Slottsparken Oslo

Rising up above the western end of central Oslo is the sloping parkland of Slottsparken, one of the capital's first public parks. Filled with rambling pastures, flowering meadows, a duck pond or three, and wooded arcades, it's a lovely place for a quiet walk and, despite its royal credentials (the Norwegian royal family's main residence sits at its apex), has a natural rather than stately beauty.