Oslo Botanical Garden

Founded in 1814, the year Norway got its constitution, the garden at Toyen belongs to the University of Oslo and holds around five and a half thousand plant species over fifteen hectares, laid out around the eighteenth-century Toyen manor house. The oldest section is the arboretum with mature trees, and the highlight for many is the rock garden, built from 1917, which gathers alpine and arctic plants from Norway and the world's mountain ranges on artificial slopes and screes. The Palm House of 1868 and the Victoria House, with its giant water lilies and tropical collections, are open with tickets, as are the natural history museums on the same grounds. The whole garden is free and used as a public park.

What you actually see

• The rock garden - alpine and arctic species on constructed slopes.
• The Palm House - an 1868 glasshouse with tropical planting.
• The Victoria House - giant water lilies and warm-house collections.
• The arboretum - mature trees around the old manor house.

When to go

May to September for the outdoor collections, with the rock garden best in late spring and the perennial borders in midsummer; the glasshouses are worth a winter visit. The garden opens daily and closes at dusk.

Honest expectations

The outdoor garden is dormant and bare from November to April. Glasshouses require separate tickets and keep shorter hours. It functions partly as a neighbourhood park, so quiet corners are limited on warm days.

Nearby

The Munch Museum's old building and the Natural History Museum are on the same site; central Oslo is two metro stops away.