Oslo by the water: beaches, lakes and summer swims

In summer Oslo goes swimming. The fjord laps the city centre, Bygdøy has its beaches and coves, and the forest lakes are a metro ride away. A guide to the city by the water, from the harbour bath at Sørenga to the lit path around Sognsvann, with the places in our guide.

Few capitals let you swim so close to the centre. Oslo sits at the head of its fjord, ringed by forest, and when the long summer days arrive the city heads for the water: to the harbour baths of the new waterfront, the beaches of Bygdøy, the islands a ferry ride away and the lakes at the end of the metro lines.

Swimming in the harbour

Start in Bjørvika. Sørenga sjøbad is a harbour bath near the Opera, its decks laid out over the water, and Operastranda, the 100-metre city beach outside the Opera, has shallow water that suits children. On the other side of the harbour, the Tjuvholmen Sculpture Park ends in a small pebble beach, beneath works by Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley.

After your swim, the sauna rafts of the fjord and Oslo Badstuforening are close by, and the waterfront promenade leads from the Opera to Tjuvholmen.

The beaches of Bygdøy

Bygdøy, the museum peninsula, is also the city’s beach. Huk, at its tip, is the busiest, bustling on hot days, with a summer kiosk and a beach-volleyball court. A short walk north, Paradisbukta is a small sandy cove between trees and rocks, quieter than its neighbour: swim from the sand or the ladder, and bring everything you need.

Bygdøy’s museums, from the Fram to the Norsk Folkemuseum, make a beach day easy to combine with culture, and the Holocaust Center at Villa Grande is on the same road as Huk.

In Oslo you can swim within sight of the Opera.

Islands in the fjord

Ruter’s island boats run from the harbour to the inner fjord islands. On Hovedøya, a short ferry ride away, you can swim and then walk to the ruins of the monastery founded by English Cistercian monks in 1147, which lie in green fields; Gressholmen has its own inn, Gressholmen Kro.

Lakes in the forest

For fresh water, take metro line 5 to its last stop. Sognsvann, at the edge of the Nordmarka forest, is for picnics, swimming and fishing in summer, and its 3.2-kilometre path around the lake, lit and wheelchair-friendly, is one of Norway’s most popular trails. Reward yourself with waffles at Sognsvannkiosken. In town, the Akerselva runs eight kilometres to the fjord, with swimming spots along the way.

Our advice: swim at Sørenga on a weekday evening, keep a whole day for Bygdøy, and when the city is warm, follow the locals to the forest lakes. In winter the same places turn to saunas and ski trails.