Sofienberg Park and Church, Oslo

Sofienberg Park—Oslo’s most scenic plot twist. It may look like your average green retreat—but dig a little deeper (pun intended), and you'll find it has a rather grave backstory. Literally.

Spanning 180 acres in the city's northeast, this leafy area began its days in 1858 not as a picnic haven, but as a cemetery. In the early 20th century, as the city sprawled, most of the 60,000 graves here were gently relocated elsewhere. All except for the Jewish Cemetery, which today still quietly keeps the park's original purpose alive beneath its calm greenery.

But don’t let that history spook you—Sofienberg has had quite the second life, with picnic tables, cheerful playgrounds, and even a few ping-pong tables—because nothing says leisure like a brisk rally over what used to be sacred ground.

At the heart of the park stands Sofienberg Church, a red-brick beauty consecrated in 1877 and designed by Jacob Wilhelm Nordan. Inside, you'll find a luminous altarpiece by Otto Sinding and stained glass windows by Maria Vigeland and Enevold Thomt—artistic heavyweights who knew how to catch the light just right. Thanks to its heavenly acoustics, the church also moonlights as a concert venue, giving you a reason to visit even when the weather isn’t picnic-friendly.

You may come to the park for the ping-pong, but stay for the stained glass, and enjoy the unexpected charm of the area that went from eternal rest to eternal recreation...