Dog-Friendly Parks & Green Spaces in Oslo

Frogner Park is one of Oslo's most visited attractions and one of the best urban parks in Northern Europe for walking with a dog. The Vigeland Sculpture Park — occupying the central axis of Frogner — contains 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland spread across bridges, fountains, and hillsides. Dogs are permitted on a short leash throughout the park and are a common sight among the bronze and granite figures. The park covers 46 hectares and offers enough variation — open lawns, wooded areas, a rose garden, and the iconic Monolith plateau — for a long morning walk.

Ekebergparken sits on a hillside south-east of the city centre with spectacular views across the Oslofjord. It combines a world-class open-air sculpture park — featuring works by Salvador Dalí, Auguste Rodin, and many contemporary artists — with extensive forested trails that connect to larger woodland networks. Dogs are permitted on leash throughout the sculpture park and into the forest. The forest sections reward longer walks with views, old-growth trees, and quiet even on busy weekends. One of Oslo's hidden gems for dog walkers.

Nordmarka is the vast forested highland that begins north of Oslo and extends for hundreds of square kilometres of wilderness. It is one of the reasons Oslo consistently ranks among the world's most liveable cities. For dogs, it is simply exceptional: vast, quiet, and largely off-leash outside the April–August nesting season. The most accessible entry point is Frognerseteren at the end of T-bane line 1, where forest trails begin immediately and connect to lakes, hills, and overnight cabins. On a clear winter day with snow on the ground, a walk in Nordmarka with a dog is among the best experiences Oslo offers.

Østmarka is the eastern counterpart to Nordmarka — a sprawling forested area east of the city accessible by T-bane to stations like Skullerud and then on foot. It is less well-known among tourists but beloved by Oslo's eastern neighbourhoods and offers lake swimming in summer (dogs permitted in most areas), cross-country trails in winter, and genuine wilderness within 30 minutes of the city centre. The Østensjøvannet nature reserve within Østmarka is a bird sanctuary where leash rules apply strictly, but the broader forest is relaxed and off-leash friendly.