Slottsparken and Royal Palace

Let’s see how the three popular attractions, Slottsparken and Royal Palace (and Ibsen Museum)can perfectly fit together in one itinerary. The National Gallery & the Historical Museum are adjacent to the 22 hectares of Royal Palace Park that surrounds the Royal Palace. The park is based on the ideal model of nature which prevailed in the mid-1800s and which set the tone for European horticulture of the era. The park was constructed in the Romantic style, in which the “line of beauty” can be seen in the ponds’ undulating forms and the winding gravel paths.

The Palace Park was developed simultaneously with the construction of the Royal Palace by the palace architect, Hans Ditlev Franciscus Linstow. Although the Palace was completed in 1849, the Palace Park did not assume its final form until the 1850s. The park was open to the public from the outset, and as the city expanded to the west, it came to lie at the center of the capital city. The park encompasses the Royal Palace Square – Norway’s largest ceremonial square.

Every year on 17 May, Norway’s national day, the Royal Family stands on the Palace Balcony and waves to the Children’s Parade as it crosses the square. When foreign heads of state visit Norway, they are greeted by the King and Queen in the Palace Square. The 173-room Neo-Classical Palace was between 1825 when King Carl Johan laid the foundation stone and 1848 when King Oscar I first inhabited it.

The Royal Palace is owned by the state and placed at the disposal of the head of state. It is where the daily work of the monarchy is conducted and where the King and Queen live. It is where the King presides over the Council of State, grants audiences, and holds official dinners. Foreign heads of state who visit Oslo stay at the Palace. Most of the members of the Royal Court have their workplace here.

The Royal Palace is open to the public during the summer season when visitors can go through some of its most beautiful staterooms such as the Council Chamber, the Banqueting Hall, and the Ballroom. The guided tours last about one hour and about four of them are given in English every day. More