FR Reserve

Maison Oslo / Architecture / Oslo Classic

Architecture · 3 hours · English or French

Palace, villas and a sculptor's axis: Frogner and the Royal Park

When the Royal Palace was finished in 1849 it stood in the countryside. Within a century the city had wrapped itself around it: first villas for civil servants, then grand apartment blocks, a functionalist power company and a park laid out by a sculptor. This is the Oslo most visitors only drive through, and the one many of Oslo's best hotels stand in.

The Royal Palace in Oslo
Photo: Andreas Haldorsen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why you'll love it

  • A quieter, greener Oslo: the Palace Park, villa streets and Frogner Park
  • Urban planning you can see: how the city grew west after 1849, 1858 and 1878
  • Homansbyen, Oslo's first planned villa town, rebuilt in a rush after the great fire of 1858
  • Sommerro: a 1917–1931 power company headquarters that became one of Oslo's finest hotels
  • Vigeland's 850-metre axis, walked end to end, with the planner's eye on how it was laid out
  • Ideal if you are staying in Frogner or near the Palace: we start where you are

What we will focus on

about 4 km, gentle slopes

When: Sat–Sun 09:30 & 14:00 · Mon–Fri evenings 17:30. Evening walks run at dusk.

A selection of the places and buildings we explore, in no fixed order. The exact route varies with the day, the weather and opening hours.

  • The Royal Palace
  • The Palace Park
  • Homansbyen
  • Sommerro
  • Frogner Church
  • Frogner Park and the Vigeland axis
F

Your guide · Urban planner and founder of Maison Oslo · English · Français
Every walk is prepared with the makers, curators and sources behind each stop. Ask anything, in English or French.

Add-on

The pre-walk booklet

Key facts, timeline, glossary and reading list for this walk, to print at home or delivered printed to your hotel.

Good to know

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. It is the most family-friendly of our walks: parks, space to run, and Vigeland's sculptures are a hit with children.

Can we go inside the Royal Palace?

The palace opens for guided tours in summer only, booked through the Royal Court. We can plan your walk around a palace tour.

Is it hilly?

Gently: the palace sits on a hill and Frogner Park rises to the Monolith. About 4 km in total, at an easy pace.

In French?

Yes. Every walk runs in English or French.

Read before you go

Deichman library and the Opera on Dronning Eufemias gate
Architecture24 Sep 20263 min read

From motorway to fjord: how Oslo rebuilt its waterfront in 25 years

In 2000 Oslo decided to give its harbour back to people. The Opera, Deichman, MUNCH and the Barcode followed. An architect's guide to the Fjord City, and what is still being built.
Visitors walking up the Oslo Opera House roof
Architecture24 Sep 20263 min read

Can you walk on the Oslo Opera House roof? Yes, and here's how to do it well

The Oslo Opera House roof is free and open all day and night. An architect's guide to when to go, what you're looking at from the top, and what most visitors miss.

After the walk

Tell us what you loved.

Send us a few words after your walk: we thank you with 5% off your next one.

Write to Maison Oslo