Frognerparken

Frognerparken or The Vigeland Sculpture Park is a large park situation in the heart of Oslo. This park is designed around the statue creations of Gustav Vigeland. These statues are the central theme to this park.

Vigeland has a very distinctive style of his portrayal of the human body. I won't go into an artist critique here, but these statues present his idealized images of the human body both in individual characterizations and in tandem with one or more other figures. To the modern mind, these are very interesting portrayals. To some, however, they may find a portion of these a bit offensive. I have heard people saying as much while viewing these sculptures. This is not a judgement, this is just to let you know what you are going to see if you visit this park.

This is a very popular park. Unless you come here very early in the morning, you are going to be visiting the park, and viewing the sculptures, with a lot of other people. I am sure if you study the photographs of this park, presented here on Yelp, you will easily see what you can expect.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this park. Sure, it is an open and airy place to visit. And sure, you get to see the sculptures of Vigeland, but it is not a great place to come and relax or to quietly and slowly stroll around and enjoy the environment, as there are always so many people visiting this park. If you are looking for an experience like that, it may be better to go to
Botanisk hage.

Overall though, this is a fun park, defined by the sculptures of a single artist. It is a must see in Oslo.

This is an expansive park worthy of a stroll during the summer months when the weather is lovely outside. Although, I would not hesitate to come here year round. Whether you've been on your feet all day at museums, save some time in the evening for a visit.

The sculpture work of Gustav Vigeland can be seen and enjoyed here. Much of it is along the pathways in the park and can be enjoyed for free. There is another paid section of his work, but we weren't able to get there during the limited operational hours. There was just so much to see and do and not enough time to do it all.

The park is a lovely place to walk, run, play, picnic, take your dog, and enjoy a bit of nature. One family of four worked to replicate the poses of the sculptures on the bridge. They we're having fun with the challenge, and we were amused watching them.

There is a rose garden and a lot of fountains and symmetry in the garden layout. The pathways are gravel dirt, but there is also grass, trees, and concrete walkways too.

It's on the train route, so very easy to get to. Come for the sculptures, but enjoy the nature break too!

Harrowingly beautiful sculptures stand all around the park, making it an amazing adventure - even just from one sculpture to the next. The Monolith in the center is like the grand finale. It's striking, disturbing, fascinating, & awe-inspiring. In the dead of winter, it was still bustling with people (both tourists & locals). Absolutely worth the visit.

If visiting in the winter, wear good shoes. When we were there, the steps weren't treated with salt. It was a bit slippery.

Visited this expansive park on a recent tour we were in. What an amazing spot this is!! I loved all the pathways, statues, and landscaping.

We were here in February so snow and slush was everywhere. But I imagine this spot is even more beautiful in the spring and summer time.

This is a must visit location for sure!!

Gayle and I came here last summer as part of a bus tour off our Viking Cruise ship. Frogner Park is a pretty and large open space by itself. What a lot of tourists (like me) come for is the permanent sculpture installation within the park that was created by Gustav Vigeland between 1924 and 1943. It consists of various sculptures, plus larger structures such as bridges and fountains. Informally, these fascinating works of art are often referred to as Vigeland Park.

There's a lot to look at here in terms of the various naked and intertwined human figures, plus the bridge, the fountain, and the monolith. At the same time, the beauty of the park itself comes out, even if you'd prefer to minimize your Vigeland views.

Frogner Park: The Monolith must've made an impression on me when I saw it on the Oslo episode of Rick Steves' series. It's a stone obelisk nearly fifty feet high composed of 121 naked and intertwined human figures (photo: https://bit.ly/3oyPSjv). Even though it was built in the 1920's, it reminded me of Kylie Minogue's video for "All the Lovers" where she organized hundreds of semi-clad, gym-toned bodies into a writhing human mountain in the middle of downtown LA. Is it getting hot in here?

However, Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland was probably inspiring Kylie when he said, "It's only when you put clothes on people that you start defining their religion or where they are from. When you are naked you can be anyone, anywhere at any time." That philosophy led him to design 212 bronze and granite sculptures installed along the central promenade of Frogner Park. Yep, they're all buck naked, and they're meant to represent life in all its manifestations from child to adult through the full range of emotions.

At the eastern end of the park, the elaborate Art Deco-style Main Gate serves as the entry point (photo: https://bit.ly/3J7Z3ku), and beyond the Monolith is the Wheel of Life sculpture made up of four adults, a child, and a baby connected in a Martha Graham-style pose (photo: https://bit.ly/3J8e9X7). There's also a beautiful rose garden that serves to soften the hard surfaces. Just so you know, there is no Vigeland Park. It's Frogner Park with this sculpture garden its centerpiece. The rest of the park is a bucolic expanse well worth your time. Now I need to play that Kylie Minogue video.

RELATED - Traveling to Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe

Some days you just have to take a walk or a jug around the park! But some time have a good picnic with good sun and good vibes! Lots of tourist come visit specially to see the angry baby his hand is golden now !

A must see. Try naming all of the statues--a good time. Beautiful park, amazing statues. If you're in Oslo you must go.

Wow! A lifetime of work - 212 granite, bronze and wrought iron sculptures created by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland over almost 20 years. Very impressive collection. Interestingly, the people are of varying ages, shapes, activities and moods. Not sure why the angry boy is so famous but he certainly look angry. There are 4 statues of dragons with people on top of the 4 columns at either corner of the bridge; they are meant to depict "the internal vices of a person, which he tries to fight throughout his life. Some interpret these sculptures as a confrontation between man and the forces of nature." The monolith was huge and contained 121 figures. While it was not crazy crowded, there were the usual tour buses and we tried to stay ahead of those hordes. It is quite a journey to get to the park - we took a cab but then had to walk quite a few blocks to get to another taxi stand to get back. But this is a sight well worth the journey and a must see.

We stopped at the end back by the entrance gate to grab 2 hot chocolates and a croissant at the Café Vigeland. It was a nice little place for a peaceful break. My only objection was that we had to pay NOK 20 to use the bathroom - as paying customers I would have expected a free bathroom.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen." (Sarah, The Labyrinth)

It's been rumored that Bowie didn't pass on, but instead returned to rule over his Goblin City. I can't be certain, but I suspect he could be found somewhere within Frogner Park, perhaps inside the labyrinth...

Walking through the wrought-iron entrance gates to the park, you may feel like you've wandered onto the magical set of the movie baby of Jim Henson, Ridley Scott, and Wolfgang Petersen. In reality it is a world created by Gustav Vigeland, who designed the park to showcase his life's work of 200 impressive bronze, iron, and granite sculptures.

The park might not recount epic fantasy tales, but it does tell evocative stories of relationships and the circle of life through sculptures from precocious children to elderly couples embracing.

A bridge lined with statues in humorous poses ushers visitors to the gardens, fountain, and monolith. We were not questioned by a Fox Terrier knight riding a sheepdog while crossing, but we did find "Angry Boy". The baby is bronze now, so Sarah must not have solved the labyrinth in time!

Beyond the gardens, enter the labyrinth...just don't choose the door that leads to *bom bom bom* CERTAIN DEATH! Above the labyrinth looms a formidable fountain held up by giant Prometheus-alien-like statues.The statues appeared to be granite, but Fassbender probably just hadn't awoken them from stasis yet.

If you survive the labyrinth, climb up to the Monolith Platform to marvel at the never-ending view of the vast kingdom and obleisk of twisted bodies. If you look up, you may spy Falcor flying overhead!

With luck you've made it through the park in time so that you too won't turn to bronze like Angry Boy. Then like Sarah, you can tell Jareth, "You have no power over me."

The park is free to enter and is open year round.
Enter if you dare.

"Don't you know anything about Fantasia? It's the world of human fantasy. Every part, every creature of it, is a piece of the dreams and hopes of mankind."
(Neverending Story)