big, 'tropical' garden, Flor & Fjære on the small island of Sør-Hidle outside Stavanger, has been owned and run by the same family for three generations.
Get there by boat from Stavanger, stroll around among the over 50,000 flowers and plants planted there every year, and take a break in its restaurant by the sea. It's a real adventure!
Once upon a time, a baron lived at this manor house, Baroniet Rosendal, by the Hardangerfjord in Fjord Norway.
Today, you can experience both the 300-year-old building, and the historical garden surrounding it.
After walking around in the fairytale garden, relax at the café and enjoy a delicious lunch!
The delightful garden at Hovelsrud Farm, at Helgøya island by Lake Mjøsa, looks just like it did in 1840 when it was first created.
Take in the silence and the fresh air, while admiring the scenic view across Norway's largest lake.
You don't need to go to the countryside to find nice parks and gardens, though. You can enjoy true green lungs in the hustle and bustle of city life in all the big cities.
The Oslo Botanical Garden, located in the middle of the capital, has a collection that contains over 5,000 plants, from Arctic areas...
...to tropical oases inside custom-built buildings that house large palm trees and rare species of fish!
There is also a cosy café in the middle of the park, serving fresh baked goods and tasty drinks, where you can relax and maybe plan your next adventurous garden trip!
Where do you want to go?
Step inside Norway's gardens:
In the Oslo region:
OsloFrogner Park
The largest park in central parts of Oslo and a popular recreational area for people from all over the city. Inside the park you find Vigeland Sculpture Park, one of Oslo's most popular attractions. On a nice day the park is full of people; here you can go for a run, walk the dog, have a picnic or barbecue, play badminton or just enjoy the sun. Frogner Park has Norway's biggest collection of roses; a total of 14,000 plants of 150 different species. Frogner Stadium and Frognerbadet open-air pool are located in the corner of the park that faces Majorstua. In the corner near Frogner plass you can visit Frogner Manor House and the Museum of Oslo. The park has a café and a restaurant and children can play on Norway's biggest playground, located near the main entrance.
HvitstenThe culture destination Ramme
Ramme is unique compared to anything else you've experienced, and the place is still a hidden gem half an hour south of Oslo. At Ramme, you can immerse yourself in art, culture and nature experiences that open up your horizons. In the middle in between the forest and the fjord, you will find the adventurous Havlystparken, Ramme picture gallery, Edvard Munch's villa, Ramme fjord hotel, and organic eating places such as Ramme kro and restaurant, cafe and farm shop.
HamarDomkirkeodden
One of Norway's largest medieval museums providing an insight into our history from the Viking era, through the Middle Ages and up until today. The glass structure covering the cathedral ruins is the main attraction, and this is where visitors are told the dramatic story of how the church was destroyed. They also get to experience the fantastic acoustics as the guides show off their singing skills. The open air museum by Mjøsa comprises over 60 antique buildings from the Hedmark villages. Permanent exhibitions are available in Storhamarlåven from the 1700s, converted to a museum by architect Sverre Fehn. Guided tours of the country's largest ecological herb garden are also available.
OsloSculpturestop - HEAD N.N.
Near the northern end of the Torshovdalen valley you find HEAD N.N., a giant enlargement of a classic doll head which artist Marianne Heske bought at flea market in Paris in 1971. The bronze sculpture is seven metres tall, and next to it is a small amphitheatre. Marianne Heske's intention behind the artwork is to let the public use HEAD N.N. and let their thoughts flow freely. The amphitheatre is intended to be a place where one can sit and have a clear view of both the sculpture and the Oslo Fjord. Sculpturestopp is an initiative by and under the management of Sparebankstiftelsen DNB. The aim of the project is to bring sculptures of a high international calibre to Eastern Norway.
OsloBotanical Garden
Large garden at Tøyen with ample botanical variety and diversity. Most of the area is designed as an Arboretum, with approximately 1800 different plants. The garden holds a large and varied collection of trees and shrubs planted in a systematic fashion after plant family. The Scent Garden is arranged as an experience for all, but especially the blind, mentally handicapped and wheelchair-bound. You will also find large, woven sculptures by the British artist Tom Hare around in the park. The greenhouses The Palm House from 1868 and The Victoria House from 1876 present exotic plants from other parts of the world. Norwegian name: Botanisk hage
Southern Norway and Fjord Norway:
Trøndelag and Northern Norway:
TromsøTromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden
Welcome to our unique and colourful botanical garden. The combination of rare plants from the Arctic and from mountains around the world gives it a distinctive character that cannot be found in any other botanical garden. International media and plant experts recognize the garden as one of the world's finest.
Art destinations in Norway
Are you an art and culture lover? Then these are for you!
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