Vigeland Park in Oslo is the Spot
Image courtesy of Tord Baklund / VisitOSLO
While in Oslo, head to the largest sculpture park designed by a single artist—the commanding Vigeland Park
Vigeland Park attracts more than 1 million visitors every year, making it the most visited attraction in Oslo—and for good reason. The park features more than 200 intricate sculptures in cast iron, bronze and granite that represent the many stages of life and the human desire to reach out to the divine.
The sculptures of Vigeland Park are a study of the human form and the lifework of Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943), who worked on this project for nearly 20 years. Vigeland was also the landscape architect of the park, making sure that the sculptures were perfectly complemented by their surroundings.
Some of the more famous sculptures of Vigeland Park are a small but powerful “Angry Boy,” “Man Attacked by Babies” and the imposing “Monolith,” a 46-foot high cylinder surrounded by human figures. Vigeland, along with three other sculptors, carved out this piece over a period of 14 years. Along ascending steps, visitors will see what appear to be bodies stacked on top of each other, a mother and father cuddling their baby, lovers with their backs turned in disagreement.
Image courtesy of Tord Baklund / VisitOSLO
The park is open all year round and is free to the public—a great bonus when visiting one of the world’s most expensive cities. While Vigeland is the largest sculpture park designed by a single artist, Oslo also offers another alternative for those looking to see the capital city on the cheap. Situated on Oslo's east side, Ekebergparken Sculpture Park features contemporary and modern works by a number of international artists including America’s James Turrell, surrealist icon Salvador Salvador Dalí, the provocative Damien Hirst and Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović.
Even if you’re not that interested in art or history, a visit to one of Oslo’s sculpture parks should be on every first-time visitor’s itinerary. You’ll breathe in the fresh Norwegian air, get a little bit of exercise and find yourself with more photo opportunities that you can imagine.
Image courtesy of Tord Baklund / VisitOSLO
Drone footage was taken with my DJI Phantom II and GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. All other shots were taken with a GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition.
My trip to Norway was made possible by Hurtigruten and Visit Norway. Views expressed are my own.