On the Baltic cruise, I had heard that I needed to see the “Little Mermaid” statue in Copenhagen and find the “Angry Baby” in Oslo. Finding an angry baby seems a simple goal but I was looking for the famous sculpture which resided in The Vigeland Sculpture Park. As this was my first solo cruise, I hadn’t yet figured out the ports (using public transit or hiring a private guide) so I signed up for the cruise tour of Oslo which would stop at the Vigeland Sculpture park. Without really understanding what the park involved and having done no prior Oslo research, I was simply stunned when we arrived at the park and was told the history. Stunned!
First Impressions – The Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo
The Vigeland Sculpture Park is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist. Gustav Vigeland has over 200 sculptures depicting human existence from birth to death and all the fun in between. The museum on site has the original full sized models, drawings, carvings and so much more – I had no time to visit but it’s on the list for next time. Using bronze, granite and wrought iron, my eyes were full of art and my camera was busy snapping as quickly as I could as this was a short visit (I could have stayed for hours). Not to be mean but I was happy to be the youngest on the tour as that meant I could run to catch up as I dawdled in the back of the group in order to linger at some of the sculptures. I resigned myself to be last on the bus and that I would need to run along the way (it’s a large park – 80 acres) missing a huge chunk of the park but getting a good overview of the incredible sculptures.
Here are a few of my favorites in the park –
The Vigeland Sculpture Park – The Bridge
I found the Angry Baby (Angry Boy) and he does look pretty annoyed – what didn’t he get that caused this tantrum?
The Fountain at the Vigeland Sculpture Park
The bronze fountain at Vigeland depicts trees of life from birth to death. There are clusters of trees around the massive fountain.
The Vigeland Sculpture Park – Monolith Plateau
Walking up the stairs, I encountered many types of relationships depicted in granite.
The Wheel of Life at Vigeland Sculpture Park
Final Thoughts – The Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo
A visit to Oslo whether by Baltic cruise on on your own, definitely add The Vigeland Park to your itinerary – no need to search the streets for the “Angry Baby/Boy”. You can easily reach the park by public transit, cab or cruise tour. The park is free to visit and open 24/7. Do allow yourself more time to explore on your own rather than do a drive by like I did. Leaving the park, I was sad that I didn’t have more time but happy to have discovered this amazing art – it’s not often that I’m surprised and on this day in Oslo, I was.
Read more about Vigeland Park and plan your visit on your next trip to Oslo.