St. Hanshaugen

About

St. Hanshaugen is one of Oslo's largest parks, just north of the city centre. This popular recreational area is great for walks, and from the top of the hill you have a nice view of Oslo. History St. Hanshaugen was originally a bare rock hill. In the 1840s the name St. Hanshaugen (midsummer hill) came into use, as the hill was a popular place for midsummer celebrations. In 1855 it was decided that parts of the hill was to be planted, and a big part of the hill was turned into a park in the next 30 years. The park also got a park keeper house, an artificial creek and a pavilion on the square Festplassen, and the park was expanded. Through the years, a number of statues were also placed in the park. In 1936, the park got an open-air café on Festplassen - the square on top of the hill - which is still a popular summer café today.