Ekebergparken

The sculpture collection ranges across styles, periods, and materials. Auguste Rodin's The Thinker is displayed here — an original 1906 cast, one of only a handful in existence. Works by Lynn Chadwick, Sarah Lucas, Tony Cragg, Damien Hirst, Niki de Saint Phalle, James Turrell, and many others are scattered through the forest, creating a route that rewards slow walking and discovery rather than systematic progress.

The landscape itself is the context for the art rather than a neutral backdrop. The park rises steeply from the city, and many sculptures are sited to take advantage of specific views, clearings, or forest settings. James Turrell's Meeting (a room open to the sky) is one of the more meditative installations. Several works are positioned specifically to be seen against the fjord.

The Bronze Age rock carvings — perhaps 3,000 years old — are preserved within the park and freely accessible on marked paths. Oslo has the largest collection of Bronze Age rock art in Scandinavia, and Ekeberg is where many of the finest examples can be seen: carvings of ships, animals, and human figures that predate the Viking age by two millennia.

The park restaurant at the summit has been operating in various forms since 1929. The current building — a sleek 2014 modernist remodel — serves excellent food and has an outdoor terrace with spectacular views. A visit combining the sculpture walk with lunch or dinner here, followed by the tram back to the city, is one of the most satisfying half-days in Oslo.

Reach Ekebergparken by tram 18 or 19 from the city centre to Ekebergparken station — a 10-minute journey. The park is open at all times. The restaurant and café have regular opening hours; check the park website for current times and the monthly sculpture trail maps available at the entrance.